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Essay / Classical Theorists - 1553
The dominant voice in sociology is white, heterosexual, and male. This is certainly true of “classical” theorists and ancestors Georg Simmel and Max Weber. Over the years, sociology has recognized different voices in the tradition, opening doors to feminist theory and theorists such as Candace West, Don H. Zimmerman, Judith Butler, Patricia Hill Collins, Dorothy E. Smith, and Raewyn Connell. These sociologists attempt to offer a perspective different from the dominant view, a view that may find some of its roots in the work of their sociological forebears. West and Zimmerman's Doing Gender was a seminal sociological work. The authors affirmed that “the essential masculine and feminine natures are an acquired status of objective fact, they provide the justification for the different destinies of women and men” (Kivisto 2011: 319). Max Weber's views on status complement this idea. Weber asserts that “a status group can only exist to the extent that others grant its members prestige or demeaning character, which distances them from the rest of the social actors and establishes the necessary social distance” (Coser 1977 : 229). West and Zimmerman then discuss the difference between sex, sex category, and gender. They also focus on gender, arguing that rather than being an essential part of our nature, it is an act that we perform on a daily basis (Kivisto 2011). West and Zimmerman's approach to gender was revolutionary, but its very foundation is the idea of status in American society. In general, gender difference has been used to subjugate the female sexual category. Georg Simmel also addressed the status in his essay on fashion. He spoke of the lower class acquiring material objects to emulate the upper classes. Similarly, West and Zimmerman discussed gender displays in the middle of the article......2011). Many jobs considered masculine earn more money, such as being a businessman and professional football player. While the traditionally female positions of teachers, nurses and cleaners are barely enough to survive. This says a lot about the value of the gender we value in society. Arguing for a living wage from a feminist perspective would highlight the contradictory act of teaching one thing and practicing another. The feminist perspective could emphasize that feminine and masculine are social constructions. This ideal would equalize the female and male gender categories (Kivisto 2011). Make “feminine” activities as valued as masculine activities. They would accept knowledge from all groups. Use a variety of perspectives to make salary decisions (Kivisto 2011). Attempt to dismantle the gendered hierarchical structure of the university and disavow “masculine” and “feminine ».”.