Functionalism holds that the division of responsibilities between males and females survived because it benefited human living. Early humans found that division of labour based on sex was efficient. Men could hunt and protect due to their physical advantage. Men were more expendable than women; it took only one man to provide for the group Gender and… Functionalism

Conflict theory holds that it is to the advantage of men to prevent women from gaining access to political, economic and social resources. By keeping the traditional division of labour intact, men can preserve the privileges they enjoy, maintaining the status quo Recent example: The Government of Afghanistan potentially re-legalizing “gender apartheid” Critics of these view hold that traditional gender roles are outdated. Male physical strength may have been important when hunting was the major means of subsistence. Gender and… Conflict Theory

Gender and… Symbolic Interactionism Symbolic Interactionism focuses on how boys and girls learn to act the way they are ‘supposed’ to act. This is called gender socialization. Parents transfer to their children values and attitudes regarding how boys and girls should behave. Learning begins at birth and is well established at two years of age. Examples: blue for boys, pink for girls; dolls versus action figures; girls are often cuddled more and wrestled less; girls are often encouraged to tone down ‘wild’ behaviour, whereas that behaviour is expected of boys.

Gender and… Symbolic Interactionism Family chores also reinforce the idea of gender. Studies have shown that boys are often given more ‘masculine’ jobs (e.g. cutting grass, shoveling, etc.) while girls were often given ‘feminine’ chores such as washing dishes, laundry and cleaning the house. Observations reveal that many teachers encourage different behaviour from boys and girls. This can range from how they answer questions in class to what classes girls are encouraged to take.

“Gender Bending” Gender bending the act of consciously or unconsciously breaking the behaviour rules of your own prescribed gender (e.g. at one point, only men wore pants; for women to wear pants was gender bending) In groups of 3-4, brainstorm ways in which you see gender bending in society today. Be sure to think about clothing choices, actions, beliefs, views, etc.