1. Gender is socially constructed through a variety of techniques and factors. In society, there are clear cut ideas of what a man should be and what a woman should be. There is also a prevailing mentality that there are only two genders, rather than a spectrum. These ideas are constructed through multiple social functions and dysfunctions. One main perpetrator of gender constructs is the continued oppression of groups in order to feel a sense of power. Societal power falls mainly in the hands of men; they control the banks, the stores, the government. This is done through repeated emasculation and oppression of groups that white men believe to be less than them. In media, this is represented by demeaning stereotypes: the submissive and always smiling woman (often young to emphasize beauty), the feminine and weak Asian man, the savage and criminal black man, the short and loud Latino man, and the universally hated flamboyant homosexual man. Homophobia is so ingrained into masculinity that being called "sissy" or "gay" is seen as the ultimate insult. In society, societal power of white men is also kept by confining women to spaces where they hold no power to change their situation. The power wielded by a politician is much different than the power wielded by a parent, and white men capitalize on that disparity by increasing political power to assert their so-called dominance. This is also done through hyper-sexualization of women in media and the simultaneous enforcement of traditional family values. In a nuclear American family, the woman is supposed to be timid, submissive, and loyal to her husband at any cost. The idea of an independent woman and the idea of homosexuals interrupting this facsimile is a scary thought to white men in power. To that end, they demean homosexuals and hyper-sexualize women to reduce their social standing. Their argument is circular: they show independent women and homosexuals as disloyal and untrustworthy, so that they can continue to deny women freedoms based on their conjecture that an independent woman is a dangerous one. This oppression is a social dysfunction or, perhaps, the intended function) of a traditional American family. By placing the man at the head of both the family and the government, women are shut out of places of economic and political power. The family and the mainstream media are the biggest agents of socialization of gender.
2. Learning about how gender is socialized within society has greatly expanded my sociological imagination. In recent times, enforcing gender stereotypes has become both easier and harder. The rise of mainstream media and the range to which it is disseminated has helped contribute to misogyny and homophobia by giving platforms to those who would prefer that those systems stay in place. At the same time, it gives an equally powerful podium to people who want to do away with those forms of discrimination. This curious phenomenon has not always existed; the Internet has allowed for visibility for a variety of opinions. Every person has an individual opinion on gender. When people who have similar opinions combine their voices, they become louder and more prominent. When the chorus of voices stays loud over the course of an era, those voices could potentially become the zeitgeist of that era. Observing how gender is socialized has convinced me that gender will be my generation's zeitgeist, our defining issue and conflict. The fight over gay marriage, rights for people in the LGBTQ+ umbrella, and reproduction rights has defined the past two decades of American history. I believe that the sociological imagination should be used to find the zeitgeist of an era, for therein will lie the most important issue of an era.
3. Gender is a concept that cannot be agreed upon in an universal sense, so solving the problem when it is not defined it incredibly difficult. Some people believe gender is rigid, some people believe gender is fluid, and some people believe that gender does not exist, but is a construct of society and the mind. Due to the difference of opinion, solving the issue of gender discrimination is hard. There are still ways to solve gender discrimination, however. Increasing positive representation of women in media would be a huge step in improving relations. Simple representation will not suffice; one only needs to see popular shows and movies such as Modern Family and the Fast and Furious franchise in order to see how simple representation can lead to hyper-sexualization and the reinforcement of negative stereotypes. By promoting positive stereotypes of strong and independent women, men lose their main argument of keeping women on the bottom: "women need strong men". A main gender issue is the use of "microaggressions", in which men passively (and often unintentionally) reinforce gender stereotypes with side comments and little jokes. Making those jokes socially unacceptable would be the easiest way forward, but it will most likely not be that simple. Accusations of nitpicking would be levied, and the negative opinion of the feminist as a "femi-nazi" would only be reinforced in the eyes of the aggressors of such behavior. In such a case, there is no easy way forward. Behavior is difficult to change directly, so changing it subliminally through positive portrayals of women and implicit refusal to accept snide, misogynistic remarks would go a long way to solving the problem. Overall, the media is the main agent of change that would inflict the most change, although gradually.
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