Gender in Society

3 units

This course acts as an introduction to the sociological study of gender. The primary focus of the course will be on U.S. society, but the course will also discuss gender in an international context. From the moment of birth, boys and girls are treated differently. Gender structures the experiences of people in all major social institutions, including the family, the workplace, and schools. Students will explore how gender impacts lives and life chances. The central themes of the course are historical changes in gender beliefs and practices; socialization practices that reproduce gender identities; how race/ethnicity, class, and sexuality shape the experience of gender; and the relationship between gender, power, and social inequality. Prerequisite: successful completion of an introductory Sociology course or consent of the instructor.