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Sociology vocabulary · Family, Gender and the Life Course

Gender

Meaning in sociology, with examples

/ˈdʒendə/nounCore term

In sociology, gender means: The roles, behaviour and identities that a society attaches to being a woman or a man, as distinct from the biological differences described by the word sex.

In Turkish: toplumsal cinsiyet

How it is used

A core concept in modern sociology. Common phrases include gender roles, gender inequality, the gender gap and gender relations. Many sociologists say gender is socially constructed, meaning that it is learned and varies between cultures and periods.

Example sentences

  1. The gender pay gap measures the difference between the average earnings of women and men.

  2. Her dissertation explores how gender shapes career choices among engineering students.

Common collocations

  • gender roles
  • gender inequality
  • gender gap
  • gender relations
  • gender identity
  • gender roleThe set of behaviours, tasks and attitudes that a society considers suitable for women or for men, usually learned through socialisation.
  • patriarchyA social system in which men hold most of the power and authority in the family, the economy, politics and other institutions.
  • feminismA range of social theories and movements that study and challenge inequality between women and men and the ways gender shapes social life.
  • social constructionThe idea that many things we take as natural or obvious, such as gender roles, childhood or race, are created and maintained by people through shared meanings and practices.
  • intersectionalityThe idea that social categories such as gender, race, class and disability overlap, so that people experience combined and distinct forms of advantage or disadvantage.

More terms: Family, Gender and the Life Course

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