https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4UWxlVvT1A 100 words per topichttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo7o2LYATDc
In this first class, we will explore the analytical category of gender. The goal is to understand gender as a social construction that structures our understanding of who we are on our society in gendered terms while at the same time informing our perception about and expectations of those we interact with. We will look at gender as a powerful category that consists of a specific knowledge that shapes ideals around manhood and womanhood, masculinity and femininity and that has the power to create discursive differences that gives meaning to our identities as women, men, gender non binary persons as well as trans and intersex persons.
For this first class, I assigned the important article “Doing Gender” written by Candace West and Don Zimmermann. Candace West is Sociology Professor at University of California Santa Cruz and Don Zimmerman is Professor of Sociology at University of California, Santa Barbara.
For this first class I want you to do the following three assignments:
First, read the article “Doing Gender” by west and Zimmerman
Second, watch the short film clip The Oppressed Majority
Third, drawing on the reading and the short video clip explain/discuss the following quote:
“Gender is a powerful ideological device, which produces, reproduces, and legitimates the choices and limits that are predicated on sex category” (West and Zimmerman 1987: 146).
Today’s learning objectives:
Understand gender as a social construction rather than a biologically fixed system of meaning
Understand the category of gender as flexible and as constantly negotiated in the context of everyday interactions
Doing gender is contextual and an inherent part of socio-political power dynamics
I am looking forward reading your posts!