3.3.6
Changing Gender Identities
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Changing Gender Identities
More males and females are adopting gender identities that combine elements of both genders. These gender identities are continuing to change for a number of reasons and are different for both sexes.

Changing female identities
- There are an increasing number of strong, independent and successful women in all spheres of life.
- Woman are experiencing growing success and equality, such as outperforming males in education and in many areas of the labour market, thus, reducing traditional stereotypes.
- There are now a wider range of roles available for women.

Changing female identities cont.
- There is growing convergence (similarity) between masculine and feminine identities.
- Females are taking on certain aspects of laddish masculine culture, so-called ‘ladettes’.
- More women are choosing to remain single and to not have children.

Changing male identities
- Mac an Ghaill argue for a crisis in masculinity, where men’s dominant position as the family breadwinner and decision-maker is threatened by the rise of women’s equality and their independent incomes.

‘New men’
- ‘New men’ and other gender identities are on the rise.
- Men feel more comfortable being more caring and emotional as well as contributing more to once traditional female roles such as housework and childcare.

Male appearance
- Male bodies are now more likely to be used as sex objects in advertising.
- Previously this was confined to female bodies.
- Similarly, men are becoming more concerned with dress, appearance and personal grooming.

‘Mosaic identities’
- Men are now more likely to create ‘mosaic identities’ where they cherry-pick elements of both masculine and feminine identities that appeal to them, making men’s identities more fluid and diverse as a result.
1Theory & Methods
1.1Sociological Theories
1.2Sociological Methods
2Education with Methods in Context
2.1Role & Function of the Education System
2.2Educational Achievement
2.3Relationships & Processes Within Schools
3Option 1: Culture & Identity
3.1Conceptions of Culture
3.2Identity & Socialisation
3.3Social Identity
3.4Production, Consumption & Globalisation
4Option 1: Families & Households
4.1Families & Households
4.2Changing Patterns
4.3The Symmetrical Family
4.4Children & Childhood
5Option 1: Health
5.1Social Constructions
5.2Social Distribution of Healthcare
5.3Provision & Access to Healthcare
5.4Mental Health
6Option 1: Work, Poverty & Welfare
6.1Poverty & Wealth
7Option 2: Beliefs in Society
7.1Ideology, Science & Religion
7.2Religious Movements
7.3Society & Religion
8Option 2: Global Development
8.1Development, Underdevelopment & Global Inequality
8.2Globalisation & Global Organisations
8.3Aid, Trade, Industrialisation, Urbanisation
9Option 2: The Media
9.1Contemporary Media
9.2Media Representations
10Crime & Deviance
10.1Crime & Society
10.2Social Distribution of Crime
Jump to other topics
1Theory & Methods
1.1Sociological Theories
1.2Sociological Methods
2Education with Methods in Context
2.1Role & Function of the Education System
2.2Educational Achievement
2.3Relationships & Processes Within Schools
3Option 1: Culture & Identity
3.1Conceptions of Culture
3.2Identity & Socialisation
3.3Social Identity
3.4Production, Consumption & Globalisation
4Option 1: Families & Households
4.1Families & Households
4.2Changing Patterns
4.3The Symmetrical Family
4.4Children & Childhood
5Option 1: Health
5.1Social Constructions
5.2Social Distribution of Healthcare
5.3Provision & Access to Healthcare
5.4Mental Health
6Option 1: Work, Poverty & Welfare
6.1Poverty & Wealth
7Option 2: Beliefs in Society
7.1Ideology, Science & Religion
7.2Religious Movements
7.3Society & Religion
8Option 2: Global Development
8.1Development, Underdevelopment & Global Inequality
8.2Globalisation & Global Organisations
8.3Aid, Trade, Industrialisation, Urbanisation
9Option 2: The Media
9.1Contemporary Media
9.2Media Representations
10Crime & Deviance
10.1Crime & Society
10.2Social Distribution of Crime
Practice questions on Changing Gender Identities
Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.
- 1Changing female identities:Fill in the list
- 2Changing female identities:True / false
- 3Changes to male appearance:Fill in the list
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