Gender – always relevant?

Not least with the implementation of Gender Mainstreaming, the question is raised as to whether gender plays a role everywhere. This is also a matter of some contention from today’s point of view in Gender Studies. In reply to the question as to what relevance gender still has today as a category of social order, either on the one hand reference is made to tendencies to persist, or, on the other hand, it is claimed that everything here is in a state of flux. Either gender is seen as the most effective structural category in society, as a “social mechanism for showing people their places” (Brückner, 2004) or else its “loss of meaning” is criticized (Knapp, 2001).

The first of these positions assumes a pluralism of both life situations of women and men and of social discourses about gender. In spite of the continued existence of structural inequalities (such as in working life, or in gender-hierarchical division of labor), a shift in gender relations can be observed at the level of social structure. A different position is taken with the hypothesis of “non-simultaneity” in the development of social life situations and discourses about gender. While changes have taken place in discourses, such as flexibilization and decentralization of the category gender, it still continues to have meaning in the context of social inequality.

As this debate within Gender Studies shows, a distinction must be drawn when asking about the relevance of gender as to whether it involves describing social conditions (such as are shown in data and statistics regarding gender relations) or normative views as to how it should be (i.e. interpretations derived from the data material in relation to gender equality).

In view of the undisputed fact that gender mostly plays a problematic role because it is used to reduce people to certain clichés, some people now take the view that it is more a matter of “undoing gender” instead of “doing gender” (Lorber, 2004). “Undoing gender” does not mean making gender superfluous, or again that gender neutrality should be introduced. To “undo gender” aims in the first instance at becoming aware of the construction of gender difference and the concomitant stereotyping evaluations. As a second step, it involves removing categorisations and evaluations that create gender hierarchies and changing society to create an orientation to gender equality.

Brückner, Marion: „Re“- und „De-Gendering“ von Sozialpolitik, sozialen Berufen und sozialen Problemen, in: Zeitschrift für Frauenforschung und Geschlechterstudien, 22.Jg., H. 2+3, Bielefeld 2004, S. 25-39.

Butler, Judith: Das Ende der Geschlechterdifferenz?, in: Huber, Jörg/ Heller, Martin (Hrsg.): Konturen des Unentschiedenen: Interventionen / Museum für Gestaltung Zürich. Basel; Frankfurt/M 1997.

Degele, Nina: Differenzierung und Ungleichheit: Eine geschlechtertheoretische Perspektive. In: Schwinn, Thomas (Hrsg.): Differenzierung und Ungleichheit. Die zwei Soziologien und ihre Verknüpfung. Frankfrut/Main 2004, S. 371-398.

Knapp, Gudrun-Axeli: Grundlagenkritik und stille Post. Zur Debatte um einen Bedeutungsverlust der Kategorie „Geschlecht“, in: Heintz, Bettina (Hrsg.): Geschlechtersoziologie. Wiesbaden 2001, S. 54-74.

Lorber, Judith: Man muss bei Gender ansetzen, um Gender zu demontieren: Feministische Theorie und Degendering, in: Zeitschrift für Frauenforschung und Geschlechterstudien, 22.Jg., H. 2+3, Bielefeld 2004, S. 9-24.