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In sociology, this labeling is known as gender assumptions and is part of socialization to meet the mores of a society. Non-standard behavior may be considered indicative of homosexuality , despite the fact that gender expression, gender identity and sexual orientation are widely accepted as distinct concepts.
Early men's studies scholars studied social construction of masculinity, [12] which the Australian sociologist Raewyn Connell is best known for.. Connell introduced the concept of hegemonic masculinity, describing it as a practice that legitimizes men's dominant position in society and justifies the subordination of the common male population and women, and other marginalized ways of being a man.
The principle of male as norm holds that grammatical and lexical devices such as the use of the suffix-ess (as in actress) specifically indicating the female form, the use of man to mean "human", and similar means strengthen the perceptions that the male category is the norm, and that corresponding female categories are derivations and thus less important.
The World Health Organization states "As a social construct, gender varies from society to society and can change over time." [ 132 ] Sociologists generally regard gender as a social construct. For instance, Ann Oakley , a professor of sociology and social policy, says "the constancy of sex must be admitted, but so also must the variability of ...
Proponents of the concept of hegemonic masculinity argue that it is conceptually useful for understanding gender relations, and is applicable to life-span development, education, criminology, the representations of masculinity in the mass communications media, the health of men and women, and the functional structure of organizations. [3]
In the field of sociology, male privilege is seen as embedded in the structure of social institutions, as when men are often assigned authority over women in the workforce, and benefit from women's traditional caretaking role. [3] Privileges can be classified as either positive or negative, depending on how they affect the rest of society. [1]
Gender is used as a means of describing the distinction between the biological sex and socialized aspects of femininity and masculinity. [9] According to West and Zimmerman, gender is not a personal trait; it is "an emergent feature of social situations: both as an outcome of and a rationale for various social arrangements, and as a means of legitimating one of the most fundamental divisions ...
The related adjective is androcentric, while the practice of placing the feminine point of view at the center is gynocentric. Androcentrism has been described as a pervasive form of sexism . [ 2 ] [ 3 ] However, it has also been described as a movement centered on, emphasizing, or dominated by males or masculine interests.