Gender and Institutional Power Structures

The Catholic Church assigned Sor Juana to the convent partly to control her intellectual ambitions and sexuality. This concept examines how institutions—churches, universities, corporations, governments—structure themselves around gender. They assign roles, limit access, and determine who gets heard. Cisgender people are embedded in these systems; understanding them is crucial. Women assigned female at birth often recognize institutional barriers explicitly. Men assigned male at birth may not see how institutions advantage them. This framework helps both analyze institutional architecture and identify leverage points for change. Sor Juana worked within institutional constraints to expand possibilities; she did not imagine change would come from outside. For cisgender people today, this means recognizing that gender-based institutional control remains real, even when overt. Changing these structures requires understanding how they function and who benefits.