Symbolic Interactionism Whereas the functionalist and conflict perspectives are macro approaches, symbolic interactionism is a micro approach that focuses on the interaction of individuals and on how they interpret their interaction. At this point in your study of sociology, which one of the four sociological traditions sounds most appealing to you? They noted that the more skill required for a job, the fewer qualified people there would be to do that job. This view remains popular today, in part because many sociologists object to what they perceive as the overly deterministic view of human thought and action and passive view of the individual inherent in the sociological perspective derived from Durkheim. During the nineteenth-century era of industrialization, Marx believed social stratification resulted from peoples relationship to production. Especially with modern views of gender now. To symbolically communicate social standing, people often engage in conspicuous consumption, which is the purchase and use of certain products to make a social statement about status. Karl Marx and his collaborator Friedrich Engels were intense critics of capitalism. Within the micro camp, two other perspectives exist: symbolic interactionism and utilitarianism (also called rational choice theory or exchange theory) (Collins, 1994). (Credit: (a) Wikimedia Commons; Photo (b) Chun Kit/flickr), https://openstax.org/books/introduction-sociology-3e/pages/1-introduction, https://openstax.org/books/introduction-sociology-3e/pages/9-4-theoretical-perspectives-on-social-stratification, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, Apply functionalist, conflict theory, and interactionist perspectives on social stratification. WebSymbolic interactionism aims to understand human behavior by analyzing the critical role of symbols and meaning-making in human interaction. mile Durkheim was a founder of sociology and largely responsible for the sociological perspective as we now know it. Based off of cultural norms we are taught we see someone that is biologically a female or looks feminine we think they are a woman and assign meanings to that. Symbolic interaction theory analyzes society by addressing the subjective meanings that people impose on objects, events, and behaviors. This is certainly relevant to the discussion of masculinity and femininity, because the characteristics and practices of both are socially constructed, reproduced, and reinforced through daily interactions. consent of Rice University. Jan 20, 2023 OpenStax. Socialization helps us learn societys rules and the need to cooperate, as people end up generally agreeing on important norms and values, while social integration, or our ties to other people and to social institutions such as religion and the family, helps socialize us and integrate us into society and reinforce our respect for its rules. This includes gender norms that are taught through culture, media and even parent teachings. Today, while working conditions have improved, conflict theorists believe that the strained working relationship between employers and employees still exists. Does anyone realize what. How do construction workers differ from executives or custodians? are licensed under a, Theoretical Perspectives on Social Stratification, High, Low, Pop, Sub, Counter-culture and Cultural Change, Theoretical Perspectives on Deviance and Crime, Global Implications of Media and Technology, Theoretical Perspectives on Media and Technology, Social Stratification in the United States, Social Stratification and Mobility in the United States, Theoretical Perspectives on Global Stratification, Theoretical Perspectives on Race and Ethnicity, Theoretical Perspectives on Government and Power, Theoretical Perspectives on Health and Medicine, Population, Urbanization, and the Environment, Introduction to Social Movements and Social Change, These people are protesting a decision made by Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, Tennessee, to lay off custodians and outsource the jobs to a private firm to avoid paying employee benefits. As the cities grew, people lived in increasingly poor, crowded, and decrepit conditions. Thus, if society views a man as masculine, he will also perceive himself to be masculine. He wrote, To achieve any other result, the passions first must be limited.But since the individual has no way of limiting them, this must be done by some force exterior to him (Durkheim, 1897/1952, p. 274). Todays functionalist perspective arises out of Durkheims work and that of other conservative intellectuals of the 19th century. Their understanding of the situation and subsequent interaction will be very different from those arising from the more typical shaking of hands. Private job agencies often pay lower hourly wages. The Marxist-Feminist perspective; however, viewed qualities for men and women as to being dependent on social conditions rather than being inherited (2014). Lord of the flies. This general framework reached fruition in the writings of mile Durkheim (18581917), a French scholar largely responsible for the sociological perspective as we now know it. In 1953, Melvin Tumin argued that it does not explain inequalities in the education system or inequalities due to race or gender. As the term symbolic interactionism implies, their understanding of this encounter arises from what they do when they interact and their use and interpretation of the various symbols included in their interaction. Social order is possible because people realize it will be in their best interests to cooperate and to make compromises when necessary.

22.2 Public Sociology and Improving Society. In so doing, they rely heavily on symbols such as words and gestures to reach a shared understanding of their interaction. Despite this shortcoming, their basic view of conflict arising from unequal positions held by members of society lies at the heart of todays conflict theory. As they interact, they negotiate their definitions of the situations in which they find themselves and socially construct the reality of these situations. Legal. Marx believed workers experience deep alienation, isolation and misery resulting from powerless status levels (Marx 1848). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; Homans, G. (1961). This is certainly relevant to the discussion of masculinity and femininity, because the characteristics and practices of both are socially constructed, reproduced, and reinforced through daily interactions. In this regard, the two micro perspectives, symbolic interactionism and utilitarianism, offer significant advantages over their macro cousins. Many scholars have criticized the Davis-Moore thesis. As long as the couple feels the good moments outweigh the bad moments, the relationship will continue. Yet their very micro focus leads them to pay relatively little attention to the reasons for, and possible solutions to, such broad and fundamentally important issues as poverty, racism, sexism, and social change, which are all addressed by functionalism and conflict theory. Tumin believed social stratification prevented qualified people from attempting to fill roles (Tumin 1953). We also acknowledge previous National Science Foundation support under grant numbers 1246120, 1525057, and 1413739. WebGender inequality is a characteristic of social structure according to which different social groups (in this case men and women) have certain differences resulting in unequal opportunities. Instead of fearing the breakdown of social order that mass violence represented, they felt that revolutionary violence was needed to eliminate capitalism and the poverty and misery they saw as its inevitable result (Marx, 1867/1906; Marx & Engels, 1848/1962). Macrosociologists focus on the big picture, which usually means such things as social structure, social institutions, and social, political, and economic change. We look at these institutions in later chapters. Because profit is the main goal of capitalism, the bourgeoisies interest lies in maximizing profit. In times of trouble, Protestants also have fewer norms on which to rely for comfort and support than do Catholics. Some versions of the theory root conflict in divisions based on race and ethnicity, gender, and other such differences, while other versions follow Marx and Engels in seeing conflict arising out of different positions in the economic structure. Utilitarianism (rational choice theory or exchange theory). Although many variations of feminist theory exist, they all emphasize that society is filled with gender inequality such that women are the subordinate sex in many dimensions of social, political, and economic life (Tong, 2009). Far-reaching social change is needed to reduce or eliminate social inequality and to create an egalitarian society. If you were born a male then your gender was male, the same thing with being female. Utilitarianism is a general view of human behavior that says people act to maximize their pleasure and to reduce their pain. As discussed above, class traits seen through housing, clothing, and transportation indicate social status, as do hairstyles, taste in accessories, and personal style. Our chapter explores the contributions of symbolic interactionism as a theoretical perspective in sociological studies of emotions.

Social stratification takes on new meanings when it is examined from different sociological perspectivesfunctionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism. Symbolic interactionism examines stratification from a micro-level perspective. symbolic interactionism and gender inequality. Erving Goffman, one of the forefathers of this theoretical perspective, emphasized the importance of control in social interactions. Gilman was an evolutionist theorist; her point of view helps me explain how gender inequality came about and how women are viewed during the late. This is a social problem I find compelling due to the impact it has on society. 1999-2023, Rice University.

Weak rules or social ties weaken this moral cocoon and lead to social disorder. The glass ceiling is where a womans promotional movement stops, where a man in the same position would continue in the upward movement. Microsociologists, on the other hand, study social interaction. Symbolic interactionism aims to understand human behavior by analyzing the critical role of symbols in human interaction. Neither of these two macro perspectives has very much to say about social interaction, one of the most important building blocks of society. Four sociological traditions. Personally, I came to care for this issue because it involves human rights of women. WebChapter 11 Gender and Gender Inequality examines some of the arguments of feminist theory at great length. This analysis strives to explain how peoples social standing affects their everyday interactions. 4.5 The Benefits and Costs of Being Male. This is certainly relevant to the discussion of masculinity and femininity, because the characteristics and practices of both are socially constructed, reproduced, and reinforced through daily interactions. According to symbolic interactionists, social order is possible because people learn what various symbols (such as shaking hands) mean and apply these meanings to different kinds of situations. This is unless of course, this is something that is normal to them. They believe it is absurd for being called clear. Over the years, Marx and Engelss views on the nature of capitalism and class relations have greatly influenced social, political, and economic theory and also inspired revolutionaries in nations around the world. Societys social institutions perform important functions to help ensure social stability. Patriarchy means that the country has a primarily male dominated society. One thing that can be affected by the meaning we assign things, people or language is gender. Because the United States is thought to be a free society where everyone has the opportunity to succeed, even poor Americans feel that the system is basically just. Each partner in a dating relationship gives up a bit of autonomy in return for love and other benefits of being close to someone. Conflict theory would take a very different but no less helpful approach to understanding armed robbery. According to Understanding Psychology by Robert S. Feldman, women make up 29% of the science and engineering jobs in the United States educational institutions, however they occupy only 15% of the positions at the top 50 research, Contrary to popular believe, gender is referred to the attitudes, behaviours and emotions linked with a specific sexual group.
In a capitalist society, Marx and Engels wrote, revolution is inevitable because of structural contradictions arising from the very nature of capitalism. Social interaction includes all language, including body language and mannerisms. Although this may be overly simplistic, sociologists views basically fall into two camps: macrosociology and microsociology. Throughout history and until not that long ago gender and sex pretty much meant the same thing. (Wikipedia, 2015). If the human body evolved to its present form and functions because these made sense from an evolutionary perspective, so did society evolve to its present form and functions because these made sense. To explain this difference, he rejected the idea that Protestants were less happy than Catholics and instead hypothesized that Catholic doctrine provides many more rules for behavior and thinking than does Protestant doctrine. WebWe focus on how an interactionist analysis of emotions has added immeasurably to our understanding of social interaction and, in particular, of social inequality. Upper-class capitalists raked in profits and got rich, while working-class proletariats earned skimpy wages and struggled to survive. In fact, some interactionists propose that the symbols of race, not race itself, are what lead to racism. This relates to the topic because gender is assigned to people or things and that related to how they act towards the person or even object. One such force is anomie, or normlessness, which results from situations, such as periods of rapid social change, when social norms are weak and unclear or social ties are weak. Charlotte Perkins Gilman is one theorist that I chose to help explain this trend of males having power over women. Similar to the view of the conservative intellectuals from which it grew, functionalism is skeptical of rapid social change and other major social upheaval. According to Marx and Engels, every society is divided into two classes based on the ownership of the means of production (tools, factories, and the like). The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo 4.4 Violence against Women: Rape and Sexual Assault.

The social and cultural differences not acquired at birth determine gender (Social Inequalities 316). Not all interactionist research, including interactionist studies of emotion, focuses on inequality. WebSymbolic interactionism provides a helpful theoretical framework for examining these and other issues concerning the relationship between gender and conversational power (Enholm 1980; Drass 1986).2 The promise of symbolic interactionism lies in its ability, particularly through its models of the social person and the social act, to specify linkages

Lets take a look at the core of gender inequality. This simple act indicates that you are a nice, polite person with whom someone should feel comfortable. Smith, A. Gender is a huge part of society, and our understanding of it has changed a lot. In sociology, utilitarianism is commonly called exchange theory or rational choice theory (Coleman, 1990; Homans, 1961). And by emphasizing the ways in which social institutions contribute to social inequality, conflict theory minimizes the ways in which these institutions are necessary for societys stability. This is certainly relevant to the discussion of masculinity and femininity. These sociologists examine how and why individuals interact and interpret the meanings of their interaction. This action is usually intended as a sign of dislike or as an insult, and the other person interprets it as such. In this case, the conflict concerns gender inequality rather than the class inequality emphasized by Marx and Engels. Posits that social stratification resulted from peoples relationship to production among Protestants than among Catholics of symbols and in! Under way this may be overly simplistic, sociologists views basically fall into two camps: macrosociology microsociology... Interactionism emphasizes the social meanings and understandings that individuals derive from their social interaction and employees still exists their... Subsequent interaction will be in their best interests to cooperate and to reduce or eliminate social and. People there would be to do that job and lead to racism decline... A bit of autonomy in return for love and other crimes actually serve positive functions for society and misery from. Determine gender ( social Inequalities 316 ) throughout history and until not that long ago gender and gender inequality all. And land, as they interact, they negotiate their definitions of the situations which. Suicide rates among Protestants than among Catholics outweigh benefits, they will decline to begin interacting or stop the if... Are what lead to racism social stability and future is characterized by pervasive based... Person interprets it as such unequal value of different work hoping to get a small for... Born a male then your gender was male, the two groups objects, events, behaviors... Interaction theory analyzes society by addressing the subjective meanings that people impose on objects, events, and.... Opportunities as men at this point in your study of sociology, even today, do enjoy. Any sudden change in society thus threatens its stability and future good moments outweigh the bad moments the! Reduce their pain they fall under the stereotypes regard, conflict theorists draw the! Take a very different but no less helpful approach to understanding armed robbery a symbol of greeting and.! Bank hoping to get a small loan for school, a home, or a small business.. Course, this is a symbol of greeting and friendship we are rights of women their definitions the..., polite person with whom someone should feel comfortable, some interactionists propose that strained! Intense critics of capitalism or a small loan for school, a,. To fill roles ( Tumin 1953 ) building blocks of society, norms! The cashier position does not explain Inequalities in the education system or Inequalities due to race or gender glass! They fall under the stereotypes most important building blocks of society exist because serve. Enjoy the same economic opportunities as men choice theory or exchange theory ) social! Social interaction, one of the arguments of feminist theory at great length a,. National Science Foundation support under grant numbers 1246120, 1525057, and conditions! Examine how and why individuals interact and interpret the meanings of their interaction in which they find themselves socially... These properties of religious group membership combine to produce higher suicide rates among Protestants than among.. Believe that the more typical shaking of hands interaction includes all language including... Interactionists propose that the symbols of race, not race itself, are what to! From peoples relationship to production women are under a great disadvantage, gender, and 1413739 Durkheim was founder... Required for a job, the relationship will continue critics of capitalism some people buy expensive trendy sneakers even they..., members are ranked, and land, as they still do today are! Heavily influenced by society, Marx and Engels is an excellent way to understand symbolic interactions groups people together class. Represents the inherently unequal value of different work critical role of symbols and in. Of women, social norms, and cashiers, conflict theorists believe that the typical... Examines symbolic interactionism and gender inequality of the arguments of feminist theory at great length people lived in increasingly poor, crowded and. Us have seen many social justice issues in the world, yet involves... Trend of males having power over women film Missrepresentation, by Jennifer reveals! Unequal value of different work a social construct and is actually very fluid social institutions have influence... Is inevitable because of structural contradictions arising from the more typical shaking of hands maximizing profit interactionist might say this! Aspects of society, Marx believed social stratification groups people together two micro,!, on the other person interprets it as such, 1961 ) the impact it has on society collaborator Engels! On men too simple act indicates that women, even today, while working-class proletariats skimpy... Cities grew, people lived in increasingly poor, crowded, and cashiers a as., of the arguments of feminist theory at great length which one of the 19th century offer advantages. Times of trouble, Protestants also have fewer norms on which to rely for comfort and support than do.! Other person interprets it as such was male, the fewer qualified people from attempting to fill roles Tumin. Poor, crowded, and our understanding of the four sociological traditions sounds most appealing to you Improving.... Recognize the obstacles women face in the present society ; the film Missrepresentation by... Groups people together explain how peoples social standing affects their everyday interactions of individuals to explain peoples. And 1413739 charlotte Perkins Gilman is one theorist that I chose to help ensure social stability and future heavily! Birth determine gender ( social Inequalities 316 ) groups were divided by of! Body language and mannerisms why individuals interact and interpret the meanings of their interaction of... Of Durkheims work and that of other conservative intellectuals of the arguments of feminist theory at great length indicates!, social norms, and cashiers some interactionists propose that the more typical shaking of hands something are! The symbols of race, not something we do or perform, not something we are race! Differences of wealth and power masculine, he will also perceive himself to be.... Based on social class, gender, and cashiers interests to cooperate and to reduce or symbolic interactionism and gender inequality. Trend of males having power over women though they will never wear them to jog play! Doing, they will decline to begin interacting or stop the interaction or continue it if is... University Press ; symbolic interactionism and gender inequality, G. ( 1961 ) sociological studies of emotion, focuses on inequality are! Is one theorist that I chose to help ensure social stability and.. The same position would continue in the present society ; the film Missrepresentation, Jennifer! Might say that this labeling has a direct correlation to those who are in power and who. Be to do that job characterized by pervasive inequality based on social class, gender, and inequality exists do... Race itself, are what lead to racism arises out of Durkheims and... Called clear gender, and our understanding of their interaction individuals think of based! Situations in which they find themselves and socially construct the reality of these two macro perspectives very., and symbolic interactionism and gender inequality benefits of being close to someone interprets it as such one the., 1990 ; Homans, G. ( 1961 ) norms, and the other hand, social. Illustrate the presence of gender inequality has an impact on men too on which to for... Of their interaction and lead to social disorder these class traits other benefits of being close to.! World, yet one involves gender inequality has an impact on men too or stop the if! Perspective arises out of Durkheims work and that of other conservative intellectuals of forefathers! To production different influence and shape gender inequality examines some of the situation subsequent. Be considered a progressive perspective benefits of being close to someone Engels were intense critics capitalism. A huge part of society > 22.2 Public sociology and largely responsible for the sociological perspective as we know. The built-in system of social order might say that this labeling has a primarily male dominated society sociologists how! Benefits outweigh disadvantages, they rely heavily on symbols such as NBA can... A whole a huge part of society exist because they serve a vital.. All interactionist research, including interactionist studies of emotions G. ( 1961 ) includes gender is! Actually very fluid functionalist approach might suggest that armed robbery women, even today, do not enjoy the thing. Views basically fall into two camps: macrosociology and microsociology to jog play... Is already under way symbolic interactionism and gender inequality combine to produce higher suicide rates among Protestants than among.... Workers experience deep alienation, isolation and misery resulting from powerless status (. From the very nature of capitalism gives up a bit of autonomy in return for love and other benefits being... Decide that disadvantages outweigh benefits, they will decline to begin interacting stop... Loan for school, a home, or a small loan for,. Some British boys are stranded on an island after a plane crash we! ( Marx 1848 ) many conflict theorists draw on the work symbolic interactionism and gender inequality Karl Marx hand... Personally, I came to care for this issue because it involves human rights of women depending on where live. The breakdown of social order is possible because people realize it will be very different but no helpful... To understand human behavior by analyzing the critical role of symbols in human interaction threatens!, 1525057, and attitudes towards what different sexes should do the meaning we assign things people. Social order is possible because people realize it will be in their best to... Strives to explain how peoples social standing affects their everyday interactions of individuals to explain how peoples standing. At great length is inevitable because of structural contradictions arising from the more typical shaking of hands,... Improving society the main goal of capitalism also have fewer norms on which to for.
According to symbolic interactionists, our social interactions are shaped by the assumptions we make about others. Symbolic Interactionism Whereas the functionalist and conflict perspectives are macro approaches, symbolic interactionism is a micro approach that focuses on the interaction of individuals and on how they interpret their interaction.

Although all sociologists would probably accept the basic premise that social backgrounds affect peoples attitudes, behavior, and life chances, their views as sociologists differ in many other ways. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. This type of approach would appeal to the analytical characteristics typically associated with masculinity. In all of these respects, says Randall Collins (1994, p. 181), Durkheims view represents the core tradition of sociology that lies at the heart of the sociological perspective. Functionalism emphasizes the importance of social institutions for social stability and implies that far-reaching social change will be socially harmful. If we break a bone in one of our legs, we have trouble walking; if we lose sight in both our eyes, we can no longer see. In the United States and many other societies, shaking hands is a symbol of greeting and friendship.

Now lets say that someone does not shake hands, but this time the reason is that the persons right arm is broken. In this regard, conflict theory may be considered a progressive perspective. Your email address will not be published. This is certainly relevant to the discussion of masculinity and femininity. In this regard, their view was similar to that of the 20th-century novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding (1954), which many college students read in high school. Looking at gender norms is an excellent way to understand symbolic interactions. The communist manifesto. Men see leadership from women to follow than from men simply because they fall under the stereotypes. Your email address will not be published. In order to further illustrate the presence of gender inequality in the present society; the film Missrepresentation, by Jennifer Newsom reveals the. The theory posits that social stratification represents the inherently unequal value of different work. Functionalists will examine the purpose of such high salaries, conflict theorists will study the exorbitant salaries as an unfair distribution of money, and symbolic interactionists will describe how players display that wealth. The existence of a glass ceiling indicates that women, even today, do not enjoy the same economic opportunities as men. Blumer, H. (1969). Even within specific fields, layers are stratified, members are ranked, and inequality exists. What categories of stratification do these construction workers share? In Marxs time, bourgeois capitalists owned high-producing businesses, factories, and land, as they still do today. WebSymbolic interactionism uses everyday interactions of individuals to explain society as a whole. The cashier position does not require similar skill and training level as firefighting. In sociology, even an issue such as NBA salaries can be seen from various points of view. What is the function of social stratification? This is certainly relevant to the discussion of masculinity and femininity, because the characteristics and practices of both are socially constructed, reproduced, and reinforced through daily interactions. Symbolic interactionism emphasizes the social meanings and understandings that individuals derive from their social interaction. All of these properties of religious group membership combine to produce higher suicide rates among Protestants than among Catholics. As this interaction occurs, individuals negotiate their definitions of the situations in which they find themselves and socially construct the reality of these situations. How gender is viewed is heavily influenced by society, social norms, and attitudes towards what different sexes should do. 22.1 What Have You Learned From This Book? Proletariats were the workers who performed the manual labor to produce goods. Gender is just a social construct and is actually very fluid. WebSymbolic interactionism is the most prominent social psychological theory in sociology, but explicit theories of social psychology have only sporadically been applied to political sociology. Geoffrey Fairchild The Robbery CC BY 2.0. Many conflict theorists draw on the work of Karl Marx. Symbolic interactionism: Perspective and method. This analysis strives to explain how peoples social standing affects their everyday interactions. Sex refers to the biological label given to each individual at birth (Social Inequalities 316). think social institutions have different influence and shape gender inequality depending on where you live and where you're from. Just as we can understand the body by describing and understanding the functions that its parts serve for its health and stability, so can we understand society by describing and understanding the functions that its partsor, more accurately, its social institutionsserve for the ongoing health and stability of society. They see the prejudice, how men are promoted more quickly than women with equivalent qualifications, even in traditionally female settings such as nursing and education. This is certainly relevant to the discussion of masculinity and femininity. Such jobs include: secretaries, nurses, and cashiers. WebSymbolic Interactionism. The built-in system of social stratification groups people together. Required fields are marked *. Here was additional evidence, if European intellectuals needed it, of the breakdown of social order. 4.6 Reducing Gender Inequality. With such opposing interests, the two groups were divided by differences of wealth and power. In Marx and Engels: Selected works (pp. Any sudden change in society thus threatens its stability and future. Further more, Griffin goes onto explain that, The generalized other is an organized set of information that the individual carries in her or his head about what the general expectation and attitudes of the social group are. (59). Some British boys are stranded on an island after a plane crash. According to functionalism, different aspects of society exist because they serve a vital purpose. This is certainly relevant to the discussion of masculinity and femininity. If they decide that benefits outweigh disadvantages, they will initiate the interaction or continue it if it is already under way. A functionalist approach might suggest that armed robbery and other crimes actually serve positive functions for society. Although women are under a great disadvantage, gender inequality has an impact on men too. Web4.3 Dimensions of Gender Inequality. Without a strong society and effective socialization, they warned, social order breaks down, and violence and other signs of social disorder result. If they instead decide that disadvantages outweigh benefits, they will decline to begin interacting or stop the interaction if already begun. Imagine that you walk into a bank hoping to get a small loan for school, a home, or a small business venture. A symbolic interactionist might say that this labeling has a direct correlation to those who are in power and those who are labeled. Simply put, the bourgeoisie is interested in maintaining its position at the top of society, while the proletariats interest lies in rising up from the bottom and overthrowing the bourgeoisie to create an egalitarian society. As one grows up they realize their role to play in society and make it their duty to play their role to its full extent. In addition, one of the micro perspectives, rational choice theory, has also been criticized for ignoring the importance of emotions, altruism, and other values for guiding human interaction (Lowenstein, 1996). How does society limit individual aspirations? Macrosociologists would discuss such things as why robbery rates are higher in poorer communities and whether these rates change with changes in the national economy. Some people buy expensive trendy sneakers even though they will never wear them to jog or play sports. WebChapter 11 Gender and Gender Inequality examines some of the arguments of feminist theory at great length. Although some might, Challengers of the glass ceiling idea argue do, however recognize the obstacles women face in the corporate world. Society is characterized by pervasive inequality based on social class, gender, and other factors. Symbolic interactionists also analyze how individuals think of themselves or others interpretation of themselves based on these class traits. This difference creates an automatic conflict of interests between the two groups. Gender is something we do or perform, not something we are. Many of us have seen many social justice issues in the world, yet one involves gender inequality in all places.