Abstract

This article examines the notion of "gender", its social and cultural significance and its development in historical retrospective. The emphasis is laid upon the influence of the religious factor on the formation of the notion of gender. The author pays attention to the multiaspectual nature of the concept of "gender" and the variability of accentuations in its interpretations by different researchers. Moreover, the article illustrates the role of feminism in drawing attention of the scientific community of humanitaristics to the gender issues. The author highlights the existence of biased gender stereotypes in modern society and offers a possible way of gender discrimination problem solution. The present state of affairs clearly demonstrates the existence of gender stereotypes that are reflected in all spheres of life. The problem of gender differentiation and gender socialization is becoming more and more important for both ordinary citizens and scientific community, which indicates their growing relevance. The article is dedicated to the history of the concept of "gender", the influence of various factors on the development of this concept and the differentiation of its key aspects in the interpretations of different researchers. Moreover, the article describes the significant contribution of the feminist tradition of the 60s to drawing attention to the problems of the gender system taken as a whole. The author focuses on the analysis of gender issues in the philosophical and religious studies, emphasizing the importance of the religious factor in the formation of ideas about gender and noting that this issue remains insufficiently studied. A successful attempt is made to show the influence of culture, in particular of such its component as religion, on formation of behavior patterns for men and women to follow. The author believes that gender differentiation is rather caused by social and cultural factors than by the psychophysiological features, because the process of gender identification develops in accordance with accepted social norms. Furthermore, the author points out the overrepresentation of gender stereotypes, that are rather biased, and the necessity for creating the best possible social and cultural conditions for the personal fulfillment of both sexes.