Sociology 101

What does Dr. Kimmel mean when he says “gender is about the changing meanings of the fact of being male or female; that those are culturally constructed; that they change from culture to culture and over time”?

Can you give specific examples of different meanings of being male or female over the course of life—that is, different meanings when you’re a child, teenager, adult, or elderly?

How about differences in gender meanings across different cultures? Pick a different culture than the United States, and give an example where the definition of “men-ness” or “women-ness” vary drastically, based on time of life or other factors (class status, and so on.)