gender socialisation Flashcards
what do sociologists believe about gender?
Sociologists believe that we are socialised into our gender
what is Gender socialization
the teaching and learning of norms appropriate for a male or female
how is family an agent of socialisation
Parents, siblings, guardians, and grandparents, plus members of an extended family, all teach a child what they need to know through primary socialization.
For example, families show children how to use objects such as clothes, computers, eating utensils, books, and bikes.
Teaching their children the norms, roles, and scripts related to gender. For example, a child who grows up in a two-parent household with a mother who stays at home and a father who works may internalize these gender roles, regardless of whether or not the family is directly teaching them.
If parents buy dolls for their daughters and toy trucks for their sons, the children will learn to value different things.
how is media an agent of gender socialisation
Gender socialization through media can include through movies, television, and literature.
The media can reinforce gender stereotypes so that children have ideas about what it means to be a boy or a girl.
In a lot of movies and TV, men can often be seen as the heroes and going on adventures. In comparison, women are usually outnumbered by the number of male characters, are often portrayed as being physically attractive, and are frequently introduced as the love interest for the male characters.
Studies show that children who watch a lot of TV tend to have more sex-stereotypical views of men and women and that this influences their choice of toys, career aspirations, and self-esteem
This is more prominent in older programs but can still continue
how are peers an agent of gender socialisation
Children tend to play with same-gender friends.
Through these interactions, they learn what their peers expect of them as boys or girls.
Children tend to play with same-gender friends.
Through these interactions, they learn what their peers expect of them as boys or girls.
These lessons may be direct, such as when a peer tells the child that a certain behavior is or is not “appropriate” for their gender.
how is education an agent of gender socialisation
They could do this by labeling and organizing students in group activities or creating different activities for boys and girls. As with parents, teachers may use gendered language when speaking to and about boys and girls.
what is gender
roles, behaviors, activities and attributes that a society considers appropriate for men and women
what do sociologists believe about gender?
Sociologists believe that gender is learned, it is not natural or biological – this is ‘sex’ which is physical and hormonal differences between men and women.
Sociologists say that gender has been ‘socially constructed’ meaning that society has created it
who is Ann Oakley
Feminist sociologist
Family teach us how to behave as a male/female
Gender socialisation is taught through:
- How we are dressed
- The language used
-Toys and activities (known as canalisation)
