Cultural research into gender roles
The AO1 here is the studies.
Wider evaluation: Why carry out cross cultural research into gender roles?
Key fact to remember:
Most, but not all, cross cultural research shows us that gender is consistent across
cultures.
AO1: Wood and Eagly used data (recorded observations) from thousands of
various types of cultures all over the world and coded them using content analysis to
discover any similarities or differences in gender role activities performed by men
and women. The data was gathered using an ethnographic approach. They found
across various non-industrialised cultures men generally contributed more than
women to providing food and women contributed more to child care, especially in
infancy.
AO2 grounding: What does it imply about gender roles? Answer
What is an ethnographic approach? Find out on the internet
AO3: What is impressive about this study and why does this matter? Answer
AO3: Can you see any potential problems with the ethnographic approach used here
and why does that matter? Either work this out or find out on the internet and write it
down, but do mention cultural bias
AO1: However, other research shows that gender roles are not consistent across
cultures. Margaret Mead (1901-1978) was an early researcher here who also used
an ethnographic approach to studying cultures which involved her immersing herself
within a culture, conducting participant observation and interviews.
In 1935 she described the cultures of three different ‘pre-industrialised’ societies in
New Guinea: The Arapesh, the Mundugumor (now called ‘Biwat’) and the
Tchambuli tribe (now called Chambri). Find out and very briefly summarise what
Mead wrote about gender roles for the Tchambuli and one other of the pre-industrial
societies.
AO2: What does Mead’s work seem to be suggesting about gender? Answer
AO3: Mead’s research has been much criticised for observer bias and cultural bias.
She may have over-emphasised the role of nurture over nature because of her own
beliefs, so she may not have been objective. This belief that she held was a reflection
of the beliefs held by her own culture at the time, hence she is culturally biased and
ethnocentric since she imposed the beliefs of her culture on the way she interpreted
the behaviour on another culture.
AO1: Gewertz(1981) observed the Tchambuli in the 1970s and found that males
were more aggressive than females.
AO2: Gewertz argued that Mead studied these tribes when they were facing a
change in their lifestyle and were forced to behave differently from normal and so
were more aggressive than normal; this shows how important it is to consider the
context of a culture’s situation when looking at their behaviour.
AO3: So, this shows that a re-test of Mead’s result did not give the same result.
What is this an issue for and why does it matter? Name a term associated with
research methods and finding and say why this matters.
AO1: Cook 1992 studied an unusual case of role reversal on the Island of
Margarita, off the coast of Venezuela. Women were largely traditional in their roles
i.e. nurturing children and they have very little actual power within their community.
The men are often away for large periods of time hunting for food and they held
largely traditional roles. However, the women differed from what may be expected
in one key way. Explain the different way that the women behaved – search on cook
1992 island of margarita gender and you should find an answer
AO2: It is likely that the women show this behaviour to enable them and their
children to survive, so their behaviour is determined by their situation. Why is this
the case? Explain
Conclusion
IDA: What does cultural research on gender roles show us? Answer and link to
nature and nurture for your IDA
Wider evaluation: how is this research useful?