Population Reference Bureau Population Bulletin Vol. Gender is a social institution 2. Gender involves differences in power 3. In this Population Bulletin , we use a definition that focuses on the socioeconomic aspects of gender. Gender is a social institution .
Gender is central to the way a society is organized.
Like the family, religion, race, and other social institutions, gender affects the roles men and women play in a society. In most western societies, economic growth depends on people of different classes working in different jobs and accepting different rewards and benefits. Gender functions in a similar manner to organize society. For many years, the U.S. labor force operated under the assumption that most workers were men with wives and children at home to support. Salaries, hours, employer expectations, and the structure of businesses all reflected this assumption, and shaped the way that women were hired, fired, or compensated.