How Assigned: Life with Gender Reveals the Social Construction and Complexity of Gender

- What are some of the topics covered in the book Assigned: Life With Gender? - What is the purpose and significance of this book for understanding gender in the US today? H2: Ideas - How do parents, media, and culture shape our ideas of gender and gender roles? - How do people express their gender identity and challenge gender norms? - How do different aspects of gender intersect with other social categories, such as race, class, sexuality, and disability? H2: Performances - How do people perform gender in everyday situations and interactions? - How do language, communication, and humor reflect and reproduce gender stereotypes and expectations? - How do people negotiate and resist gendered expectations and pressures in different contexts, such as sports, education, and work? H2: Inequalities - How does gender create and maintain social inequalities and power relations? - How does gender bias affect various outcomes and opportunities for different groups of people? - How does gender-based violence manifest and impact individuals and society? H2: Institutions - How do social institutions, such as family, religion, politics, and law, shape and regulate gender relations and roles? - How do social movements and activists challenge and change gender norms and policies? - How does gender influence the production and consumption of culture and knowledge? H2: The Future of Gender - How is gender changing and evolving in the 21st century? - What are some of the emerging trends and issues related to gender in the US and globally? - What are some of the challenges and opportunities for creating a more inclusive and equitable society for all genders? H2: Conclusion - Summarize the main points and arguments of the article. - Emphasize the importance and relevance of the book Assigned: Life With Gender for understanding gender in the US today. - Provide some suggestions for further reading and action on gender issues. H2: FAQs - What is The Society Pages series and who are the editors of Assigned: Life With Gender? - Where can I find more information and resources on gender issues in the US? - How can I use this book in my classroom or study group? - How can I contribute to The Society Pages or contact the authors of Assigned: Life With Gender? - How can I support gender equality and diversity in my community and society? Table 2: Article with HTML formatting Assigned: Life With Gender - A Sociological Perspective on Gender Issues in the US

If you have ever wondered why boys wear blue and girls wear pink, why women are expected to be nurturing and men are expected to be assertive, why there are more male than female politicians or scientists, or why transgender people face discrimination and violence, then you have been thinking about gender. Gender is one of the most fundamental aspects of our identity and social life. It shapes how we see ourselves, how others see us, how we interact with them, what opportunities we have, what challenges we face, and what impact we make on the world.

Assigned: Life With Gender (The Society Pages) Books Pdf File

But what is gender exactly? Is it something we are born with or something we learn? Is it fixed or fluid? Is it natural or cultural? Is it binary or spectrum? These are some of the questions that sociologists explore when they study gender. Sociology is the scientific study of human society and social behavior. It examines how people create, maintain, change, and challenge social structures, norms, values, institutions, cultures, identities, groups, movements, and interactions. Sociology helps us understand not only how society works but also how it affects us as individuals.

In this article, we will review a book that offers a sociological perspective on gender issues in the US today. The book is called Assigned: Life With Gender and it is part of The Society Pages series, which provides accessible and affordable introductions to various topics of social importance and public relevance. The book is edited by Lisa Wade, Douglas Hartmann, and Christopher Uggen, who are all professors of sociology and co-editors of The Society Pages, an online magazine that features sociological insights on current events and social issues. The book consists of 24 essays written by different authors, who are also sociologists, scholars, activists, or journalists. The essays cover a wide range of topics related to gender, such as parenting, sports, media, violence, education, work, politics, religion, culture, and more. The book aims to present a revealing picture of gender in the US today: socially constructed, sometimes fun but almost always problematic, fluid but forced into binaries, deeply ingrained but often misunderstood.

In the following sections, we will summarize some of the main ideas and arguments from each of the five parts of the book: Ideas, Performances, Inequalities, Institutions, and The Future of Gender. We will also provide some examples and quotes from the essays to illustrate the points. We hope that this article will spark your interest and curiosity in learning more about gender from a sociological perspective and encourage you to read the book yourself or use it in your classroom or study group.

Ideas

The first part of the book explores how our ideas of gender and gender roles are shaped by various social forces, such as parents, media, and culture. It also examines how people express their gender identity and challenge gender norms in different ways.

On queering parenting and gender-neutrality

In this essay, D'Lane Compton and Tristan Bridges argue that parenting is a gendered activity that reflects and reproduces dominant ideas of masculinity and femininity. They use the term "queering" to refer to the process of questioning and disrupting these ideas and creating alternative ways of doing gender. They give examples of how some parents try to queer their parenting by raising their children in a gender-neutral or gender-creative way. For instance, some parents avoid assigning a gender to their child at birth or let their child choose their own gender identity and expression. Some parents also avoid buying gender-specific toys or clothes for their child or expose them to diverse representations of gender in books or media. The authors suggest that queering parenting can be a way of challenging the rigid and binary system of gender that limits people's choices and possibilities.

"Queering parenting is not about making children queer; it is about creating space for children to explore who they are without the constraints that come with normative expectations about who they should be."

Tits (the story of my man-boobs)

In this essay, Matt Cornell shares his personal experience of growing up with gynecomastia, a condition that causes enlarged breast tissue in men. He describes how his breasts made him feel insecure and ashamed about his body and his masculinity. He also recounts how he faced bullying, harassment, and ridicule from his peers and strangers because of his breasts. He explains how he tried to hide his breasts by wearing baggy clothes or binding them with duct tape. He also discusses how he considered having surgery to remove his breasts but decided against it after learning about the risks and costs involved. He concludes by reflecting on how his breasts have taught him to be more empathetic and compassionate towards others who are different or marginalized.

"My tits have been a source of shame, pain, and confusion for most of my life. But they have also made me who I am today: a person who strives to be more understanding of people's differences; a person who tries to challenge stereotypes and assumptions; a person who appreciates diversity and complexity."

Why breastfeeding in public is taboo

In this essay, Nicki Lisa Cole analyzes why breastfeeding in public is considered taboo or controversial in the US. She argues that breastfeeding in public exposes the contradiction between two dominant cultural messages about women's breasts: one that sexualizes them as objects of male desire and consumption; and one that idealizes them as sources of maternal love and nourishment. She suggests that breastfeeding in public challenges the sexualization of women's breasts by revealing their biological function and purpose. She also points out that breastfeeding in public exposes the inequality and oppression that women face in a society that expects them to be both sexualized and maternalized but does not support them in either role. She calls for more social acceptance and support for breastfeeding mothers as well as more awareness and education about the benefits and challenges of breastfeeding.

"Breastfeeding in public is taboo because it disrupts the sexual objectification of women's bodies that is so pervasive in our culture. It also reveals the hypocrisy of a 71b2f0854b