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Cited by 8,954Gender and Feminist StudiesGender Roles and Identity StudiesLanguage, Discourse, Communication Strategies

Doing Gender

WEST, CANDACE, ZIMMERMAN, DON H.·1987·Gender & Society
DOI 10.1177/0891243287001002002
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Abstract

The purpose of this article is to advance a new understanding of gender as a routine accomplishment embedded in everyday interaction. To do so entails a critical assessment of existing perspectives on sex and gender and the introduction of important distinctions among sex, sex category, and gender. We argue that recognition of the analytical independence of these concepts is essential for understanding the interactional work involved in being a gendered person in society. The thrust of our remarks is toward theoretical reconceptualization, but we consider fruitful directions for empirical research that are indicated by our formulation.

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Crossref · 10.1177/0891243287001002002

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54 of 54 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • In doing gender, men and women simultaneously sustain, reproduce, and render legitimate the institutional arrangements that are based on sex category.

    “and in so doing 'simultaneously sustain, reproduce, and render legitimate the institutional arrangements that are based on sex category' (West and Zimmerman 1987, 146).”

    From Gendering Reciprocity (2013) · cites this paper as West and Zimmerman 1987

  • Men and women must continually 'do' gender in order to assert their membership of a sex category.

    “we concur with West and Zimmerman's view that men and women must continually 'do' gender in order to assert their membership of a sex category (West and Zimmerman 1987, 127)”

    From Gendering Reciprocity (2013) · cites this paper as West and Zimmerman 1987

  • Gender is central to family roles and behavior of both parents and children.

    “Gender Theory (e.g., West and Zimmerman 1987) suggests that gender is central to family roles and behavior of both parents and children.”

    From Perceived Quality of the Mother–Adolescent and Father–Adolescent Attachment Relationship and Adolescents’ Self-Esteem (2019) · cites this paper as West and Zimmerman 1987

  • Theories of gender suggest that societal belief systems encourage females to be supportive and interdependent and males to be competitive and solve problems.

    “Theories of gender (e.g., West and Zimmerman 1987) suggest that societal beliefs systems encourage females to be supportive and interdependent and males are urged to be competitive and solve problems.”

    From Perceived Quality of the Mother–Adolescent and Father–Adolescent Attachment Relationship and Adolescents’ Self-Esteem (2019) · cites this paper as West and Zimmerman 1987

  • The constant iteration of such practices cumulatively produces not only each individual's gender identity, but gender itself as a socially meaningful system.

    “It is the constant iteration of such practices that cumulatively produce not only each individual's gender identity, but gender itself as a socially meaningful system (Butler, 1990; West and Zimmerman, 1987).”

    From Identity and interaction: a sociocultural linguistic approach (2005) · cites this paper as West and Zimmerman, 1987

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Authors
WEST, C., & ZIMMERMAN, D. H.
Affiliations
  • University of California, Santa Cruz (US)
  • University of California, Santa Barbara (US)
Venue
Gender & Society
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
1987-06
Volume
1
Issue
2
Pages
125-151
ISSN
  • 0891-2432 (ISSN-L)
  • 1552-3977
DOI
10.1177/0891243287001002002
OpenAlex
W4229864382
Cited by
8,954
References
54
Citations by year
2026: 566 · 2025: 600 · 2024: 507 · 2023: 593 · 2022: 571 · 2021: 609 · 2020: 567 · 2019: 482 · 2018: 491 · 2017: 454 · 2016: 430 · 2015: 339 · 2014: 316 · 2013: 282 · 2012: 284
FWCI
21.47
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
Gender & Society (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender and Feminist Studies
  • Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender Roles and Identity Studies
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies
Keywords
everyday interaction, sex, sex categories, gender, interactional work

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