About Gender. Notice: You can find the original article here
Gender Studies focuses on both genders and their relations to each other. At the same time, it also takes into account how gender intersects with social, ethnic and cultural differences. These multiple interdependencies allow Gender Studies to produce more precise knowledge. The distinct perspective Gender Studies offers us is best explained with an example of Gender research in Medicine. It is generally known that on average women grow older than men and that they tend to be more health conscious than men. It is less known that women die more frequently of heart diseases than men. How could this be explained? Patients and physicians recognize the specific signs of a heart attack in women, such as nausea and vomiting, too late as heart attack symptoms. The reason for this is that till recently, heart disease was considered a typical men’s disease. Symptoms of male heart patients have been the focus of medical research for a long time and specific medication has been developed for them. This is revealed by studies in the field of Gender research in Medicine. While symptoms of diseases in men are well researched, we hardly know anything about men’s daily health behavior. This goes to show: A well balanced medical analysis that focuses on both genders may have direct effects on medical research and training as well as on medical practice and nursing. Gender Studies emphasize the gender blindness of science to reveal that scientific knowledge production (even in the Natural Sciences) is influenced by gender conceptions of the researcher and in the research field.
Gender Studies analyzes gender relations in the past, present and future. They advance the understanding of social processes. Thus, they contribute to the solution of key problems societies face today. Examples of gender research results reveal that:
- The needs of boys and girls can better be met if educational requirements and capabilities are systematically researched form a gender perspective.
- Not only women have difficulties balancing family and work, but growing numbers of men/fathers suffer from this problem.
- Companies who take into consideration the findings of gender-specific consumer research and reflect on gender differences in buying patterns, are able to access new markets.
- Women work the same jobs as men, but are paid less. Women also have difficulties entering leading positions which in part results from the unequal division of labor in the home.
Gender Studies are thus well prepared to take on the research challenges in an increasingly complex world.
