Gender and identity Flashcards
Gender socialisation and identity
Families help socially construct gender roles through primary socialisation.
Gender socialisation in the family - anne oakely
1.Manipulation- parents encoruage their children to behave in certain ways and discourage others. This is normally done subtly i.e it is okay for boys to play in the mud but not girls.
2. Canalisation- parents push their children to act I certain ways but is done more obviously such as buying girls baby dolls and barbies.
3. Verba, appellation- the use of language to level children in a way that reinforces appropriate gender identification.
4.different activites- children are encouraged to join a ctivites that are deemed appropriate for their gender by their parents, like boys playing football and girls becoming dancers.
Gender as a social construct
This idea relates back to the nature and nurture debate. Though some argue that gender is based on biological differences between males and females, most sociologists argue that it is socially constructed.
Biological view of gender- wilson 1975
Argues for the need to reproduce men to be more promiscuous literally spreading the seed. Women on the other hand need to nurture one child and stay faithful to the father of their child to ensure his help in its upbringing.
The functionalist view of gender
According to parsons 1955- females have an expressive role in the family, which is natural and based on their childberaing role, but it is reinforced by socialisation. Males have an instrumental role in the family that of the breadwinner and protector. This is also natural based on their physical strength but also is reinforced through socialsiation. These roles are functional for the family and society.
The social construction of gender identites
Feminists argue that gender identity is socially constructed by patriarchal society. It is not only the family that contributes to the social construction of gender. Hey 1997 studied friendship groups among teenage girls and looked at the power the female peer gorup has over girls behaviour and how the norms of the female peer groups are deeply rooted in patriarchy and expectations of how girls should be.
