Gender Socialization Tahsina Akhter Gender Socialization Socialization is

  • Slides: 20
Download presentation
Gender Socialization Tahsina Akhter

Gender Socialization Tahsina Akhter

Gender Socialization • Socialization is the process of internalizing society's values in order to

Gender Socialization • Socialization is the process of internalizing society's values in order to adapt to one's culture. It influences how people behave as males and females in society. The social learning process that imbibes people into understanding the various aspects of culture includes the process of gender socialization. Gender socialization encompasses the process of learning society's gender roles and their advantages and limitations.

Gender Role • Society expects different attitudes and behaviors from boys and girls. Gender

Gender Role • Society expects different attitudes and behaviors from boys and girls. Gender socialization is the tendency for boys and girls to be socialized differently. Boys are raised to conform to the male gender role, and girls are raised to conform to the female gender or role. A gender role is a set of behaviors, attitudes, and personality characteristics expected and encouraged of a person based on his or her sex.

Cont. • In most societies there is a clear categorization of what it means

Cont. • In most societies there is a clear categorization of what it means to be male or female. This categorization process and the agents of socialization that transmit knowledge about gender roles influence how individuals define themselves and other in terms of gender and sex roles.

Cont. • In many societies gender roles are rigidly defined. For instance men have

Cont. • In many societies gender roles are rigidly defined. For instance men have traditionally been expected to be strong, aggressive even dominating. Women have been expected to be nurturing, sensitive, emotional and relatively passive. Children are taught these values both consciously and subconsciously from a very early age. This is further reinforced with the use of toys as boys are given large sized, noise making or violent type whereas girls are often given gentler toys. These expressions influence information of self as well as identities.

Agents of Gender Socialization • The main agents of gender socialization are parents or

Agents of Gender Socialization • The main agents of gender socialization are parents or family, peer, siblings, school or education, mass media and religion. For very young children parents and family play the central role in shaping gender socialization. They determine how the family interacts with a boy as well as the types of toys and clothes that the baby is given.

Cont. • Gender identity is established by age of two years. Its central component

Cont. • Gender identity is established by age of two years. Its central component is the notion ‘I am male’ or ‘I am female’. Sigmund Freud theorized that identification and imitation of same-sex parents leads to effective gender identity formation. In the latency period males and females tend to aggregate themselves from each other. This may be considered part of the socialization process and further solidifies gender identification and role specific behavior.

Cont. • Schools and families continue to influence gender socialization throughout adolescence. During adolescence

Cont. • Schools and families continue to influence gender socialization throughout adolescence. During adolescence peer influence becomes the strongest agent of gender socialization as teens form together in small social groups to facilitate their transition into adulthood and into the larger society. The socializing effects of the mass media also become powerful in formative years.

Cont. • Culture has been seen as of key significance in the construction of

Cont. • Culture has been seen as of key significance in the construction of gender identity. Education has been seen as an important part of this process drawing girls and boys into different activities and achievements. The analysis of gender and culture has drawn on literary theory with the deconstructionism of Derrida and also on the discourse analysis of Michal Foucault. The emphasis has shifted from the individual's learning experience to the creation of the texts or representations that construct our notions of gender.

Influence of Biology • Experts disagree on whether differences between males and females result

Influence of Biology • Experts disagree on whether differences between males and females result from innate, biological differences or from differences in the ways that boys and girls are socialized. In other words, experts disagree on whether differences between men and women are due to nature, nurture, or some combination of both.

Example : Influence of Biology • There are some significant differences between female and

Example : Influence of Biology • There are some significant differences between female and male brains. The language center in the male brain is usually in the dominant (usually left) hemisphere, whereas females use both hemispheres of the brain to process language. This may explain why females seem to have stronger communication skills and relish interpersonal communication more than males and why, on average, girls learn to speak and read earlier than boys

Influence of Family • Every culture has different guidelines about what is appropriate for

Influence of Family • Every culture has different guidelines about what is appropriate for males and females, and family members may socialize babies in gendered ways without consciously following that path. For example, in American society, the color pink is associated with girls and the color blue with boys. Even as tiny babies, boys and girls are dressed differently, according to what is considered “appropriate” for their respective sexes. Even parents who strive to achieve a less “gendered” parenting style unconsciously reinforce gender roles.

Example: Influence of Family • The toys and games parents select for children are

Example: Influence of Family • The toys and games parents select for children are often unconsciously intended to socialize them into the appropriate gender roles. Girls receive dolls in an attempt to socialize them into future roles as mothers. Since women are expected to be more nurturing than men, giving a girl a doll teaches her to care for it and fosters the value of caring for others. When boys receive dolls, they are likely to be action figures designed to bring out the alleged aggressive tendencies in boys

Influence in Education • As children enter the educational system, traditional expectations for boys

Influence in Education • As children enter the educational system, traditional expectations for boys and girls continue. In the past, much research focused on how teachers were shortchanging girls in the classroom. Teachers would focus on boys, calling on them more and challenging them. Because boys were believed to be more analytical, teachers assumed they would excel in math and science. Teachers encouraged them to go into careers that require a lot of math and science, such as computer science or engineering.

Example: Influence in Education • Studies show that boys are more physically active than

Example: Influence in Education • Studies show that boys are more physically active than girls. This difference is greater when children are in elementary school. Boys may be less able to sit still during a lesson. They are often sent out of class as disruptive, which puts them behind in the schoolwork and can reinforce their problems in the classroom.

Role of Peer group • Unlike the family and the school, the peer group

Role of Peer group • Unlike the family and the school, the peer group lets children escape the direct supervision of adults. Among peers, children learn to form relationships on their own. Peer groups also offer the chance to discuss interests that adults may not share with their children (such as clothing and popular music) or permit (such as drugs and smoking).

Example: Peer Pressure • The term "peer pressure" is often used to describe instances

Example: Peer Pressure • The term "peer pressure" is often used to describe instances where an individual feels indirectly pressured into changing their behavior to match that of their peers. Taking up smoking and underage drinking are two of the best known examples. In spite of the often negative connotations of the term, peer pressure can be used positively.

Role of Mass Media • Because mass media has enormous effects on our attitude

Role of Mass Media • Because mass media has enormous effects on our attitude and behavior, notably in regards to aggression, it is an important contributor to the socialization process. This is particularly true with regards to gender. In television and movies, women tend to have less significant roles than men. They are often portrayed as wives or mothers, rather than as main characters. When women are given a lead role, they are often one of two extremes: either a wholesome, saint-like figure or a malevolent, hyper-sexual figure.

Example: Role of Mass media • Research indicates that among the 101 topgrossing, G-rated

Example: Role of Mass media • Research indicates that among the 101 topgrossing, G-rated movies released between 1990 and 2005, three out of every four characters were male. Out of those movies, only seven films were even close to having a balanced cast of characters, with a ratio of less than 1. 5 male characters per 1 female character. Women almost exclusively appear in ads that promote cooking, cleaning, or childcare-related products. In general, women are underrepresented in roles, or ads, that reference leadership, intelligence, or a balanced psyche.

Gender Attribution • The whole discussion points out that gender is socially constructed in

Gender Attribution • The whole discussion points out that gender is socially constructed in the sense that differences in the behavior of males and females are learned rather than being the inevitable result of biology. • Suzanne J. Kessler and Wendy Mc. Kenna , as ethnomethodologist, presumes ‘gender attribution’- the decision to regard another person as male or female – is socially produced in much the same way as gender roles.