Lec. 7. Chapter 4 Contemporary Gender Roles

I. Understanding Gender and Gender Roles

A. gender: male & female in social sense (cultural identity) vs. sex in bio. sense

B. role: culturally defined expectations for individual to fulfill in given situation

C. gender-role stereotype: rigid view each sex has unique psychology/behavior

1. e.g. men are aggressive:not only untrue for men perse,but to individual

D. gender-role attitudes:views about appropria male/fem personality & activity

E. patriarchal systems: males dom political/econ sys;have interpersonal power

a. matriarchal systems: have not been evident, although more equal sys

F. berdaches:live as mem of opposite sex in some Asian/Native-Am societies

G. Arapesh of New Guinea:males/females possess fem traits by West. standards

1. Mundugumor: both sex masculine by Western standards—violent, etc

H. Bipolar Gend Roles:model see males only instrumental,fem only expressive

a. Actual dif: not large;men more aggressive verbally&physically

I Gender schema: cognitive organization of world;categories;cult exaggerates

1 Baby X experiment:those not told baby’s sex extremely uncomfortable

a. gender interp:if told boy,fussing call “angry”; girl, “frustrated”

2 Stereotyping strongest: among children, adolescents, college students

3 Gender traits: our cult sees affection feminine, strength masculine

II. Gender and Socialization Theories

A. gender as a social construct: power used to create belief men/wom opposite

1. traits unequal:value reason/aggression(M) > sensitivity/compliance(F)

2. to do gender: take into account gendered expectations & act on them

a. family: very gendered domain—earning, chores, childcare, sex

B. social learning theory: behavioral psych look at effect of rewards/punishment

1. cognition: recently theory looks at mental process (eval/reflection)

intervening b/ stimulus/response, esp. as language communicates

2. modeling:learn roles via imitation from nurturant or controlling adults

a. not taught: mannerisms, gestures, body language, etc.

C. Cognitive Development Theory:Piaget’s view reason, understanding dep age

1 age 2: correctly identify gender, but based on hair, clothing (shallow)

3. age 6-7:know sex permanent, but exaggerate to make cognitively clear

a. internal need for congruence: b/ know & acts cause comply

III. Learning Gender Roles

A. fathers more than mothers for sons:stereotype roles:e.g., hard, big, attentive

1. oth: set son hi achieve standards vs. interpersonal aspects for daughters

B. 4 processes of parent socialization: (1)manipulation: daughter treated gently,

son roughly & told is strong, (2)channeling: directing attention to specific objects

(girl:dolls), (3)verbal appellation: “active” label for boy pushing vs. “aggressive”

for girl, (4)activity exposure: boy’s chore’s take outside, girl’s stay inside

C. class differences: WC differentiate more than MC; WC girls more restricted

D. race dif: blacks more egalitarian roles;daughts socialize be more independent

1 dual role: black women traditionally both homemaker and wage earner

E. school:girl excel element; by middl school,lag math,science,hist,geo,read,spell

F. high school: boys excel @all areas; get >teacher attention, call on more often

1. yet pay for difference: more discipline and receive more teacher anger