Blackwell Reference Online

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Gender relations are the social relations between men and women. Gender is distinguished from the biological relations between the sexes in that it is always socially constructed. The nature of gender relations varies significantly by time and place, changing over time and shows great diversity by culture and by social location. Explanations of the pattern of gender relations vary in their prioritization of different domains and levels of abstraction ( Walby, 1990 ). Gender is constructed and expressed in many social institutions, domains and dimensions of social life. It includes, but is not confined to, culture, ideology and discursive practices. Gender is part of the constitution of the division of labour between men and women in the home, especially between husbands and wives. Gendered social relations are also part of the constitution of waged employment, government and the state, sexual practices and interpersonal violence. Gender differentiation is usually combined with gender inequality, with men typically having diverse forms of power over women. A related term is that of P atriarchy , which conceptualizes gender inequality as socially structured in a systematic way. These gendered patterns of inequality are constructed in complex combination with other forms of social difference and inequality. Gender relations take different forms in different countries, historical periods, ... log in or subscribe to read full text