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SOC 201 Sociology Exercise 3: Gender Stuff Dr. Oliver Cowart
Gender “signals” are all around us. We get messages about our gender roles, and we look
for them, all the time and everywhere. In this assignment you will look at how gender is coded in
our stuff, by taking an “outside observer” point of view. Imagine you are not familiar with
American culture or society and do not know the expectations, behaviors, and stereotypes we
have around gender, and you need to decode the messages embedded in products and
commodities. Here’s how I want you to proceed.
1. Pick a type of object/s (dandruff shampoos, razor blades, NERF guns, cigarettes, shoes,
etc.) to decode - you’ll find that there are many products out there that are gendered. I
want you to examine and write down detailed information about a number of examples
from the objects you have chosen: you might visit a Target or CVS, examine online
catalogs or paper catalogs. Find a way to observe the objects themselves, not
advertisements, as these are a different subject of analysis.
2. As you look at this range objects, analyze and write down the patterns of gender coding. What
are ways that gender messages are put into the object or product? This can obvious but also
subtle. Keep in mind, some things are NOT coded – and that can be interesting too!
