From feminism to the conceptualization of gender. Theoretical approaches for a sociology of gender

Abstract

Gender is one of the most used concepts in the social sciences. In recent times it has even transcended to other “not so social” sciences, to its mainstreaming in public policies, to strategies of governments and non-governmental organizations. Its use has been marked by ambiguities and theoretical simplicity. The fundamental objective of this article is to establish the foundational bases of the conceptualization of gender in sociological science. To do this, we start from academic feminism and a brief overview, in chronological order, of the theoretical assumptions of philosophers, historians, anthropologists and sociologists from all latitudes, who have made founding contributions to the current gender theory in sociology.