Gender Norms In Sociology

Words: 648
Pages: 3

Someone’s sex refers to the physical distinctions between men and women like their primary and secondary sex characteristics. Opposed to gender which refers to the cultural or social differences connected to being either male or female. Researchers generally consider gender to be a social construct meaning that it does not exist naturally but is a notion created by our culture and social norms. “Gender norms” are the behaviours or characteristics that society assigns to a certain sex they are like gender stereotypes which provide a basic generalisation of the differences between males and females that are rarely accurate sources of information about either gender.

Gender norms are the basis for sexism or the beliefs that consider one sex superior to another. From the minute the parents find out the sex of their child they start to push many gender stereotypes on to their child often before they are even born even if many don’t realise they’re doing it. In western culture the feminine roles that women are usually associated with nurturing, passive, mothering roles while masculine roles are more
…show more content…
Sexist frames of mind are most often based on the belief that everyone should conform to the traditional gender stereotypes of gender roles. Many people are shunned