Gender- Cognitive approach to gender (Kohlbergs theory) Flashcards
What does the cognitive approach to gender argue?
-Considers the development of our thought patterns + cognitions
-A child’s perception of gender behaviour (including their own gender) is crucial for the acquisition of gender
What does the cognitive approach aim to explain?
How children’s thinking about gender changes as they develop
How does Kohlberg’s theory lead to gender appropriate behaviour?
-It is only when the children understand gender constancy he/she will become highly motivated to behave in a way that is expected of them as a boy or girl
-Up until the stage of constancy, such information is not really relevant because the child believes that his/her gender may change
-Children pay attention and show systematic gender role behaviours only after they fully understand that gender is for life
Explain what happend in the ken experiment?
-Asked if doll was a boy or girl
-Phase 1= male ken doll
-Phase 2=ken with skirt on
What were the results from the 4 year old in the ken experiment?
Phase 1:
-Boy doll- because he does not have long hair
Phase 2:
-Girl doll- because she is wearing a dress
What were the results for the 6 year old in the ken experiment?
Phase 1:
-Boy doll
Phase 2:
-Still a boy doll, didn’t just change genders because he is wearing a skirt
What are the features of gender identity/labelling?
-Children recognise that they are female or male
-Learn the gender labels ‘girl’ and ‘boy’
-Do not realise that boys grow into men and girls grow into women (no sense of permeance)
-Label gender solely based on appearance
What are features of Gender stability?
-Gender is consistent over time but not across situations
Eg.
-Other people, do not recognise a man is still a man if they grow out their hair
-Situations, believe that people change sexes if they engage in activities which are usually associated with the other gender
-Still rely on appearances
What are features of gender constancy?
-Gender is constant across time and situations
-Do not rely on just appearances
-Children become more attentive to models that are the same sex as them
-Once they have fully developed, they internalise the concept of gender, they then look for evidence which confirms it
What age is gender identity?
2-3.5 years
What age is gender stability?
3.5 years to 4.5 years
What ages is gender constancy?
6-7 years
Give an evaluation point for gender identity (research evidence)?
-Thompson- 2 year olds= 76% accurate in identifying their sex, 3 year olds= 90%
-Could correctly label themselves as predicted by theory
-Weinraub- observational study of2-3 year olds
-children who mastered gender identity made more sex stereotyped toy preferences + behaved in ways they thought they were meant to
-supports the idea children as young as 2 can identify with their gender
-links to free will- acknowledges the active role of the child identifying with their own gender
Give an evaluation point for gender stability (research support)?
-Salby +Frey
-structured interview- asked young children sex trait questions (eg. were you a little girl or little boy/ when you grow up will you be a mummy or daddy?
-Answers indicated they did not recognise traits were stable until they were 3 or 4
-supports stability
Give an evaluation point for Determinism (gender consistency)?
-Saw gender consistency as a universal + inevitable last stage as children accepted a direct sex link + expectations through intercations with culture + society
-Research doesnt support the claim that children dont begin to acquire info about gender appropriate behaviour until they they reach gender constancy
-martin +little- children under 4 showed no signs of stability let alone constancy but did display strong gender stereotypes (behaviour) which shows they have gained info about gender roles before Kohlberg suggested
-Deterministic because changes in brain structures due to maturation allow for higher levels of cognitive functioning which in turn produces changes in understanding of gender
Give an evaluation point for gender consistency (research support)?
-Halim et al
-Interviewed parents from different cultures to investigate gender appearance rigidity in gender stability stage
-the more children aged 3-6 years understood gender was constant, more likely to dress rigidly according to gender
-positive= cross cultural research
-argument gender development is similar across all cultures suggest there is a biological predisposition underpinning gender development
