Sociology Of Gender

This course examines gender relations within various institutional contexts. Beginning with a discussion of gender difference and inequality from a sociological perspective, we consider theories of gender, including the nature of patriarchy, and the social and cultural construction of women and men. In particular, we will discuss the structural and ideological aspects of gender relations in social contexts such as the following: the family and household, work and the economy, politics and the state, and popular culture and mass media. Within these contexts, we examine specific issues, for example, the domestic division of labour, gender segregation in employment, gender representations and identities, and gender inequality in relation to crime and violence. In so doing, we also analyze the effectiveness of public policy in these areas.