Introduction to

Gender Studies
 Gender Studies
• Definition:
“A field of study devoted to gender identity
and gendered representation. It includes
women’s studies (concerning women,
feminism, gender, and politics), men’s studies
and queer studies.”
 Gender Studies
• Gender studies examine the ways in which
historical, cultural and social events shape the
role of gender in different societies.

• It is a discipline used to identify, analyze and

correct social inequalities.
• Gender refers to the socio-cultural definition
of man and woman, the way societies
distinguish them and assign them social roles.
 Difference
Gender Studies
• Core Idea: Gender is socially
constructed
• More broader/universal/cross
cultural in scope, deals with
gender as a phenomenon
• Multi-disciplinary: addresses
struggle for gender equality in
politics, education, the family,
labour force, in literature,
media
Woman Studies
• Core Idea: Historical
analysis of the subjugation
of women
• Full understanding of
women in society, and their
status
• Women-centered view of
society, politics, power
 Multidisciplinary Nature of Gender
Studies
• Based on multiple academic disciplines
• Studies that use methods and strategies of
various established disciplines or fields of studies,
connecting several schools of thoughts and
perspectives in pursuit of a common task
• Gender Studies: Woman’s studies, Men’s studies,
LGBT studies, in the fields of history, political
science, sociology and how they interact with
ethnicity, class, nationality etc
 Distinction between Sex and Gender
• For ages it was believed that different
characteristics, roles and status accorded to
men and women in society are determined by
biology (i.e, sex), that they are natural, and
therefore not changeable.
• E.g: Women’s bodies responsible for their
subordinate status in society
 Concept of Gender in Gender Studies
• Sex is one thing, but gender is another
• Everyone is born male or female, and sex can
be determined by looking at a new born’s
genitalia
• As soon as the child is born families and
societies begin the process of gendering
 What is Gendering?
• The way every culture values girls and boys
and assigns them roles, responses and
attributes is ‘gendering’.

• Examples
– In south Asian cultures birth of a son is celebrated
– Boys are encouraged to be tough, and outgoing,
girls are encouraged to be home-bound and
modest
 Main differences
SEX
• Sex is natural
• Sex is biological
• Sex refers to visible
differences in genitalia and
related differences in
reproductive functions
• Sex is constant. It remains
same everywhere
GENDER
• Gender is man-made
• Gender is socio-cultural
• Gender refers to masculine
and feminine qualities,
behavior patterns, roles,
responsibilities etc
• Gender is variable. It
changes from time to time,
culture to culture, even
family to family
 Gender keeps changing
• Cultural and social attribute
• Keeps changing over time, in different places
and among different social groups.
• Example:
A middle class girl may be confined to
home or school while a tribal girl may roam
around freely, taking animals for grazing etc
 Are biological differences between
men and women of no consequence?
• Gender studies maintain that neither sex, nor
nature is responsible for the unjustifiable
inequalities that exist between men and
women.

• Like the inequalities between castes, classes

and races, these too are man-made, and
therefore they can be questioned, challenged
and changed.
• You do not have to be same to be equal, to
have equal rights and opportunities.
Social Construction
of Gender
Society turns males and females into
Masculine and Feminine beings
• Happens through a process of socialization or
gendering or gender indoctrination; and
ongoing process within families and societies
• It takes place through four processes:
1. Manipulation
2. Canalisation
3. Verbal appellation
4. Activity exposure
1. Manipulation/Moulding: The way you
handle a child. (dressing baby girls in
feminine fashion etc)

2. Canalisation: Directing the attention of male

and female children to objects or aspects of
objects. (toys, hobbies).
3. Verbal Appellation: Remarks different for
boys and girls. (strong, pretty). Children learn
to think of themselves as male or females

4. Activity Exposure: Traditional masculine and

feminine activities from childhood, segregated
spaces