Outline and evaluate the cognitive explanations of gender. Martin and Halverson proposed in their gender schema theory that the development of a child’s gender is induced by their readiness to categorise gender information. This gender information is organised into schemas which are effective in organising the information as a means of using it to interpret new gender related experiences. Such interpretation will be of knowledge pertaining to gender type activities and behaviour. Where schemas are an essential aspect of Martin and Halverson’s theory, a major concern involves the lack of explanation regarding how such schemas are originally acquired.
Gender roles are the behaviours that society teach us as appropriate for boys and girls. These are based on gender stereotypes, which are “assumptions made about the characteristics of each gender, such as physical appearance, physical abilities, attitudes, interests or occupations.” (Gooden and Gooden, 2001). This essay will define and discuss gender and its significance throughout early childhood. Gender socialisation will be related to throughout this discussion as the effects of the family, the school, the media and the peer group on gender socialisation will also be looked at. To conclude the essay, statistics and studies will be discussed with relation to gender role socialisation.
An example of this are the distinct sexual organs that children are born with to associate them anatomically with a gender. In addition, geneders are further differentiated when other sexual characteristic begin to display during puberty. Chemical messenger compounds known as hormones are what coordinates the appearance of such physical differences. There is research that suggests that the same sex hormones which create sexual organ differenciation in utero, and also that trigger puberty later in life may also play in important role in determining gender identity. Males normally have more of the male sex hormones called androgens than females.
Discuss Kohlberg’s theory of gender development... (9 marks+16 marks) Kohlberg proposed that children go through stages in the development of full gender identity. Gender identity is thought to be a person's inner sense of being male or female, usually developed during early childhood as a result of parental upbringing and societal influences and strengthened during puberty by hormonal changes. The first stage is known as “gender labelling” or “basic gender identity”. This occurs between 1.5 and 3 years, and refers to a child’s recognition of being male or female. Kohlberg understood that this recognition allows us to understand and categorise the world.
Rich Froning physique is one many men who see this add would want to have. Men who see this ad will have positive goals to get in shape and become an athlete. Also, when you get in
These factors have a great affect on today’s teen’s rites of passage; acquiring a license for boys and dating for a girl. During adolescence, teens begin to re-evaluate their self-identity. Emphasis on social virtues such as being friendly, cooperative or kind: these traits reflect a teen’s need for social acceptance. How they are viewed by others is a big change coming from childhood. The need to fit in and be accepted is greater when a child reaches adolescence.
Generally it is widely accepted across the board that early gender socialisation is one of the most important issues in early childhood, as it is affecting both boys and girls. The foundations for stereotypes in gender roles are laid through early gender socialization (Yelland 1998). It must be noted that, early gender socialisation starts at birth and the process is one of learning cultural roles in accordance with one's sex. Many studies have shown that parents treat daughter’s and son’s differently (Jacklin, DiPietro, & Maccoby; Woolett, White, & Lyon; and Parke & O'Leary, in Hargreaves & Colley, 1986; Snow, Jacklin, & Maccoby, 1983; Power, 1981). One study indicates that parents have differential expectations of sons and daughters as early as 24 hours after birth (Rubin, Provenzano, & Luria, 1974).
A sensible idea indeed: America is no doubt a society of diverse cultures, and this diversity is increasing every instant. The upcoming generation requires more skills to live and communicate in this ilk of society. Studying other cultures in school time can be of great help in this regard. Firstly, the motive of school education is not to produce career oriented students, but to produce better human beings who can live and share the world with others on better terms. Keeping this in mind, students should be made to study subjects that can help them understand their surroundings, and their neighbors.
However, there is evidence to show that even at a young age, boys and girls that learn how to communicate, will learn at different speeds and will struggle with different aspects of learning how to communicate. This is generally soon after they learn how to identify different genders. From research, we are able to conclude that children are able to distinguish between differences in biological sex at around the age of 2. One study was able to prove this by showing different aged children photos of females and males, and at the age of around 2, the children were beginning to be able to identify the difference between male and female. This reveals that even little children are already aware of the idea that there are two genders.
Kohlberg related many of these ideas to gender development. Kohlberg believed that children actively structure their own experiences, rather than passive learning through observing and imitating. According to his theory, children acquire understanding of gender in three stages. The first stage is gender labelling (2-3.5 years). At this stage children label themselves and others as girl or boy, but this is based only on outward appearance.