Agents of Socialisation and Gender Identity

Question 1

What is Oakleys theory about the ways the family affects gender identity?

Answer 1

There are 4 processes central to the construction of gender identity:
- Manipulation
- Canalisation
- Different activities
- Verbal appellations

Question 2

What is ‘Manipulation’ in regards to construction of gender identity and who came up with the theory?

Answer 2

(Oakley)
- Ways in which parents encourage and discourage behaviour on basis of whether it is appropriate for the child’s sex.

Question 3

What is ‘Canalisation’ in regards to construction of gender identity and who came up with the theory?

Answer 3

(Oakley)
- Way in which parents direct children’s interests into toys and activities that are normal for their sex.

Question 4

What is ‘Different Activities’ in regards to construction of gender identity and who came up with the theory?

Answer 4

(Oakley)
- The different activities and jobs that girls and boys are supposed to partake in, encouraged by the family, for example daughters may be encouraged to help with domestic tasks.

Question 5

What is ‘Verbal Appellations’ in regards to construction of gender identity and who came up with the theory?

Answer 5

(Oakley)
- Parents possibly enforcing cultural expectations by referring to daughters and boys in different ways.

Question 6

What is Mitchell and greens theory about the family affecting gender identity?

Answer 6

• Mother and daughters have very strong bonds, especially in the working class, mothers pass on their idea of how a young mother should act, and that gets passed down to their children.
• Belief that young mothers should be seen as respectable, not rough, a good mother, coping, caring.
• A bond with a father was fragile.

Question 7

How are women portrayed in the mass media?

Answer 7

• Sexual objects
• Domestic role
• In relationships with men and they are therefore defined by that relationship

Question 8

What does Gilmore argue in regards to how men were presented in the early days of cinema? (Media)

Answer 8

• Man the impregnator
• Man the provider
• Man the protector

Question 9

What does Ferguson argue in terms of the media affecting gender identity of women?

Answer 9

She analysed the largest selling women’s magazines, and argued that they:
- Instruct women on how to be feminine
- Tell women what to do and how to think about themselves, men, colleagues, children, neighbours and bosses
- Instruct women on what to wear
- Instruct women how to act
- Instruct women what to buy to be a female fatale, supercook or office boss

Question 10

What does Lees argue in regards to the peer group affecting gender identity?

Answer 10

Males are able to control females by derogatory language. E.g. women are called names for not conforming to the sexual double standards.

Question 11

What are the sexual double standards?

Answer 11

Among males, sexual promiscuity is encouraged and admired, whereas women are condemned for this by being called derogatory names, giving them a stigmatised identity.

Question 12

What does Butler argue in regards to religion affecting gender identity?

Answer 12

• Found that the young Asian women she researched were keen to move beyond the expected role of Asian women and pursue to further and higher education and careers.
• Although they made clear their religion was important to them, and instead what they were challenging was their culture in terms of gender identities.

Question 13

What does Watson argue in regards to religion affecting gender identity?

Answer 13

• Found that women wearing the veil found it liberating, as they weren’t subject to the male gaze.

Question 14

What is the formal curriculum?

Answer 14

• Girls and boys tend to do different subjects.
• Encouraged by teachers and parents.
• Girls tend to take subjects such as home economics, textiles, food technology, and after school they take arts, linguistics and humanities.
• Boys tend to take electronics, design technology, graphics, and after school they tend to take the sciences.

Question 15

What is the hidden curriculum? (Give reference to a name)

Answer 15

• Disruptive boys and girls are treated differently.
• Teachers have different expectations of responses to boys and girls behaviour.
• Francis argues that boys are often disciplined more harshly by teachers.

Question 16

What is the structure of schools and how does it affect gender identity?

Answer 16

• The majority of primary school teachers are female.
• Whilst most teachers are female, those that occupy the top positions are often men.
• In 2004, only 32% of head teachers were female.

Question 17

What is Debby Epstein’s theory in regards to education affecting gender identity?

Answer 17

• Working class boys are likely to be harassed, labelled as sissies and subject to homophobic verbal abuse if they appear to be swots.
• In working class culture, masculinity is equated with being tough and doing manual work.

Question 18

What is Becky Francis’ theory in regards to education affecting gender identity?

Answer 18

• Boys gained status by taking up laddish or class clown roles.
• Boys dominated classroom interaction by being louder than the girls, making greater use of classroom space, shouting out questions and answers, being disruptive.

Question 19

What is Mac an Ghaill’s theory of the workplace affecting gender identity?

Answer 19

• Men are experiencing a crisis of masculinity.
• They are socialised into seeing male identity and role in terms of being a breadwinner.
• New jobs in service sector are more suited to women, traditional masculine roles are under threat.

Question 20

What is Adkins theory of the workplace affecting gender identity?

Answer 20

There was research conducted in hotels, pubs and at a leisure park called ‘Fun Land’:
- Operatives of high speed rides were exclusively young and male, whilst most catering assistants were female.
- Adkins found that the criteria for selecting female catering assistants included looking attractive.
- Two young women who looked ‘too butch’ to be catering assistants. were given jobs as operatives on children’s rides as they had little contact with male customers.
- Women were expected to make male customers feel good by smiling and making light of their sexual innuendos.

Question 21

What is Stanko’s theory to the workplace affecting gender identity?

Answer 21

• Argues that men maintain their power in the workplace through the use of sexual harassment.
• Women are put off applying for higher positions or applying for jobs in male dominated workplaces by the threat of sexual harassment.
• Glass Ceiling.

Question 22

What is the Glass ceiling?

Answer 22

• Women can see the positions at the top, but find it hard to reach the top positions.
• They get so far in their career but fail to get promotions.
• Men typically occupy the higher positions at work and have higher status and higher paid jobs than women.