The Sociology of Gender: A Brief Introduction (Paperback)

by Laura Kramer (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Kramer has composed a concise, accurate, 'core' text on the sociology of gender. The information is reflective of the current state of the field, including scholarship at the forefront of the sociology of gender in the last five years (and earlier, as appropriate). The book is as close to perfectly organized as I believe we'll find." --Meg Wilkes Karraker, University of St. Thomas

Review

"Kramer has composed a concise, accurate, 'core' text on the sociology of gender. The information is reflective of the current state of the field, including scholarship at the forefront of the sociology of gender in the last five years (and earlier, as appropriate). The book is as close to perfectly organized as I believe we'll find."--Meg Wilkes Karraker, University of St. Thomas
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 227 pages
• Publisher: Roxbury Publishing Company; 2 edition (September 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931719136
• ISBN-13: 978-1931719131
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #444,400 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful, passionate, and compelling, December 25, 2000

By	Howard Aldrich (Chapel Hill, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sociology of Gender: A Brief Introduction (Paperback)

In this book aimed mainly at undergraduates, Laura Kramer writes with compassion & understanding about the sociology of gender. Although she favors a multiracial feminist perspective, she sympathetically reviews other leading perspectives on gender, including radical, socialist, postmodernist, and liberal feminism. For each issue she addresses, she shows how other perspectives shed light on a different piece of the puzzle.

A great strength of the book is Kramer's historical perspective on gender issues. She notes that we are now in the "third wave" of feminist activism, and she shows how definitions of "problems" and "solutions" have changed over the past 100 years. "Femininity" and "masculinity" are not fixed categories but rather have evolved as American culture and social structure have changed. Underlying much of her analysis is the assumption that economic forces, especially changing employment opportunities, account for a great deal of the change in gender ideology and politics.

Students will find the 5 page glossary of key terms and the 16 page references section invaluable for further research. Each chapter ends with 3 discussion questions. Non-students will learn much from Kramer's lucid explanations and detailed examples. She cares deeply about the issues in this book, and it shows.