The Sociology of Gender: An Introduction to Theory and Research by Amy Wharton

The Sociology of Gender: An Introduction to Theory and Research by Amy S.....

Featuring extensive revisions and updates, the new Second Edition of The Sociology of

Gender presents an introductory overview of gender theory and research, and continues

to offer a unique and compelling approach to one of the most important topics in

the field of sociology. Drawing from recent and ongoing research in the field, gender

scholar Amy Wharton develops and expands upon theoretical approaches to gender

from her acclaimed first edition. These approaches emphasize how gender can be

viewed through different "lenses," and how each one generates a particular way of

thinking about gender and its role in social lífe.

Wharton shows how individualist approaches view gender as part of the person,

interactional approaches focus on the ways that gender emerges through social

interaction; and institutional views emphasize how gender is built into organizations,

social structures, and institutional arrangements. The book deftly summarizes and

examines these three frameworks to facilitate an understanding of gender's contested

meanings and vast areas of research. Also addressed is the importance of analyzing

gender in relation to other kinds of distinctions, such as those based on race, social

class, or sexual orientation. The newest research findings by key scholars are also

discussed, and the inclusion of cross-national studies allow for comparative analysis of

different areas of study. The Sociology of Gender: An Introduction to Theory and Research,

Second Edition, offers the most up-to-date and accessible overview of this prominent

subfield of sociological enquiry available today.

Amy S. Wharton is Professor of Sociology and Director of the College of Liberal Arts at

Washington State University, Vancouver. Dr Wharton's research on gender inequality,

the sociology of work, and work-family policies has been published in the American

Sociological Review, Social Forces, and Work & Occupations, as well as many other peer-

reviewed journals and edited books. She is the editor of Working in America: Continuity

Conflict, and Change (2002, 2nd ed.) and co-author of The Sociology of Work: Structures

and Inequalities (2009).

Cover image © Eric Ferguson/Stockphoto

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