Society's Construction of Place

Throughout time, society has constructed various things to what is considered to be the norm. Surprisingly enough, society has constructed a phenomenon called the “gendered space”. Chris Barker, author of Cultural Studies, addresses this phenomenon and explains in greater depth on how the American society has built such thing. Supporting Barker’s opinion, Darren Star’s Emmy award winning show Sex and the City, demonstrates how society has built the “gendered space”. Although many Americans view a place as a space, area, or spot, set apart or used for a particular purpose, society has converted it into a tool that “defines” an individual’s ideals and responsibilities. A person’s home, school they attend or their Friday night’s “kick-back” location could say so many things about him or her without being conscious about it.
Barker mentioned the following as he was explaining about the social construction of place, “… Gender relations vary over space: spaces are symbolically gendered and some spaces are marked by the physical exclusion of particular sexes.”(Barker 377). For instance, in a scene of Sex and the City that was aired in April 2007, it shows how the four friends go to dinner to drink coffee and to gossip about their problems and also how Carrie and her “boyfriend” walk around Manhattan holding hands. Analyzing this scene, we could see how society set certain places for certain genders or occasions. It was very interesting to see how Carrie was walking around grabbing hands with the baseball player made in Manhattan at night. The place is romantic and specific for a man and a woman to walk and to enjoy their love. Also, analyzing the scene of the girls talking was very interesting because many of the times women gathered in places, such as a house, coffeehouse or restaurants, where they will be comfortable to gossip or to spend time together.
Along the many things that the American society constructs, the places we attend to are socially constructed as “gendered places.” Where an individual lives, studies, or gathers around with friends identifies the individual’s ideals or responsibilities. Barker explains thoroughly how society has constructed this concept to something that many of us don’t pay importance to. Darren Star’s Sex and the City shed light to the explanations of this phenomenon as the scenes are analyzed. Overall, we live in a society that shapes everything to the “norm”, and the places where we eat, enjoy the hot sun, or just rest are not the exception to the modification of the American society.


Works Cited
Barker, Chris. Cultural Studies: 3rd Edition. Los Angeles: SAGE Publications, 2008.
Sex and the City. Dir. Darren Star. With Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, and
Cynthia Nixon. Silver Cup Studios, 2007.