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Gender Identity

Gender Identity. Early Years Lecture 9. Gender Identity. From this lecture... Understand what gender identity is (and how it differs from sex-type). Be able to contrast different theories of how gender identity emerges. Recognize the effects that gender identity has on development?.

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Gender Identity

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  1. Gender Identity Early Years Lecture 9

  2. Gender Identity From this lecture... • Understand what gender identity is (and how it differs from sex-type). • Be able to contrast different theories of how gender identity emerges. • Recognize the effects that gender identity has on development?

  3. What is Gender Identity? Also.... • A particular way of orienting oneself relative to others wrt their gender. • A ‘guide’ for interacting with members of the same/opposite sex. • A ‘lens’ through which behaviour is judged.

  4. Is it easy to see? Yes! Day 1: Boys wear blue – girls wear pink! Preschool: Boys/Girls choose different toys ...and play different games Younger? @2 - Boys > aggressive/controlling Girls > ‘clingy’/passive (Golombok & Hines, 2002)

  5. Isn’t it just... sex? Biological differences – hormones males > androgens (e.g., testosterone) females > oestrogens ratio of 10-1 respectively ...but impact of social factors... ‘gender’

  6. Theories of gender identity • Freudian theory • Social learning theory • Cognitive-developmental theory • Gender-schema theory

  7. Some brief words about Freud... • Phallic stage - genitals = pleasure • Oedipus complex (Oedipus killed Dad/Married Mum) • Female identifies deficiency (‘Penis envy’) • Boys fear father – fear castration • Boys/girls battle for Mum’s/Dad’s affection ............................?

  8. Alternative theories of gender identity 1. Social-learning theory (Bandura, 1969; 1977) Two key elements: [1] Modelling [2] Reinforcement.

  9. Social-learning theory Basic tenet? Adult environment has established ‘patterns’ for behaviour - models these patterns, sets-up expectations, and rewards gender-appropriate behaviour... .....even when it’s not particularly appropriate!!

  10. Social-learning theory Direct evidence?? Not easy to obtain.... Fagot & Leinbach (1989) Longitudinal study Parents encourage appropriate gender-typed behaviour... Result = stereotyped behaviour! i.e., girls = play with dolls; boys > physical

  11. Social-learning theory Also... Bedrooms furnished with gender-traditional toys/ objects (wallpaper – bed covers?) (Pomerlau et al., 1990) Parents choose to play with gender-traditional toys (e.g., Idle et al., 1993) ...and react negatively to non-traditional behaviour. (e.g., Leaper & Gleason, 1996)

  12. Social-learning theory Influence of media? Comparison between 3 towns (Canada) Town 1 – no TV (‘Notel’) Town 2 – 1 Channel (‘Unitel’) Town 3 – 4 Channels (Multitel) Gender-stereotyped behaviour greatest in Multitel...much less in Unitel (Williams, 1986)

  13. Alternative theories of gender identity 2. Cognitive-developmental theory (Kohlberg,1966) Similar to Piaget’s theory of cognitive development... ...i.e., children actively construct their own gender identity.

  14. Cognitive-developmental theory 3 Stages Stage 1 (2-3 yrs): identify own gender Stage 2 (3-4): Recognize gender ID – but believe it can change Stage 3 (4-6+): Recognize gender consistency

  15. Cognitive-developmental theory Basic tenet? Children focus attention on behaviour of same-sex parent/adult after ‘working out’ what the appropriate model is.

  16. Cognitive-developmental theory Evidence for? C-D theory predicts behaviour after 2/3 years Slaby & Frey (1975) Children (2 -5 years) Classified high/low gender constancy Result? HG group > attend to same sex

  17. Cognitive-developmental theory Evidence against? Gender differences before 2/3 years... Children choose ‘gendered’ (i.e., feminine/ masculine) toys @ 18 months (O’Brien & Huston, 1985)

  18. A third way? Gender-Schema theory (Martin & Halverson, 1987) Like C-D theory... ....but after 2/3 years (i.e., after gender identity) children form gendered schemas. i.e., gendered patterns for behaviour act as a guide... assimilation & accommodation?

  19. Gender-Schema theory Evidence for? (Martin & Halverson, 1983) Memory influenced by gender-schema 5- & 6-year-olds shown picture ‘stories’ 50% each gender consistent / inconsistent after 1 week? GC = OK GI = ‘misremember’ memory vs schema

  20. Gender-Schema theory Evidence for? (Bradbard et al., 1986) Present gender-neutral items (e.g., kitchen utensils) 50% each labelled boys/girls things 2 key points: [1] children chose gender appropriate items [2] 1 week > remember labels

  21. Gender-Schema theory Is it that simple...? Social-interaction context? Gender-typed behaviour influenced by [1] sex of parent [2] sex of child [3] type of toy (Caldera & Sciaraffa, 1998) interaction

  22. Caldera & Sciaraffa (1998) 42 dyads (children aged 18-23 months) 2 x 2 x 2 design Parent sexChild sexToy M/F M/F Doll/Clown Play for 4 minutes

  23. Caldera & Sciaraffa (1998) Coded behaviour: [1] calling attention to [2] nurturing (e.g., cuddling) [3] caretaking (e.g., ‘feeding’) [4] animating (e.g., make walk etc.) [5] tickling who initiates what....and with which toy?

  24. Caldera & Sciaraffa (1998) Parent with daughter Parent with son: call attention > doll call attention > clown Caretaking? Mums > doll Dads > clown Nurturing? Mums & Dads = more with doll Animating? Tickling? Dads > Mums

  25. Caldera & Sciaraffa (1998) Children’s initiations? Caretaking? Doll > clown Animating? More initiations of animation if Dad was present than if Mum was present.

  26. What effects does gender ID have? Early socialization >play choice of toys > behavioural patterns/attitudes/assumptions What is appropriate: what is not? Influence on what we choose to do – how we do it in later life?

  27. What effects does gender ID have? So what? Pt 1. Academic standards (%) - acceptable performance GirlsBoys (14-year-olds, 1997) Lang. 67 51 Hist. 62 50 Geo. 63 54 D & T 64 49 (in Eysenck, p. 555)

  28. What effects does gender ID have? So what? Pt 2. Aggression. Boys > Girls (Loeber & Hay, 1993) Girls & Boys aggressive... ... boys = physical violence girls = emotional/psychological taunting (Dunn, 1988) ...difference appears @ age 2/3; Underwood (2002)

  29. What effects does gender ID have? So what? Pt 3. Impulse buying for students? What do we buy to make ourselves feel better? M = technology/leisure > independent activity F = clothes/cosmetics > symbolic/appearance (Dittmar, Beattie & Friese, 1995) ...more on self-identity next lecture

  30. Tutorial • Weeks 5/6 Your task: To consider the importance of gender identity/stereotyping. Should we try to reduce/eliminate this, and if so, how? Bring along examples of children’s gender id at work... and whether you thinks it’s a good or bad thing.

  31. Reading Berk (1997) - Chap. 13. Cole & Cole - pp. 384 - 397. Eysenck (2004). p. 554-565. (essential) Smith & Cowie (1991). p. 146-151.

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