Gender: Social learning theory of gender development

Question 1

What is culture?

Answer 1

The ideas, customs and social behaviour of a particular group of people or a society.

Question 2

Explain cross-cultural differences (nurture):

Answer 2

• Mead carried out cross-cultural studies of gender-roles in different cultural groups in Papua New Guinea.
• The Arapesh - Gentle and responsive (similar to the stereotype of femininity in industrialised societies).
• The Mundugumour - Aggressive and hostile (similar to the stereotype of masculinity in industrialised societies).
• The Tchambuli - Women were dominant and men were passive (the reverse of gender stereotypes in industrialised societies).
• Suggests that there may not be a direct biological relationship between sex and gender, and that gender roles may be culturally determined.
• In her later work Mead believed that she had underestimated the universal nature of many gender-typical behaviours. However she argues that the extent to which innate behaviours are expressed is largely due to cultural norms.

Question 3

Explain cross-cultural similarites (nature):

Answer 3

• Buss argues that there are many cross-cultural similarities in gender roles.
• Buss found consistent patterns in mate preference in 37 countries across all continents.
• In all cultures women sought men who could offer wealth and resources, while men sought youth and physical attractiveness in partners.
• Munroe and Munroe found that in most societies, the division of labour is organised along gender lines, with men being the ‘breadwinners’ and women being the ‘nurturers’.

Question 4

What are the two main ways in which the media influences gender development? (AO1)

Answer 4

• Rigid stereotypes
• Self-efficacy

Question 5

How do rigid stereotypes in the media influence gender development?

Answer 5

• The media provides very clear gender stereotypes that are rigid- men are independent, ambitious and ‘advice givers’, whereas women are depicted as dependent, unambitious and ‘advice seekers’.
• A study on TV adverts shown by Furnham and Farragher found that men were more likely to be have independent roles within professional contexts whereas women were often seen as occupying familial roles within domestic settings.
• Suggests that the media may play a role in reinforcing widespread social stereotypes concerning gender-appropriate behaviour.

Question 6

How does self-efficacy in the media influence gender development?

Answer 6

• The media does more than confirm gender-typical behaviours, but shows males and females the success of adopting these behaviours.
• Seeing other people perform gender-typical behaviours increases a child’s belief that they too are able to carry out such behaviours in the future,
• A study completed in India analysed the attitudes of people who had watched a programme designed to challenge deep-rooted gender stereotypes.
• Girls who watched the programme were more likely to see themselves as capable of working outside the home than non-viewers. This suggests that their self-efficacy had changed as a result of media influence.

Question 7

What are the three evaluation points for the impacts of culture and gender roles on gender roles?

Answer 7

1) Research support (S)
2) Nature/Nurture debate (S)
3) Mead’s research (L)

Question 8

Explain research support (S) as an evaluation point for the impacts of culture and gender roles on gender roles:

Answer 8

• The influence of culture on changing gender roles is supported by evidence.
• Hofstede argues that in industrialised cultures the changing expectations are an aspect in their increasingly active role in the workplace, away from the domestic sphere.
• This has led to a breakdown of traditional stereotypes in advanced industrial societies. In traditional societies, women still occupy the role of house-maker as a result of social, cultural and religious pressures.
• This suggests that gender roles are very much determined by cultural context.

Question 9

Explain nature/nurture debate (S) as an evaluation point for the impacts of culture and gender roles on gender roles:

Answer 9

• A strength of cross-cultural research is the contribution it makes to the nature/nurture debate.
• Mead’s research supports the idea that gender roles are culturally relative and vary from society to society. This contrasts a nature view and argues that gender norms are transmitted within cultures through processes of observation and imitation, i.e. nurture.
• This supports the social learning theory which suggests that children are effectively gender-neutral at birth, that they learn their gender role through interaction with society.

Question 11

What are the 3 evaluation points for the impact of the media on gender roles?

Answer 11

1) Cultivation theory (S)
2) Positive impact (S)
3) Passive recipients (L)

Question 12

Explain ‘cultivation theory (S)’ as an evaluation point for the impact of the media on gender roles:

Answer 12

• A strength research into media influence on gender roles is that it has a theoretical basis.
• The cultivation theory argues that the more time individuals spend ‘living’ in the media world, the more likely they are to believe that this reflects social reality.
• Bond and Drogos found a positive correlation between time spent watching the reality TV programme Jersey shore and permissive attitudes towards casual sex.
• This effect was still found to be true when researchers controlled influential factors, including sexual attitudes, parental attitudes and religious beliefs.
• This suggests that the media ‘cultivates’ perception of reality and this affects gender behaviour.

Question 13

Explain ‘positive impact (S)’ as an evaluation point for the impact of the media:

Answer 13

• A strength of research into media influence on gender roles is that the media can play a positive role in challenging gender role stereotypes through counter-stereotypes.
• These present males and females in traditionally gender-inappropriate ways in order to break down cultural norms e.g. through the traditional Disney movie ‘Frozen’ where the female protagonist does not have a love interest.
• Counter-stereotypes may be successful through presenting a ‘new normal’ and increase self-efficacy among children for gender-neutral activities.
• This suggests that counter-stereotypes can have a positive impact when challenging traditional social norms and creating modern social expectations.

Question 14

Explain ‘passive recipients (L)’ as an evaluation point for the impact of the media:

Answer 14

• A limitation of gender roles and the media is that there may not be a casual relationship.
• Durkin argues that even very young children are not passive recipients of media messages.
• Norms within the child’s family may be the bigger determinant on the child’s gender attitudes and behaviour.
• If media representations confirm existing gender norms held by the family then these are likely to be reinforced in the child’s mind. If not then such representations are likely to be rejected.
• Suggests that media influences are secondary to other influences, such as family.