gender and moral development

Question 1

gender development

Answer 1

• sex (biological) vs gender (psychological)
• approaches to studying gender
  1. theories focus on different aspects of gender development

Question 2

gender stereotypes

Answer 2

• set of beliefs (about being a boy or girl)
  1. beliefs about behavioural patterns that are appropriate for each gender
• gendered parental practices
  1. colour of clothing
  2. room decor
  3. toys
  4. parental domestic activities
  5. occupations
• others respond to boys and girls differently (eg teachers, peers)

Question 3

childhood

Answer 3

• gender development proceeds rapidly
• upon entering school children have acquired many stereotypes about how sexes differ
• children prefer gender stereotypucal activities and same-sex playmates
  behaviour for boys, especially, becomes highly gender stereotypical
• gender segregation is strong in middle childhood

Question 4

adolescents

Answer 4

• after going their separate ways, boys and girls come together in intimate wways
  1. beginning of romantic relationships
• biological changes and social pressures in adolescense are related to an intensification of gender differences
• stimulates the formation of an adult gender identity

Question 5

aggression

Answer 5

• boys engage in more rough play than girls
• adolescent males are arrested for violent crimes five times for often than adolescent females
• men are more violent than women
• boys engage more in relational aggression
  1. manipulation of peer relationships
  2. eg social exclusion, rumour spreading, talking behind their back
• boys also engage in relational aggression equally

Question 6

cognitive abilities

Answer 6

• men perform better on spatial tests involving mental rotation
• often assu,ed that mnens superior visuospatial abilities underlie the difference in quantitative apititude and achievement
  1. women perform better on some of these tasks eg memory for shapes, perceptual speed
• gender differences in maths is small