THE INFLUENCE OF CULTURE AND MEDIA

Question 1

What is cross-cultural research?

Answer 1

investigations carried out across more than one society

Question 2

Why is cross-cultural research valuable?

Answer 2

Cross-cultural research is noted for its valuable contribution to the nature-nurture debate in gender.
The debate about whether variations in psychological and behavioural traits are caused by innate or environmental factors.
- Universal features (gender roles in behaviour is shown in all cultures) would suggest an innate basis for gender and support the nature view
- Culturally specific features (found in some places not others) would suggest that gender is learned via socialisation and support the nurture view

Question 3

Cultural differences

Answer 3

Cultural differences in gender role behaviour are largely determined by the environment and socialisation (nurture)

Question 4

Who studied cultural differences?

Answer 4

Mead

Question 5

What did Mead do?

Answer 5

Studied different groups in Papua New Guinea and found a number of cultural differences between different groups in terms of gender roles

Question 6

What did Mead find?

Answer 6

• In the Arapesh tribe Mead found that both men and woman were feminine. They both were very expressive, caring and co-operative.
• In the Mundugamor tribe, both sexes were masculine – assertive, arrogant and fierce. Both didn’t like childcare so much the baby was put out of the way in a dark place.
  In the Tchambuli tribe, gender roles were reversed compared to Western society. Females took care of trade and were independent, whereas the men sat around gossiping and were considered incapable of making decisions.

Question 7

What does Mead’s study show?

Answer 7

• There may not be a direct biological relationship between sex and gender - gender roles depend on culture.
• In later work, Mead conceded that she underestimated the universal nature of many gender typical behaviours. However, she went on to argue that the extent to which innate behaviours are expressed are the result of cultural norms.

Question 8

Gender similarities

Answer 8

However, there are also similarities which suggest gender roles are more likely to be biologically determined (nature)

Question 9

Who studied cultural similarities?

Answer 9

Buss
Munroe and Munroe

Question 10

What did Buss do?

Answer 10

Carried out a survey in 37 countries where pps had to rate the importance of certain characteristics of a potential mate

Question 11

What did Buss find?

Answer 11

There were cultural similarities in terms of gender roles when it comes to choosing a partner.
Males rated good looks and youth as important because it is a good indicator of her health and ability to be a mother. Chastity was also important due to wanting faithfulness. Women rated financial prospects, industriousness and dependability.

Question 12

What does Buss’ research show?

Answer 12

This supports the proposal that there are cross-cultural similarities in gender roles. Many women and men instinctively seek similar traits traits (universal features).

Question 13

What did Munroe + Munroe find?

Answer 13

In most cultures, men are the ‘breadwinners’ and females the ‘nuturers’, in line with our own traditional understanding of gender differences.

Question 14

Give some examples of the media

Answer 14

Communication channels, such as TV, film and books, through which news, entertainment, education and data are made available

Question 15

What is the influence of the media on gender roles?

Answer 15

The media provide role models with whom children may identify and want to imitate.

Question 16

What role models are children likely to pick?

Answer 16

Role models who are of the same gender and who engage in stereotypically gender-appropriate behaviour as this is more likely to be reinforced.

Question 17

What 2 factors do we look at for the influence of the media on gender roles?

Answer 17

Rigid stereotypes
Self-efficacy

Question 18

Explain rigid stereotypes

Answer 18

There is evidence that the media do provide clear and rigid gender stereotypes that affect who children may identify with and want to imitate. The media may play a role in reinforcing stereotypes concerning male and female behaviour

Question 19

Who finds evidence for the media displaying rigid stereotypes?

Answer 19

• Bussey + Bandura
• Furnham and Farragher

Question 20

What did Bussey and Bandura find?

Answer 20

Men were portrayed as independent and ambitious, while women were depicted as dependent on others and unambitious. The men gave advice and women followed it.

Question 21

What did Furnham and Farragher do?

Answer 21

Investigated the use of sex-role stereotypes in advertising.

Question 22

What did Furnham and Farragher find?

Answer 22

Men tended to be used in power positions and women in familial roles within domestic settings
The voiceovers tended to be male suggesting that males are deemed to speak with more authority.
This suggests that the media may play a role in reinforcing widespread social stereotypes concerning male and female behaviour

Question 23

What else does the media do?

Answer 23

The media does more than confirm gender-typical behaviour, it may also give information to males and females in terms of the likely success, or otherwise, of adopting these behaviours

Question 24

Explain self-efficacy

Answer 24

Seeing other people perform gender-appropriate behaviours increases the child’s belief that they are capable of carrying out such behaviours in the future (what Bandura referred to as self-efficacy)

Question 25

Who supports self-efficacy

Answer 25

Mitra et al

Question 26

What did Mitra et al do?

Answer 26

Analysed people in India after watching a TV detective programme

Question 27

What did Mitra et al find?

Answer 27

Findings suggested that girls were more likely to feel able to work outside of the home than non-viewers. This means their self-efficacy had changed because of media influence

Question 28

What did McGhee and Frueh find about media exposure?

Answer 28

found that people who view a lot of television tend to display more gender-stereotypical views in their behaviour and attitudes than people who view little
= Children who have more exposure to popular forms of media tend to display more gender stereotypes