Gender is a complex and constant evolving concept in the United States. It is a primary way in which social relations are organized and can even shape the topic of gender stereotypes. Although, there has been progress, the gendered structure in society is still prevalent. Research has shown that we automatically sex-categorize people and this can lead to inequality between men and women. If we don’t consider the impact of gender on contemporary society, we can’t fully understand how gender inequality exists and changes over time (Ridgeway 2009).
A frequent term I came across throughout my study was Hegemonic Masculinity. Hegemonic masculinity is a type of masculinity that strengthens the positional dominance of men and the subordination of women in society (Kim, Sagas, and Walker 2010). It suggests that men maintain a dominant position in society and that other genders are subordinated. The article states that hegemonic masculinity is seen as a culturally idealized form of manhood that is violent, tough, aggressive, bread-winning but this is evolving over time due to changing gender stereotypes and growing concerns for equality (Connell and Messerschmidt 2005).
In one of the articles I researched, A Nation Divided, it mentions how women are defined in relation to men; as if men were the drama of life and the main character and the women as something extra or the supporting character. In the article, Framed Before We Know it, the author explains that gender is a primary frame in which social relations are organized in modern society (Ridgeway 2009). The author also mentions that social cognition studies show we automatically and nearly instantly sex-categorize any specific person we attempt to relate to, and this framing by sex never quite disappears from our understanding of them or ourselves. People have different categories to perceive others, including gender, which are associated with shared cultural beliefs, or stereotypes. We must take these into account with our own behavior, even if we don’t agree with them, as it drives the content of gender stereotypes to focus on differences between men and women (Ridgeway 2009). The way people are portrayed through gender in the United States is powerful and gender distinctions can have a big impact on society’s attitudes, values, morals, and behaviors.