Sociology help!!

[Magic.]

I'm doing this great sociology course this semester, on sex and gender identity. We have an essay to do which is super interesting to research etc, it's about the changing gender roles throughout history and culture ... and (here's the problem) the sociological significance of these changes.

The course assumes we've done socy before, so know about "sociological significance" etc. But I haven't, and don't. We're a good way into the course now and I don't want to look like an idiot asking the lecturer ... Can anyone explain what sociological significance is to me please? Pretty please

[ReluctantPegasister]

Of or relating to or determined by sociology; "sociological studies"

+

The quality of being worthy of attention; importance or The meaning to be found in words or events.

So the it's the changes in sociology or what sociology has come to mean because of changing gender roles. I think.

[OMFG!You'reActuallySmart!]

It's best understood when comparing to other fields of study. For example, in biology, the focus is on a particular organism or feature of the organism. On the other hand, sociology does not focus on an individual, rather it focuses on a society. Like biology, sociology considers society to be a living entity, changing and reflecting in various ways from numerous factors. Thus, when someone says sociological significance, it's a way of asking what factors are present, how society is changing and why it changes. To show a greater understanding, one would also describe the methods to prevent or reduce such changes. These methods have to be feasible and plausible, as well as bound in theory. Remember, these changes and factors must be in context of gender changes/relations. Try to use the theories you've discussed/read in class but it is also fine to use other theories so as long as you understand them. Quite often, there will be one main theory and a bunch of sub-theories. For example, Edwin Lemert and Howard Becker postulated labeling theory to account for why crimes are committed and a sub-theory of it is "dramatization of evil", postulated by Frank Tannenbaum. Labeling theory and dramatization of evil are also used for other purposes, one of which can be gender and gender relations.

[Dedalus]

well, I can't remember exactly how to phrase this but gender is a social construction based on people percieve their sex. So you would be looking at how women showed feminity and men mascullinity.

Various changes showed how they were constructed - for example in the Victorian age something changed for men (I can't remember exactly what it was) and weightlifting became popular. Similarly women nowadays promote their figure in dress as a show of feminity. And again in New Zealnad with the collapse of the old Maori tribal ways of showing masculinity were overturned, rugby became the way of showing masculinity.

Its stuff like that - I haven't explained it very well, I've suddenly gone blank on the examples I had known, but hopefully you get the gist...

[Ella.x]

Originally Posted by Magic.

I'm doing this great sociology course this semester, on sex and gender identity. We have an essay to do which is super interesting to research etc, it's about the changing gender roles throughout history and culture ... and (here's the problem) the sociological significance of these changes.

The course assumes we've done socy before, so know about "sociological significance" etc. But I haven't, and don't. We're a good way into the course now and I don't want to look like an idiot asking the lecturer ... Can anyone explain what sociological significance is to me please? Pretty please

Okay so basically "sociological significance" means how important something is to society and sociology. So the question is asking you to explain the changes in gender roles, how this has affected society and how this change is important to society/sociology. So you would go through the major sociological perspectives (marxism, feminism, etc) and some of their views/ideas would still be relevant. However, you could argue that due to more equality between gender roles, feminism is redundant (although you would need to counterbalance that with the fact that it's still not completely equal between male/female and their roles.

Hope this helps

[Strawberrymuffin]

First of all, dont ever think that. Always ASK the teacher any question you have! Sociological signifiance in changing gender roles? 'Sociological significance' can be taken in a number of ways. On its own sociology is significant in identifying and studying societal trends etc. In this case it could mean highlighting the role of sociology in this, the studies that took place etc. WHat part did sociology play in the changing gender roles, perhaps the studies how they were recorded etc. Youre aware of changing gender roles because of sociolgy. Good luck!