Gender Roles And Gender Socialization

Socialization is defined as the process by which people acquire behaviors and beliefs of their social world. One factor that can contribute to this is the individual cultural differences. In some countries, the cultural standard is what outlines the socialization of male and female roles is different. For example, in a narrow understanding that girls are supposed to hold jobs that only cater to feminine jobs like housewife or nursing. However, with a broad understanding that girls can do whatever job they want like firefighter or police officer. In every society, there is a breakdown between a broad socialization and narrow socialization of the life span of gender. From infancy, to childhood, to adolescence, and adults we can see stage

First of all I am going to begin with defining sex and gender. Sex in a sociological perspective is defined as the biological and physiological differences between men and women which are contrasted in terms of reproductive function(Abercrombie et al 2000 :313). On the other hand gender is sociologically conceived as the social roles allocated to men and women in society that is to say gender is learned not innate. However previously it was believed that sex determined gender thus the differences between men and

When someone is pregnant, people will usually ask for the sex of the unborn child thus proving that people are socially categorized from the beginning of life and is something that is continued throughout life. One is expected to behave the way their assigned gender is supposed to behave. Gender socialization is when people are expected to act a certain way based on their “gender”. Through the following agents: family, schools, peers, and media, gender socialization is emphasized and made very real in the world today.

The gender describes how our understandings and perception of differences between masculinity (what society deems appropriate behaviour a “man” and femininity (what society deems appropriate behaviour for a “woman”) are influenced.

This paper will examine how researchers have used gender socialization, but more specifically the Role Congruity Theory, Embeddedness Theory, and Expectancy-Value Model, to analyze the gender gap. These theories all have their own pros and cons to them, which will be discussed as well. Then this paper will look at how the intersectional approach is used to look at the gender gap. Then the compare and contrast of two different approaches used to analyze this topic. Finally this paper will conclude with a suggestion for future research, and policy implications that may occur, along with the final thoughts between gender socialization and intersectionality.

The media is currently largely responsible in creating and reminding people of the existence of gender roles and social norms, which consequently influences children. Aside from media, parents are the most responsible in the upbringing of their child. That being said, parents can choose to control what they teach their child and steer them away from the societal norms of certain gender roles, but they don’t have control over the media’s content. Sometimes, parents can’t help if they give their daughter a Barbie doll and their son a Batman action figure, because they don’t realize it and they themselves were raised to understand that girls are supposed to like this and do that and boys are supposed to like that and do this. It’s all a chain

Gender is socially constructed, signifying processes and practices of conduct ("doing", "undoing" and "re-doing" gender) (West & Zimmerman, 1987; Deutsch, 2007; West & Zimmerman, 2007) based on an assigned sex category (Hird, 2000; Risman, 2004; Connell, 2010). Sex, in contrast, refers to the biological differences between men and women (chromosomes, hormones and genitalia) (Harding, 1996; Hird, 2000).

Whether we're with family, at school, with our peers, or on social media, we are always affected by gender role socialization. Gender role socialization is the process whereby individuals learn and internalize the attitudes, values, behavior, and the norms considered appropriate for males and females in our society. Considering that we are with our family everyday it makes sense that they have the most influence on us. Schools and peer groups typically go hand to hand when we’re younger, because we look for a sense of approval. Mass media is everywhere, as soon as you turn on your tv to when you get on your phone.

Gender roles in any society dictates specific standards by which each individual (based on gender) is expected to act. Proper decorum based on sex, is manifested in the way men and women verbally express themselves, reason, act, and participate with each other. These differences in social expectations have impacted the way in which humanity perceives family responsibilities, job allocation, entertainment and even tangible products based on masculinity or femininity. Yet, based on the scientific principals set by Charles Darwin, evolution is inevitable. Gender roles in today’s culture seem to be obsolete. Socioeconomic factors have forced the hand of evolution, tarnishing the guiding lines of gender roles and responsibility. Society should evolve and stop trying to push the so-called typical gender roles because it can hinder the growth and development of today’s and the future’s society.

Sex and gender were constantly contested and formulated by several theorists in ranging disciplines obtaining an interest of sex and gender distinctions. Several people commonly group sex and gender as comparable aspects, in stating that women are human females whereas men are human males. (first reader) However this perspective has been challenged and contested by feminist theorist in formulating and endorsing a clear concise distinction between the two concepts. Analytically sex depicts human females and males depending on biological features such as sex organs, chromosomes, hormones and other physical

Children are known for absorbing information from the world around them. Therefore, what children are exposed to while they are growing is important, as they learn a lot from the world around them. In this paper, the process of gender socialization will be discussed and examined. In specific, how retail marketed for young children may have an effect on their development, especially as they distinguish gender.

Early gender socialization is perhaps one of the most relevant issues and debates of early childhood. The beginnings of stereotypes for gender roles are typically established at birth, and continue a process of learning specific cultural roles and standards in accordance with the sex of the individual. Gendered interactions begin early in the family and hence influence the process of gendered socialization, as was such the case for myself growing up.

Before we learned this chapter, I didn 't know that sex and gender are different to each other, all I know is that gender and sex have the same meaning which referred to male and female. Recently, I just learned the difference between sex and gender, which is sex is like our biological difference which what makes people male and female, while gender is what the society reinforces a person to be based on their expectations and behaviors of being a male and female. In this essay, I will explain how this gender role affects us then and now especially our parents, the society, and media.

Merriam-Webster provides two definitions for the meaning of gender. The first is simply that gender is a synonym for sex. The second, however, states that gender is “the behavioral, cultural, or psychological traits typically associated with one sex (Merriam-Webster).” This is the definition for gender used in this paper, while sex is defined separately, as the biological differences between males and females.

Through this gender socialization exercise of analyzing how children learn about gender, provides a sense of social structures and institutions are organized, created, and maintained in society. After visiting a department store that separates children’s clothes and toys by gender it gave me an eye opening view how society shapes children’s mind of what is acceptable for their own gender, and how these patterns create an inequality between each group.