Handbook of the Sociology of Gender (Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research)

During the past three decades, feminist scholars in almost all social and behavioral sciences, as well as the humanities, have successfully demonstrated the ubiquity and omnirelevance of gender as a socio-cultural construction in virtually all human collectives, past and present. Gender shapes and is shaped in all arenas of social life, from the most mundane practices of everyday life to those of the most powerful corporate actors. In this seminal work, the contributors focus on sociological theories and research concerning gender, which are discussed across the full array of social processes, structures and institutions. In each chapter, focus is placed on gender rather than on women alone, and copious cross-national and historical material is utilized in addition to an in-depth focus on contemporary North America. Sections include: I: Basic Issues II: Macrostructures and Processes III: Microstructures and Processes IV: Institutions Each of these viewpoints survey the field in a critical manner, evaluating theoretical models in light of the best available empirical evidence. Distinctively sociological approaches are highlighted by means of explicit comparison to perspectives characterizing related disciplines such as psychology, psychiatry, and anthropology. This volume seeks to record where the field has been, to identify its current location and to plot its course for the future.