Gender Socialization : Social Norms And Expectations

Gender socialization takes place in our everyday lives whether we subconsciously know it or not. Gender socialization is the socially learned expectations and behaviors associated with members of each gender. For example, If I were to say it takes my friend at least 45 minutes to do their hair before school everyday, you would assume I am speaking about a friend who is a female as opposed to a friend who is male. This is because of the idea of gender socialization.

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.

In our society, there are norms of what is considered to be feminine and what is to be considered masculine, but how are these norms constructed? Through the use of toys, books, and clothing, children are socialized into their “appropriate” gender. These objects provide influence over behavior and appearance, showing boys and girls what is appropriate for each gender. After some investigation it was found that the toys, books, and clothing that children use not only foster the norms of gender behavior and appearance, but also construct gender roles in their young minds.

In contrast, women are responsible for maintaining the household and caring for children. This is depicted more in the media because of the traditional society we exist in and these also extend to how we socialize boys differently from girls. Other literature shows how boys are allowed to play video games, more leniencies towards internet use compared to how girls are nurtured to play with Barbie’s, dolls. Goffman (1976) point to “ritualization of subordination” where what our culture defines as feminine is subordinate in relation to what is distinctly

In society people seem to be focused that there are only two gender types which are males and females. When a person thinks about females and males they think about opposites, females are perceived as fragile and males are seen tough. In an occupation gender role are applied when delegating task an in specific restaurants that require women to be objectified. Media is frequently influenced by social roles and affecting the views on social norms. In society youths are given specific toys biased on their sexuality and are raised different from each other. To decrease gender polarization at work, gender norms in media and gender socialization in a family environment people need to be able to recognize these norms that are taking place in the community.

Growing up in the United States was a blast although, I have noticed that gender role have affected in many peoples lives. Since I am only nineteen years old I don’t have much life experience. Even though I am only nineteen years old I noticed that a lot of roles have changed from early 2000s to now. I believe that equality in genders have improved a lot, not just the United States but, also a lot of countries all over the world. Reading about gender roles throughout the history is very shocking on how women didn’t have the same equal rights compare to men. Up to now their are still stereotypes and equal rights that affect both men and women.

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.

Norms and expectations are rules within a group which indicate how members should behave. The norms associated with gender roles, determine how males and females should think, speak, dress, and interact within society (Beemyn, 2015). The terms gender and sex are often used interchangeably. Gender refers to the socially constructed roles based on an individuals sex (Beemyn, 2015). Whereas, sex concerns biological characteristics such as chromosomes, hormones, and genitalia (Beemyn, 2015).

Gender socialization, the process by which one is taught the expected behavior assigned to them because of their sex, despite being critiqued as ‘natural’, are influher. Despite Gus being hardworking, and instilling a highly commendable work ethic in all six of his sons, Gus neglects Sexual violence is a largely overlooked issue in the black community affecting an intolerable rate of young black girls. Black Women’s Blueprint, an organization that endorses the global equality of Black women, conducted a study in which they found that “Sixty percent of black girls have experienced sexual abuse at the hands of black men before reaching the age of 18”. Black girls choose to keep silent about the abuse they endure until adulthood, but some choose to remain silent for life. Understanding how the effects of sexual abuse and violence against Black girls in the United States seeks to demise them, spiritually, mentally and sometimes physically is at the core of this research. Examining the ethos of someone who commits a heinous crime as such may never be possible, but studying the history of sexual violence from slavery to present may provide some insight on what cannot be comprehended. Sexual violence that is committed against Black girls is extremely devastating. Stealing the hope and joy from a child is not simply a legal crime against the judicial system, but a crime against humanity. Through this research, I aim to understand how the politics of

Sex as explained in “Essentials of Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach”, is that sex is a biological characteristic that distinguishes females and males, consisting of primary and secondary sex characteristics (Henslin, 2015). Gender is the behaviors and attitudes that society has put into place for people to act their sex. Girls act like girls and boys act like boys. The sociological significance of gender is that it is a device by which society controls its member. Gender sorts us, on the basis of sex, into different life experience. Sex is a biological characteristic that distinguish females and males, consisting of primary and secondary sex characteristics. (Henslin, 2015, p. 292) Gender is defined the behaviors and attitudes that society has put into place for people to act their sex. Girls act like girls and boys act like boys.

Australian sociologist, Connell, has provided theories in order to aid in understanding the way in which gender is manifested and shapes the experience of illness. Her Gender, Health and Theory publication ultimately views gender as a product of socialisation (Connell, 2012). According to Connell, Gender is seen as “the active social process that brings reproductive bodies into history, generating health consequences not as a side-effect but in the making of gender itself” (Connell, 2012, p.1675). Her work ultimately emphasises that gender differences are formed by the expectations of society, confining the ways in which males and females should act (Connell, 2012). Connell’s Masculinities theory furthers this concept. She defines masculinity as a set of perceived notions and principles about the way in which men should or are expected to act (Connell, 1995). She highlights that society dictates ways of being masculine and “unmasculine,” with “unmasculine” typically insinuating femininity (Connell, 1995). She also argues that “the terms “masculine” and “feminine” point beyond categorical sex difference to the ways men differ among themselves, and women differ among themselves, in matters of gender” (Connell, 1995, p.69). Masculinities are often favored over femininities, as men in general are paid better, enjoy more social freedom and hold other benefits that women do not due to their gender (Connell, 1995). Therefore, women as a group typically lack the societal power that

Socialisation’ is “a term used to refer to the lifelong process of inheriting and disseminating norms, customs and ideologies providing the individual with the skills and habits necessary for precipitating within one’s society, thus the means by which social and cultural continuity are attained” (Boundless.com, 2015). The process of socialisation involves an individual such as an adolescent having interactions with various agents of socialisation. Agents of socialisation are groups or institutions that play a crucial role in providing an individual with social and cultural skills in accordance with the social norms and standards of the society one is located in (Brian Furze, 2014). Socialisation contains two concepts, Primary and Secondary socialisation. Primary socialisation is a concept that involves usually a family’s influence over an individual during childhood; this process supports one to attain essential skills necessary to function in society as a child (Brian Furze, 2014). Secondary socialisation is a process that occurs after childhood and involves interactions with agencies other than family such as; schools peer groups, media etc… (Brian Furze, 2014). Gender socialisation is the process of how individuals are socialised into behaviours of the ascribed sex at birth and is the process of socialising into gender roles (Giddens, 1993). Gender Identity involves an individual’s perception of his or hers gender which usually correlates with ascribed status such as

Family / Parents, differential treatment becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy (Fig. 4.1, Seccombe p.99). The family is considered as the primary and the most important and influenced agent of socialization. A child initially learns in the family what it is to be as female and male. Parents are the first educators who teach, show, and guide their children on how to act, dress, behave and adapt what a society deems suitable for male and female. For instance, parents play more aggressive or let rough-tumble play with their sons (play mostly with father). Parents buy trucks, cars or toys that come in a blue color for boys and mostly parents set a higher standard of achievement for boys than they do for their daughters. Whereas, parents describe their daughter as gentle and lenient; so, parents play more calm and quiet with daughters (play mostly with mother). Parents buy dolls and cooking stuff or toys that come in a pink color for girls and parents teach daughter’s to do household chores.

Socialization happens over our interactions; however, it is not as simple as it may seem. A gender system occurs in every society. It is all about of all the ideas of female and male that are in a certain place at a certain time and all the values as regards who decides what, who does what, and how we feel ourselves and one another, mutually and independently. For this reason, there are too many gender researchers that study how we construct our life (for example, how we think, feel, interpret, etc.). Researches who came up with some theories about gender development, and we will be explaining them in this essay.

Gender socialization, implementing societal gender norms, instilling what it means to be feminine or masculine (Baril, 2017). Analyzing how external influences and a child's perception consolidate the frame of their formation of gender roles in addition to combining the cognitive-development features and social-learning theory, is the Gender schema theory (Berk, 2010, p. 216). What are the societal requirements of being masculine? What is society's definition of attributing characteristics to femininity?