Influence of Culture/Media on Gender Roles

Question 1

Culture - Nature vs Nurture

Answer 1

Nature - if a gender behaviour is consistent across cultures we consider it innate or biological.

Nurture - if a gender behaviour is culturally-specific we consider this is due to the influence of shared norms and socialisation.

Question 2

Nurture - Mead’s (1935)

Answer 2

(Cultural Differences)

1) Mead’s (1935) research on cultural groups in Samoa supported the cultural determination of gender roles.
• Arapesh were gentle and responsive.
• Mundugumor were aggressive and hostile.
• Tchambuli women were dominant and they organised village life, men were passive and considered to be decorative (reverse of gender behaviour in industrialised societies).

Question 3

Nature - Buss (1995)

Answer 3

(Cultural Similarities)

1) Buss (1995) found consistent mate preferences in 37 countries studied across all continents. In all cultures:
• Women sought men offering wealth and resources.
• Men looked for youth and physical attractiveness.

2) Munroe and Munroe (1975) found that in most societies, division of labour is organised along gender lines.

Question 4

Media Role Models

Answer 4

1) Children are most likely to imitate role models who are same-sex and who are engaging in gender-appropriate behaviour.

This maximises the chance of gender-appropriate behaviours being reinforced.

Question 5

Media - Gender Stereotypes

Answer 5

1) Bussey and Bandura (1999) found the media provides rigid gender stereotypes:
• Men are independent, ambitious and advice-givers.
• Women are dependent, unambitious and advice-seekers.

2) Furnham and Farragher (2000) found men were more likely to be shown in autonomous roles within professional contexts, whereas women were seen occupying familial roles within domestic settings.

Question 6

Media - Self-efficacy

Answer 6

1) Seeing other people perform gender-appropriate behaviours increases a child’s belief that they are capable of such behaviours (= self-efficacy).

2) Mitra et al. (2019) found girls in India who watched a programme challenging gender stereotypes were more likely to see themselves as capable of working outside the home than non-viewers.

Question 7

Example of Gender Roles on TV

Answer 7

A specific example would the TV show ‘The Simpsons’:

1) Bart portrays boy typical behaviour (getting into trouble, skateboarding, swearing).
2) Lisa portrays girl typical behaviour (working hard in school, polite, caring).

Question 8

Strength of Influence of Culture

Answer 8

RESEARCH SUPPORT

1) In industrialised cultures,
changing expectations of women are a function of their increasingly active role in the workplace (Hofstede 2001).

2) In traditional societies women are still house-makers as a result of social, cultural and religious pressures.
—> This suggests that gender roles are very much determined by the cultural context.

Question 9

Limitation of Mead

Answer 9

CRITICISED

1) Freeman (1983) studied the Samoan people after Mead’s study, and claimed Mead had been misled by some of her pps.

2) He claimed Mead’s
preconceptions of what she would find had influenced her reading of events (observer bias and ethnocentrism).

—> This suggests that Mead’s interpretations may not have been objective and questions the conclusions that she drew.

Question 10

Evaluation of N vs N

Answer 10

INTERACTION OF BOTH

1) Evidence of similarities in gender roles across cultures (e.g. Buss), suggests that gender roles may be biologically-determined and the result of nature.

2) However, other research (e.g. Mead), supports gender roles as transmitted within cultures, i.e. nurture.
—> This suggests that gender roles are best seen as an interaction of nature and nurture influences.

Question 11

Strength of Media Influence

Answer 11

HAS THEORETICAL BASIS

1) The more time individuals spend living in the media world, the more they believe it reflects the social reality of the ‘outside
world’ (cultivation theory).

—> This suggests the
media ‘cultivates’ perception of reality and this affects gender behaviour (e.g. sexual behaviour).

Question 12

Limitation of Media Influence

Answer 12

MEDIA INFLUENCES ARE SECONDARY

1) Durkin (1985) argues that even very young children are not passive recipients of media messages, family norms are a bigger influence.

2) If media representations confirm gender roles held by the family, norms are reinforced in a child’s mind. If not, then they are likely to be rejected.

—> This suggests that media influences are secondary to other influences, such as family.