Gender Roles

What’s the difference? Gender: Biological, fixed by genes BEFORE birth Gender roles: What is appropriate by society’s standards & expectations; how someone should behave Gender stereotypes: fixed and oversimplified behaviors

Gender stereotypes Can include emotional characteristics Can cause employment opportunities to be limited https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhB3l1gCz2E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SrpARP_M0o

Physical Differences Females Males Primary: Secondary: Primary: Ovaries Secondary: Smaller body size, wider hips, fuller breasts Primary: Testes Secondary: Deep voice, facial hair Primary sex characteristics: Without them, procreation can’t happen (reproductive organs) Secondary sext characteristics: Not necessary for procreation (controlled by hormones)

Cognitive Abilities Females Males Verbal abilities Spelling, pronunciations, foreign languages Learn language quicker United States: Girls tend to have less reading problems than boys Manipulate visual images (spatial ability) Use directional coordinates and measurements (miles) whereas women use landmarks and turn left or right Tend to outperform girls in math

Personality & Behavior Differences Females Males Trust & nurturance (affection & care) Less aggressive (indirect) Verbal Assertiveness & tough- mindedness Tend to be more aggressive (physical) due to higher levels of testosterone Hitting, shoving

Communication Styles Females Males More talkative throughout childhood Less talkative in mixed-sex groups as they get older Talk about feelings and personal experiences & intimate matters Talk with other women and understand nonverbal communication better More understanding and supportive Look each other in the eye and face each other Usually dominate classroom discussions Men introduce new topics Interrupt each other Go to women than men for advice with difficult situations Don’t face each other during conversations

Mate Selection Females Males Professional status, considerate, kindness, fondness of children, dependability Support the family (financially and emotionally) Physical characteristics Wider hips, fuller breasts, younger More likely to have children and pass on genes

Gender Typing Theories that explain gender role development Around age 2, children begin to develop ideas about male & female behaviors

Biological Views: Genetics Genes for specific traits have been passed to future generations Highly controversial, some people don’t think biology predetermines how someone will behave Genes are responsible for physical traits (strengths) but not complex social behaviors (aggression)

Biological Views: Hormones The specialization of the two hemispheres of the brain is known as lateralization and in influenced by sex hormones during fetal development Testosterone, larger growth in right hemisphere with is related to visual-spatial tasks (which is a male characteristic)

Psychological Views: Psychoanalytic Theory Freud argues that at a young age, children seek attention from the opposite sex parent He also argues that gender typing doesn’t develop until age 5, however some research says that girls aged 1-3 prefer soft and doll like toys and boys prefer hard transportation toys.

Psychological Views: Social-Learning Theory Gender is developed through reinforcement & modeling Reinforcement: Behaviors that have favorable consequences; when a behavior is rewarded it is repeated Parents reacting positively for children playing with gender appropriate toys; Dad’s approving boys playing with tools but not dolls Modeling: Learning from observation & imitation Girls tend to imitate mother’s behaviors and boys imitate father’s

Psychological Views: Gender-Schema Theory Gender schema: Cluster of physical qualities, behaviors, and personality traits associated with one sex or another. Once a child realizes his/her gender, they seek information related to their gender and respond how they think they should based off of society’s expectation.

Variation of Gender Roles Through Time In the past, gender roles were more distinct than they are today In the past, women were expected to be homemakers & child rearers and men were providers and protectors Change has taken place over the last several decades, mainly for economic reasons Many working single moms Can’t afford lifestyle off of just husband’s income Reverses roles; men stay home

Cultural Variations 1930’s, Margaret Mead studied three tribes from New Guinea: Mundugumor: warlike people, both males and females are aggressive Women looked down on childbearing & child rearing practices because it interfered with be able to go to battle Arapesh: Gentle & peaceful people; equal roles in child rearing & maintaining the land Tchambuli: Reversed United States roles Men care for children, care about physical appearance, gossip, & bicker Women provide food, shave heads, don’t accessorize, and are more aggressive