SOC ∙ Ms. Wiley ∙ Gender Socialization, D___
Name:
Background on Gender Socialization:
Society expects different attitudes and behaviors from boys/men and girls/women. Gender socialization is the process of learning
the social expectations and attitudes associated with one's sex; boys are raised to conform to the male gender role and girls are
raised to conform to the female gender role. Sociologists explain through gender socialization why human males and females
behave in different ways: they learn different social roles.
Some researchers believe that biological differences underlie some behavioral differences between males and females, but others
disagree, believing that gender identities and expressions are completely constructed by culture. Thus, experts disagree on whether
differences between males and females result from innate, biological differences or from differences in the ways that boys and girls
are socialized. In other words, experts disagree on whether differences between men and women are due to nature, nurture, or
some combination of both.
Example: There are some significant differences between female and male brains. The language center in the male brain is
usually in the dominant (usually left) hemisphere, whereas females use both hemispheres of the brain to process language.
This may explain why females seem to have stronger communication skills and relish interpersonal communication more
than males and why, on average, girls learn to speak and read earlier than boys. Some would argue, however, that such
patterns exist due to the way in which females and males were socialized (i.e. they were taught in ways that encouraged left
or right brain thinking).
1.
Do you think that gender differences are mostly a result of biology or how identity has been constructed and taught by culture?
The term gender identity refers to a person’s deeply felt psychological identification as a man or woman. Gender expression refers
to all of the external characteristics and behaviors that are socially defined as either masculine or feminine, such as dress, grooming,
mannerisms, speech patterns, and social interactions. Social or cultural norms can vary widely and some characteristics that may be
accepted as masculine, feminine or neutral in one culture may not be assessed similarly in another.
Gender socialization occurs through such diverse means as parental attitudes, schools, how peers interact with each other, and mass
media. Some examples:
Influence of Family:
Every culture has different guidelines about what is appropriate for males and females, and family members may socialize babies in
gendered ways without consciously following that path. For example, in American society, the color pink is associated with girls and
the color blue with boys. Even as tiny babies, boys and girls are dressed differently, according to what is considered “appropriate”
for their respective sexes. Even parents who strive to achieve a less “gendered” parenting style unconsciously reinforce gender roles.
Example: The toys and games parents select for children are often unconsciously intended to socialize them into the
appropriate gender roles. Girls receive dolls in an attempt to socialize them into future roles as mothers. Since women are
expected to be more nurturing than men, giving a girl a doll teaches her to care for it and fosters the value of caring for
others. When boys receive dolls, they are likely to be action figures designed to bring out the alleged aggressive tendencies
in boys.
2.
Would you give your young son a baby doll? Why or why not?
Influence in Education:
As children enter the educational system, traditional expectations for boys and girls continue. In the past, much research focused on
how teachers were shortchanging girls in the classroom. Teachers would focus on boys, calling on them more and challenging them.
Because boys were believed to be more analytical, teachers assumed they would excel in math and science. Teachers encouraged
them to go into careers that require a lot of math and science, such as computer science or engineering.
Research from the late 1990s, however, indicates that the current educational climate is failing boys. Boys are falling behind girls in
school. The dropout rate for boys is rising. More boys are being diagnosed as learning disabled. The number of boys applying to
college has declined. Some sociologists argue that current teaching methods favor girls’ learning styles. Girls mature more quickly
than boys and are able to focus and concentrate in class more easily.
Example: Studies show that boys are more physically active than girls. This difference is greater when children are in
elementary school. Boys may be less able to sit still during a lesson. They are often sent out of class as disruptive, which puts
them behind in the schoolwork and can reinforce their problems in the classroom.
Influence on Career Choice:
If cultural expectations dictate that girls are more compassionate and nurturing than boys, then parents, teachers, and counselors
will steer them toward fields that require patience and concern for other people, such as nursing, social work, or elementary school
teaching. Though a girl who expresses a desire to become a nuclear engineer would probably no longer be explicitly discouraged, a
boy with a similar goal would probably encounter more encouragement.
Meet the Parents (2000), a movie starring Ben Stiller, got laughs nationwide for presenting a main character who was a male nurse.
The fact that a male pursuing a career in nursing still seems laughable shows how ingrained some gender roles still are.
3.
How would your parents react if you told them you wanted to be a male nurse OR were dating a male nurse? How would you
react if your son told you he wanted to be a male nurse?
Instructions:
Write a reflective piece on your childhood memories and experiences which helped shape your gender identity and expression.
Most people have not systematically considered their own gender identity development. Consider the following questions to help
find some answers:
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What messages did you receive about what it meant to be a boy or a girl?
How did your school, family, religion, peer groups, the media, and public life in general, communicate those messages?
Did you absorb some but reject others?
Were you ever ridiculed for doing or saying something that others didn’t consider masculine or feminine enough?
Were you ever denied an opportunity because of gender?
Have you ever ridiculed someone else for doing something you didn’t consider masculine or feminine enough?
Based on the observations you’ve made throughout your life, what happens to boys/men and girls/women who reject
cultural norms and values about gender?
What does being a girl/woman mean to you? (BE HONEST)
What does being a boy/man mean to you? (BE HONEST)