Theory of Characterization Review of Related Theories
According to Jabbra, the meaning of the word gender began to change in 1955
. A scientist studying the similarities and differences between men and women began to use the word gender in new ways that referred to peoples
behavior 2008: 229 . John Money created the term gender role and began to use
it to mean something different from sex . As mentioned earlier, there is a
difference between sex and gender . According to Money, the word sex describes
the body . Sex organs and sex chromosomes show what sex someone is. The word
gender describes someones personality or character in Jabbra, 2008: 229 . It
says if someone feels or acts more like a female feminine or more like a male masculine
. In response to this, Peterson Runyan assert that gender should be
understood as a social, not physiological, construction: femininity and masculinity, the terms that denote one’s gender, refer to a complex set of
characteristics and behaviors prescribed for a particular sex by society and learned through the socialization process 1993: 17
. In other words, society confines males and females to particular masculine and feminine character profiles, not
biology . This means that gender is not fixed. Gender should be considered an
adjustable and flexible concept, as opposed to the more static tendency of biology .
The nature of hierarchy in general requires ones to be dominant and the
others to be subordinate . Different people performing different functions in
cooperation with each other will form themselves into a hierarchy. As it is clearly stated that men and women are different and they cannot be compared to one
another in the first place, they will naturally fall into a hierarchy. However, hierarchy is indeed important because it allows for cooperation instead of
competition between men and women .
Based on the understanding of gender stated above, gender hierarchy indeed focuses on how cultures in a society influenced the view of gender ina
hierarchical manner . As mentioned earlier, men may dominate over women in
some societies . In others, women may dominate over men.
C . Review of Related Backgrounds
Women’s Role in Victorian Era
The Victorian era when Queen Victorian reigned was between 1837 up to 1901. This period is marked by the reform act in 1832 and the extreme diversities
with the industrial reforms, cultural progress, scientific advancement on one hand and poverty and wars on the other.
According to Flanders, the Victorian era identified four classes as a part and parcel of their social structure which was the Nobility, Middle Class, Upper
Working Class and Lower Working Class. People in the respective categories were expected to remain within their class and any slight change from one class to
another was considered to be a serious offence. In all these categories, the role of the women remained unchanged. They were supposed to live a highly restrictive
life with their life centered round their husband and subsequently their children. 2003: 12