Assigned: Life with Gender

Introduce students to the social science of gender.

With contributions from leading scholars and a provocative collection of discussion topics and group activities, this innovative series provides an accessible and affordable entry point for strong sociological perspectives on topics of immediate social import and public relevance.

Assigned: Life with Gender is the sixth volume in The Society Pages series. Selected from around the web by Lisa Wade, winner of the ASA’s Distinguished Contributions to Teaching Award, the essays in this book present a revealing picture of gender in the United States today: socially constructed, sometimes fun but almost always problematic, fluid but forced into binaries, deeply ingrained but often misunderstood. Topics range from parenting and sports to inequality and breasts (both men’s and women’s). Together, these diverse and engaging voices capture the depth and complexity of gender from the sociological perspective.

Lisa Wade is an Associate Professor and researcher at Tulane University with appointments in sociology and gender and sexuality studies. Wade has written over two dozen research articles and book chapters, and edited and authored four books. She lives in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Douglas Hartmann is in the sociology department at the University of Minnesota. His research interests focus on race and ethnicity, multiculturalism, popular culture (including sports and religion), and contemporary American society. He is co-editor of The Society Pages.

Christopher Uggen is in the sociology department at the University of Minnesota. He studies crime, law, and deviance, especially how former prisoners manage to put their lives back together. He is co-editor of The Society Pages.