Feminism can be described as movements which aimed at defending and establishing and providing equal social, political and economical right for women as well as equal opportunities for them. Because some people argue the gender as a social construction which can harm all people, thus, feminism look for liberate men as well as women A person who practices feminism who can be either a man or a woman is called a ‘Feminist’.
Honour-based violence is a phenomenon where a person (most often a woman) is subjected to violence by her collective family or community in order to restore ‘honour’, presumed to have been lost by her behaviour, most often through expressions of sexual autonomy.
The origin of uncomfortable conversations draw attention of individuals towards the real myth behind the Queer theory that has been a glaring topic in the community since its inception. The conceptual framework is not only stuck with the issues as per the required plan of action in the way. The anthology that focuses on the various debates are the best by product with other concepts as society needs. Many debates and topics has been introduced in the manner that exactly required to initiate the way in respective manner.
The important issues that has been a debate regarding the elements as the intimacy, privacy and even as the sex harassment that has been a normal topic to discuss with all formalities. The concept initialization regarding the sex and even the other elements in the gender studies are not the product of abrupt decision in gender studies. Oppositely, it has been an issue since the inception of gender and conception of gender linkage with the society. There are possible four major institutions in the society and these institutions always handles the matter of gender that has been using as the Queer theory with the same pace as the gender understand.
Differences in socialization of males and females offer insight into the factors fostering differences in behavior between the genders and across cultures within the same gender. There is a deeply rooted social belief in U.S. society that there are certain roles, attitudes, behaviors and traits that are distinctly associated with gender or biology. While male and female are terms that describe a person’s biological sex, masculine and feminine notions are socially constructed “genders” in which ascribed traits like sex and achieved characteristics such as femininity and masculinity are highly variable from one culture to another. In Mexican culture, women are socialized to be much more submissive to men than American women. As Kulis et al. report on the results from a study of Mexican women living in the American Southwest, “Less acculturated Mexican American girls reported both the lowest masculinity scores and the highest submissive femininity scores.”
Social constructivists propose that there is no inherent truth to gender; it is constructed by social expectations and gender performance.
The social construction framework explains that there is no essential, universally distinct character that is masculine or feminine – behaviors are influenced by a range of factors including class, culture, ability, religion, age, body shape and sexual preference.
Construction of gender theory argues that girls and boys are actively involved in constructing their own gendered identities. Men and women can even take up a range of different masculinities and femininities that may at times contradict each other. This construction of gender identities (or subjectivities), varieties of femininities or masculinities, is also seen as dynamic, ongoing, changing and changeable, rather than static or fixed. assert that we “are not passively shaped by the larger societal forces such as schools or the media, but are active in selecting, adapting and rejecting the dimensions we choose to incorporate, or not, into our version of gender”.
Social Construction or Social Construct is the idea that “[r]ace, class and gender don’t really mean anything. They only have a meaning because society gives them a meaning. Social Construction is how society groups people and how it privileges certain groups over others For example you are a woman or a man because society tells you that you are, not because you choose to be ….. Just like it tells you what race you‘re classified as and what social class you belong in. It is just a social process that makes us differentiate between what’s normal and what’s not normal (Flores)
According to the author of “Night To His Day: The Social Construction of Gender,” Judith Lorber, the social construction of gender begins ”with the assignment to a sex category on the basis of what the genitalia look like at birth” (55). When a baby is born, the first thing a doctor does is look at the baby’s genitalia in order to determine whether it will be a boy or a girl; this is the beginning of the gender process of social construction. After they are classified as boy or girl, parents become part of this societal process as they start dressing them with colors that identify their gender. The “normal” thing to do in this case would be for baby girls to be dressed in pink and baby boys to be dressed in blue. It is just not normal to dress your baby boy in pink or your baby girl in blue, right? The reason for this is because society has made colors become a symbol to distinguish boys from girls. After this, as children grow up they start learning how they are supposed to act by observing and imitating the people of the same gender as them; girls should act like their mommy and boys should act like their daddy. Each gender is expected to dress and act in a certain way, but these behaviors then lead to stereotypes.
Social construction is something you might not be aware of. You are somewhat living in segregation depending on what gender, race and class you are. Race, class and gender don’t really mean anything. They only have a meaning because society gives them a meaning. Social construction is how society groups people and how it privileges certain groups over others. For example, you are a woman or a man because society tells you that you are, not because you choose to be. Simple as that. Just like it tells you what race you’re classified as and what social class you belong in. It is all just a social process that makes us differentiate between what’s “normal” and what’s not “normal.”
According to the author of “Night To His Day: The Social Construction of Gender,”, Judith Lorber (born November 28, 1931) is Professor Emerita of Sociology and Women’s Studies at The CUNY Graduate Center and Brooklyn College of the City University of New York.) the social construction of gender begins “with the assignment to a sex category on the basis of what the genitalia look like at birth” When a baby is born, the first thing a doctor does is look at the baby’s genitalia in order to determine whether it will be a boy or a girl; this is the beginning of the gender process of social construction. After they are classified as boy or girl, parents become part of this societal process as they start dressing them with colors that identify their gender. The “normal” thing to do in this case would be for baby girls to be dressed in pink and baby boys to be dressed in blue. It is just not normal to dress your baby boy in pink or your baby girl in blue, right? The reason for this is because society has made colors become a symbol to distinguish boys from girls. After this, as children grow up they start learning how they are supposed to act by observing and imitating the people of the same gender as them; girls should act like their mommy and boys should act like their daddy. Each gender is expected to dress and act in a certain way, but these behaviors then lead to stereotypes.
1) Mark the correct answer about Gender’s Studies from the following:
(a) It is a Social Science.
(b) It is an academic discipline.
(c) It is narratives of women by women.
(d) Both a and b
Answer: (d)
2) Gender as an area of research, teaching and action has emerged only after:
(a) 1860
(b) 1910
(c) 1947
(d) 1975
Answer: (d)
3) Gender as an area of research, teaching and action has emerged only after:
(a) 1860
(b) 1910
(c) 1947
(d) 1975
Answer: (d)
4) Which is not related to Women’s Studies?
(a) Gender equity
(b) Consciousness rising
(c) Interdisciplinary study of women
(d) Subjugation of men
Answer: (d)
5) Women’s studies became an academic discipline during
(a) First wave feminism
(b) Second wave feminism
(c) Third wave feminism
(d) Fourth wave feminism
Answer: (b)
6) In Pakistan, the first Psychology department to offer a course of Gender Studies in their programs was
(a) LUMS
(b) Beacon house National University
(c) Muhammad Ali Jinnah University
(d) Shaheed Benazir Bhutto City University
Answer (b)
7) Among the following statements which is not an objective of Gender Sensitization Programme:
(a) Promoting societal awareness to gender issues
(b) Review of curriculum and educational materials to remove gender bias
(c) Removal of all derogatory, references to the dignity of women
(d) Removal of caste hierarchy from the society
Answer: (d)
8) Which of the following statements is correct about Women’s Studies as an academic discipline?
(a) It studies the social reality from feminist perspective, placing women’s experiences at the centre.
(b) It accepts the existing theories for analysis.
(c) It covers all studies conducted on women’s issues and their solutions.
(d) It applies existing social science research methodology for further research.
Answer (a)
9) Which of the following is incorrect about “Queer Studies?”
(a) Studies of non-normative and homosexuality.
(b) It is new term for gays and lesbians.
(c) These are post-modern studies.
(d) These are studies with gender perspective.
Answer: (d)
10) Which is incorrect statement regarding ‘Masculinities’ and ‘Femininities’
(a) Based on Biological determinism.
(b) Changing across time and space.
(c) Socially constructed.
(d) Gendered rather than non-gendered.
Answer: (a)
11) Masculinity is not synonymous with
(a) Strength
(b) Power
(c) Aggression
(d) Emotions
Answer: (d)
12) Androgynous persons show ________ traits.
(a) Positive masculine and feminine
(b) Negative masculine
(c) Positive feminine
(d) Positive masculine
Answer: (a)
13) Feminist Research aims to
(a) Research on women, by men and for women.
(b) Research for women, by women and on women.
(c) Research on women, about women, and of women.
(d) Research of women by women and for women.
Answer: (c)
14) Which is incorrect statement regarding ‘Masculinities’ and ‘Femininities’
(a) Based on Biological determinism.
(b) Changing across time and space.
(c) Socially constructed
(d) Gendered rather than non-gender
Answer (a)
15) Who have coined the terminology ‘Interactive Methodology’ for feminist research?
(a) Joan Huber and Killy
(b) Nancy Kleiber and Linda Light
(c) David Morgan and Keohane
(d) Bernard Helen Roberts
Answer (b)
16) Transformation of grass root women into mere beneficiaries to active participants is coined as:
(a) Socialism
(b) Feminism
(c) Clientelism
(d) Dualism
Answer: (b)
17) Feminist Research is:
(a) Interdisciplinary
(b) Multidisciplinary
(c) Cross-disciplinary
d) All the above
Answer: (d)
18) Among the following persons identify the male feminist:
(a) Harriet Taylor
(b) Betty Friedan
(c) Iris Young
(d) J.S. Mill
Answer: (d)
19) Feminist Research aims at:
(a) Addressing women’s issues with women’s perspective
(b) Promotion of women research scholars
(c) To study women as an object
(d) Study of women’s education
Answer: (a)