The Influence of Culture and Media

Question 1

Define universal features:

Answer 1

Found everywhere

Question 2

Would universal features support nature or nurture?

Answer 2

Nature

Question 3

Define culturally specific features:

Answer 3

Found in some places and not others

Question 4

Would culturally specific features support nature or nurture?

Answer 4

Nurture

Question 5

Define the nature debate:

Answer 5

Gender differences result from innate differences between female and male (genes, chromosomes, nervous system, hormones).

Question 6

Define the Nurture debate:

Answer 6

Gender differences result from the different experiences that females and males have as they develop (learning from family, peers, society)

Question 7

Is there any in between of nature and nurture?

Answer 7

Yes, INTERACTIONISM

Question 8

Define the interactionism debate:

Answer 8

Gender differences are caused by innate tendencies that are modified by environmental factors

Question 9

Munroe & Munroe (1975)

Answer 9

Society, division of labour is due to gender lines

Question 10

William and Best (1990)

Answer 10

-Universal agreement across cultures about which characteristics were masculine and feminine
-Men= dominant and independent
-Women= caring and sociable
Children exhibited the same attitudes

Question 11

Evaluation of Williams and Best (1990):

Answer 11

• Sample was drawn from a large geographical pool = representativeness,
• students who share common attributes
• construction of the checklist did not include an ‘equal’ category alongside the ‘male’ and ‘female’ categories so this means that the division between male and female categories may be exaggerated.

Question 12

Method David Buss (1995):

Answer 12

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

Question 13

Findings of David Buss (1995):

Answer 13

• Males rated good looks and youth as important because it is a good indicator of her health and ability to be a mother.
• Women rated financial prospects, industriousness and dependability.

Question 14

Conclusion of David Buss (1995):

Answer 14

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

Question 15

Evaluation of David Buss (1995):

Answer 15

• Sample aimed to be representative of the general population and therefore we can generalise the findings more easily
• SOCIAL not biological issue

Question 16

Method of Mead (1935):

Answer 16

Detailed ethnographic study by living with various tribes in New Guinea for six months.

Question 17

Findings of Mead (1935):

Answer 17

Arapesh tribe = gentle and responsive
Mundugamor tribe = aggressive and hostile
Tchambuli tribe = reversed to western society

Question 18

Conclusion of Mead (1935):

Answer 18

Not be a direct biological relationship between sex and gender - gender roles depend on culture

Question 19

Evaluation of Mead (1935):

Answer 19

• Underestimated the universal nature of many gender typical behaviours
• The researcher’s presence may alter the behaviour of those being studied
• The researcher may be misinformed by, or may misunderstand, their informants
• Imposed etic = The researcher may impose their own preconceptions on the data
• Type of studies are time-consuming and expensive

Question 20

Nature/Nurture debate of culture:

Answer 20

• insight into different cultures

- impossible to separate two influences on development of gender

Question 21

What does the media provide?

Answer 21

Role models with whom children may identify and want to imitate

Question 22

Define rigid stereotypes:

Answer 22

Media may play a role in reinforcing stereotypes concerning male and female behaviour

Question 23

Does Bussey and Bandura (1999) support rigid stereotypes?

Answer 23

Yes, men are depicted as independent, ambitious, advice-givers,
women are depicted as dependent, unambitious advice-seekers

Question 24

Furnham and Farragher (2000)

Answer 24

• Investigated the use of sex-role stereotypes in advertising
• 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

Question 25

Does Furnham and Farragher (2000) provide support for medias influence on gender?

Answer 25

Yes

Question 26

Does media exposure increase gender stereotypes in children?

Answer 26

Yes

Question 27

McGhee and Frueh (1980):

Answer 27

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

Question 28

Why is media information giving?

Answer 28

Exposes information of the outcomes and success of adopting behaviours (self-efficacy)

Question 29

Limitation of media and gender due to correlation:

Answer 29

• Correlation not causation (third factor)

- No control group to compare to

Question 30

Strength of research into medias influence:

Answer 30

-counter-stereotypes (challenging traditional notions of masculinity and femininity)

Question 31

Pingree (1978):

Answer 31

Found that gender stereotyping was reduced when children were shown TV adverts featuring women in non-stereotypical roles

Question 32

What explanation would support medias influence on gender stereotypes?

Answer 32

Social Learning Theory