Abstract
A social theory of gender is implied and required by current sexual politics. Its scope cannot be defined a priori, but can be defined practically by the reach of a network of arguments generated by feminism, gay liberation, psychoanalysis and some branches of academic sociology and psychology. Two main types of theory have emerged: one emphasising attitudes and social expectations, centring on the idea of `sex roles'; the other presupposing the categories of `women' and `men' and focussing on power relations between them. Criticisms of both general approaches to gender relations are outlined. An argument is advanced for a modification of the second, centring on the practices that constitute gender categories. Some examples of this third approach are mentioned. The problem of `natural difference' can be handled in a practice-based theory of gender by a radical reversal of usual assumptions about biological `bases' of gender, stressing negation and practical transcendence. Some political implications of this approach to theory are raised.
Keywords
NegationSociologyEpistemologyFeminismPower (physics)Argument (complex analysis)PoliticsTranscendence (philosophy)Social theoryNatural (archaeology)Gender studiesSocial sciencePhilosophy
Related Publications
The Foucault Effect: Studies in Governmentality
Governmental rationality - an introduction, Colin Gordon politics and study of discourse, Michel Foucault questions of method, Michel Foucault governmentality, Michel Foucault ...
Managerial Dilemmas
In organisation theory a schism has developed between the traditional organisational behaviour literature, based in psychology, sociology and political science, and the more ana...
Catching Goldfish: Quality in Qualitative Research
This paper reviews the contribution of qualitative methods to health services research (HSR) and discusses some of the issues involved in recognizing quality in such work. The p...
Community-Based Participatory Research for Health
If Thomas Kuhn (1962) is correct, a field of inquiry develops in stages. Some members of a field of inquiry recognize anomalies in the foundational beliefs and seek better expla...
The Wretched of the Earth
A distinguished psychiatrist from Martinique who took part in the Algerian Nationalist Movement, Frantz Fanon was one of the most important theorists of revolutionary struggle, ...
Publication Info
- Year
- 1985
- Type
- article
- Volume
- 19
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 260-272
- Citations
- 183
- Access
- Closed
External Links
Social Impact
Altmetric
PlumX Metrics
Social media, news, blog, policy document mentions
Citation Metrics
183
OpenAlex
Cite This
Raewyn Connell
(1985).
Theorising Gender.
Sociology
, 19
(2)
, 260-272.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0038038585019002008
Identifiers
- DOI
- 10.1177/0038038585019002008