culture and gender roles ao3

Question 1

researcher bias

Answer 1

• mead initially proposed that gender roles were determined by environmental/cultural factors
• but then changed her mind = biology played a major role
• booth 1975 = dramatic conversion = Mead marrying a man with very traditional views on gender roles, and her having her own child.
• her own personal views strongly influenced meads research
• subjective
• lack of validity

Question 2

cultural bias

Answer 2

• cross cultural research = western researchers
• the danger that western researchers use the theories that have been developed in their own culture and impose them on the culture they are observing = imposed etic
• methods = meaningless when applied to other cultures = misinterpretation of the behaviour being studied
  -affects validity

Question 3

nature vs nurture

Answer 3

• difficult to establish the role of biology and socialisation in the development of gender roles
• as soon as the child is born = socialisation process begins = impossible to separate
• universality of gender roles doesn’t confirm a biological basis
• females biology = reproductive role = naturally caring to child = reflected in her socialisation
• expect this to be consistent across culture = doesn’t necessarily mean there are innate personality differences that would make her more suitable for that role

Question 4

temporal validity (refers to the validity of the findings in relation to the progression of time)

Answer 4

• globalisation may be decreasing the cultural differences in gender role behaviour
• Western values start to filter through to non-western cultures
• global reduction in the differences between masculine and feminine gender roles = socialisation does play a part in gender role development
• older research into gender role differences across cultures may no longer be valid