Investigating Gender

Gender analysis remains central to understanding social life, yet focusing on gender alone is inadequate. Recent feminist sociological scholarship highlights how gender intersects with other systems of privilege and oppression. This exciting new text combines these insights with an innovative, student-centered pedagogical approach: taking knowledge acquisition as an important first step, the book goes beyond this to provide students with tools and skills necessary to become critical thinkers and, ultimately, investigate gender on their own from a global feminist sociological perspective. Five themes are carried forward throughout the text: the social construction of gender differences, gendered inequalities, intersections of gender with other systems of privilege and oppression, a relational global perspective, and the necessity of working toward social justice. Investigating Gender employs creative features that engage students in feminist sociological inquiry from the outset. " Learning Activities" help students link their own lives to broader gender patterns, conduct gender analyses of their own, and consider ways they can work toward social justice. Boxed inserts on " The Power of One" and " The Power of Many" provide examples of individuals and groups that are working toward social justice. The text also cultivates students' global perspective by framing issues internationally and guiding them through data and analyses from four diverse countries outside the U.S.: China, Kenya, Mexico, and Sweden. Investigating Gender will appeal to instructors who teach courses in the Sociology of Gender, Women's Studies, Gender Communication, and will be an invaluable introduction to students taking any courses in which gender is the focus or a significant component.

Martha E. Thompson is Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Women's Studies at Northeastern Illinois University.

Michael Armato is Associate Professor of Sociology and Women's Studies at Northeastern Illlinois University.