Questioning Gender: A Sociological Exploration

A one-of-a-kind text designed to launch readers into a thoughtful encounter with gender issues

Rather than providing definitive answers about gender, this unique book exposes readers to new material that will lead them to question their assumptions. The author uses both historical and cross-cultural approaches―as well as a focus on intersectionality and transgender issues―to help students understand the socially-constructed nature of gender. Debunking ideas of what is normal and abnormal, this provocative book explores the core theories and topics of the course, including the gender of sexuality, the gender of friendship and dating, the gender of media and popular culture, and the gender of politics and power.

 

 

Robyn Ryle is a full professor of sociology and gender studies at Hanover College in Hanover,

Indiana, where she has been teaching sociology of gender and other courses for 19 years. She

is the author of two nonfiction books. She/He/They/Me: For the Sisters, Misters, and Binary

Resisters is a book about gender told in the style of a choose your own adventure. Throw Like a

Girl, Cheer Like a Boy: The Evolution of Gender, Identity, and Race in Sports is an exploration of

inequality and social justice in the world of sports. Ryle went to Millsaps College in Jackson,

Mississippi, for her undergraduate degree in sociology and English with a concentration in

women’s studies. She received her PhD in sociology from Indiana University. She is a member

of the American Sociological Association and Sociologists for Women in Society and has

served on the editorial board of the journal Teaching Sociology. She grew up in a small town

in northern Kentucky and now lives in another small town just down the Ohio River. When

she’s not teaching classes, she writes, gardens, and watches lots of sports. She currently lives in

a 170-year-old house in scenic Madison, Indiana, with her husband, stepdaughter, and two

peculiar cats. You can find her on Instagram (@robynrryle) and Twitter (@robynryle) or read

her Substack newsletter, You Think Too Much.