Gender As Social Institution

This article encourages sociologists to study gender as a social institution. Noting that scholars apply the institution concept to highly disparate phenomena, it reviews the history of the concept in twentieth-century sociology The defining characteristic most commonly attributed to social institut...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social forces 2004-06, Vol.82 (4), p.1249-1273
Main Author: Martin, Patricia Yancey
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
20th century
Beliefs
Consciousness
Criteria
Criticism
Gender
Gender identity
Gender roles
Gender Studies
History, theory and methodology
Identity
Institutions
Masculinity
Men
Organization theory
Scholarship
Sex
Sex (Biology)
Social aspects
Social Institutions
Social integration
Social interaction
Social sciences
Social Scientists
Social theories
Sociality
Society
Sociological Research
Sociologists
Sociology
Sociology of the family. Age groups
Theory
Woman social status. Women's emancipation
Womens rights
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Summary:This article encourages sociologists to study gender as a social institution. Noting that scholars apply the institution concept to highly disparate phenomena, it reviews the history of the concept in twentieth-century sociology The defining characteristic most commonly attributed to social institution is endurance (or persistence over time) while contemporary uses highlight practices, conflict, identity, power, and change. I identify twelve criteria for deciding whether any phenomenon is a social institution. I conclude that treating gender as an institution will improve gender scholarship and social theory generally, increase awareness of gender's profound sociality, offer a means of linking diverse theoretical and empirical work, and make gender's invisible dynamics and complex intersections with other institutions more apparent and subject to critical analysis and change.
ISSN:0037-7732
1534-7605
DOI:10.1353/sof.2004.0081