1. Chapter 4 Early Childhood Gender Socialization

2. Socialization The lifelong process by which people learn –Values and Norms –Who and what we are Begins at birth –Gender socialization can be conscious or unconscious –Even toys in the nursery can have an impact –Research shows a very early impact of gender identity

3. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Learning Gender Socialization Psychoanalytic Theories –Identification theory –Castration anxiety –Oedipus complex –Penis envy

4. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Learning Gender –Womb envy Social Learning Theories –Reinforcement –Behaviorism –Modeling Cognitive Developmental Theories

5. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Learning Gender –Schema –Preoperational stage –Conserving variance –Bem’s Enculturated Lens Theory of Gender Formation Gender polarization

6. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Learning Gender Androcentrism Biological essentialism Enculturation Metamessages The implications of Bem’s theory for social change are fairly obvious

7. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Table 4.1 Theories of Gender Socialization

8. Psychoanalytic Views Freud is the most famous psycho analytic theorist –Theory developed in Austria in the 1800’s –Subjected to multiple criticisms –Called attention to the importance of childhood –Many aspects subject to criticism No way of gaining objective evidence of the correctness of the theory –Behaviors change over time

9. Psychoanalytic Views Freud had a definite antifemale bias Substantial revisions in the 20 th century Modern theorists continue to reinterpret and revise theories of gender development. –Karen Horney –Erik Erikson –Melanie Klein –Kai Erikson

10. Psychoanalytic Views Modern psychoanalytic theory also has flaws But we are studying sociological ways of learning about gender roles and sexual identity and behavior.

11. Social Leaning, Cognitive Development and the Enculturated Lens Modern psychoanalytic theory also has flaws But we are studying sociological ways of learning about gender roles and sexual identity and behavior. Social Learning –Children are rewarded for gender appropriate behavior and punished for gender inappropriate behavior. –The impact of role models-parents, friends, other adults are also teaching mechanisms for gender appropriate behavior.

12. Social Leaning, Cognitive Development and the Enculturated Lens Cognitive development –This is based on the work of Jean Piaget and Larry Kohlberg studied the mental processes children use to organize the world around them. Helps to explain preferences for sexed stereotyped toys, and behavior. Children see the world as basically unchanging. Technical term for the process is schema, things that make the world organized into structures. –Like men and women, family and others.

13. Social Leaning, Cognitive Development and the Enculturated Lens Cognitive development –This is based on the work of Jean Piaget and Larry Kohlberg studied the mental processes children use to organize the world around them. Helps to explain preferences for sexed stereotyped toys, and behavior. Children see the world as basically unchanging. Technical term for the process is schema, things that make the world organized into structures. –Like men and women, family and others.

14. Social Leaning, Cognitive Development and the Enculturated Lens Enculturated lens is based on work by Sandra Bem and combines social learning and cognitive development. –It consists of three major aspects: Gender polarization-males and females are different and are a basic organizing principle of social life Andro centrism meaning that men are superior to women Biological essentialism means that biology is at the base and that there are inevitable differences between men and women

15. Social Leaning, Cognitive Development and the Enculturated Lens Bem’s theory treats this as part of the socialization process. –Successful socialization into society pre- programs daily experiences to fit the expectations of the culture –There also a meta-messages which teach what is valued and important and that there are differences between people –Gender polarization takes place in childrenfrom the time they are born

16. Social Leaning, Cognitive Development and the Enculturated Lens Examples given are: – the different color blankets in maternity wards –Colors of children’s rooms –Toys The meta-message is that gender differences are inherent in us –Children observe how parents behave differently example given is who drives a car The consequence is that by time children become adults they conform to the gender differences they learned as children

17. Social Leaning, Cognitive Development and the Enculturated Lens Androcentrism is inculcated into development. Our society is so thoroughly organized from a male perspective that gender neutral policies Changing this will be extremely difficult. –It involves a total transformation of a cultures basic ideas. –It has to be taught by parents, and even parents who try be gender neutral have been shown in some research to remain androcentric.

18. Cultural preferences for sex and gendercide Many cultures prefer male children. Theoretically the genders should be almost equal at childbirth Places such as China, India, Pakistan, and others skew the live birth rates towards males by female infanticide and selective abortions Cultural practices also put female children at risk by healthcare practices

19. Differential Socialization Parents have gender specific expectations of the children’s behavior. While there are few physiological differences at birth, they develop rapidly. Clothing is an important differentiator and impacts socialization

20. Parent-child interaction This is an ongoing process in which different behaviors have been observed for boys and girls. Parental communication also seems to vary by sex-Young girls using more emotion in their communications and reading facial and other behavioral expressions Even play time with children seems to differ by sex

21. Parent-child interaction It is essential to recognize that much of the research in this field has been done only on white middle-class two-parent heterosexual families. Some research has indicated that black children regardless of sex learn more financial responsibility earlier than white children. Little research on gender identification in gay and lesbian families

22. The role of toys Researchers have consistently find that children play with different kinds of toys depending on their sex. Boys play with action figures etc. Girls play with dolls and household models The advertising industry is really based on this

23. Children’s literature Over the past 50 years children’s literature has become much less androcentric. –This shouldn’t be limited only to literature but also to media such as television and movies

24. The role of peer groups Playgroups tend to be sex specific Children playing with children of the opposite sex and have fewer friends. By the time children turned five and are ready to begin school gender identity in most cases, and awareness of social norms, have been made part of children’s personality

25. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Growing up Feminine or Masculine Where Have All the Young Women Gone? Sex Preference and Gendercide Research shows that parents do have different expectations of their babies: –And treat them differently Clothing plays a significant part in gender socialization simply on the basis of sex

26. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Growing up Feminine or Masculine Clothing clearly serves as one of the most basic ways parents organize: –Their children’s world along gender-specific lines Parent-Child Interactions –Researchers found parents communicate differently with sons & daughters

27. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Growing up Feminine or Masculine –Research indicates that mothers are warmer toward daughters than fathers are –Parents tend to engage in rougher, more physical play with infant sons v. daughters Toys and Gender Socialization –Toys for girls still revolved around the themes of domesticity and motherhood

28. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Growing up Feminine or Masculine –Toys for boys focused on action & adventure –Toy stores and manufacturers’ websites are mostly gender specific –Toy catalogs and websites are directed primarily to parents Gendered Images in Children’s Literature

29. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Growing up Feminine or Masculine –Traditionally, children’s literature ignored females or portrayed males and females: In a blatantly stereotyped fashion in the vast majority of children’s books: –Females are presented in supporting roles –Very few female characters are brave, athletic, or independent

30. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Early Peer Group Socialization Socialization is not a one-way process from adults to children –Childhood socialization is a collective process Children socialize one another through their everyday interactions: –In the home and at play

31. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Early Peer Group Socialization Research shows one of young children’s first attempts at social differentiation is: –Through increasing sex segregation Boys & girls who have gender-appropriate toys are more liked by their peers: –And have a better chance of getting other children to play with them

32. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. By the Time a Child is Five During early childhood, boys and girls: –At least those from White, middleclass, two- parent, heterosexual families: Are socialized into separate and unequal genders Children themselves reinforce and respond to adults’ socialization practices