ECH218: GENDER DEVELOPMENT

Lecturer: Dr Cathrine Neilsen-Hewett

Lecture Overview

Gender-concept and gender identity

Gender stereotypes (knowledge and flexibility)

Gender differences (biological, cognitive,

personality, behavioural)

Theories about the origin and development of

gender roles

Gender segregation do boys and girls live in

different worlds?

Source: www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/bso0007l.jpg

Source: Microsoft Clipart

Gender and Self-concept

Gender Identity or Labeling

Gender Stability

Gender Constancy

Gender Identity in Middle Childhood

School-age childrens
gender identity expands to
include the following selfevaluations:

Source: Microsoft Clipart

Gender typicality

Gender connectedness

Felt pressure to conform

to gender roles

Source: http://joshreads.com/images

Gender Stereotypes
What do children know about gender
stereotypes?

By age 5 gender stereotyping of

activities and occupations is wellestablished
Stereotypical knowledge increases with
age
Stereotypic flexibility also increases
with age
Source: Microsoft Clipart

Gender Differences
Biological Differences

Source: Microsoft Clipart

Reproductive organs and

secondary sexual
characteristics

Strength boys are physically

stronger, while girls are
biologically stronger

Gender Differences
Differences in activities,
interests and life courses

Source: Microsoft Clipart

Boys request vehicles, sports

equipment, spatial or
construction toys

Girls dolls and domestic

accessories

Rough and tumble play versus

sedentary activities

Gender Differences
Differences in personality and
social behaviour

Source: Microsoft Clipart

Aggression

Fear, timidity, risk taking

Emotional expressivity

Compliance

Developmental vulnerablity

Gender Differences
Cognitive Differences

Verbal ability

Mathematical abilities

Visual/spatial abilities

Source: Microsoft Clipart

Gender Differences
Most studies show more
overlap than difference
between the sexes on
personality and
cognitive abilities
Source: Siegler, Deloache & Eisenberg, (2003)

Despite this lack of difference - why do boys and

girls turn out so differently?
Source: sadieamanda.wordpress.com

Biological Account of Gender Roles

Source: www.eddieandcarline.info/outdoor-play.html

Hormonal influences

Sex hormones influence

human play styles

Same sex differences in

different cultural groups
and nonhuman primates

Social Learning Theory

Direct shaping through

reward and punishment
(Bandura, 1989; Bussey &
Bandura, 1999)

Influence of parental
attitudes

Peer views of cross-sexed

behaviour

Social Learning Theory

Source: Microsoft Clipart

Observational learning
(modeling)

Same-sex models

Not always correlated homosexuality?

Social Learning Theory

Media influences

Highly stereotypical

Males more dominant

Social Learning Theory

Media influences

Highly stereotypical

Males more dominant

Relationship between amount of

viewing and gender stereotype

Supportive evidence for theory

Expectations change over time

Not fixed across cultures

Cognitive Developmental Theory

Gender roles learned as a result of:

Cognitive development (Kohlberg, 1966)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZb2len6f18&feature=related

gender identity

gender stability
gender constancy

Self-socialisation and selective attention

seek out same-sex models

Gender Schema Theory

Gender roles start early with development of own
sex schema (Martin & Halverson, 1981)
Gender schema influences:

Childrens perceptions of others

Processing of new information and memory

Guide childrens behaviour

Bronfenbrenners Bioecological
model: Microsystem influence
Home environment

Parents encourage gender-

type activities and interests

Presence of other family

members impact on gender

typing (i.e., other-sex siblings)

Fathers more than mothers

encourage gender appropriate
behaviour

Bronfenbrenners Bioecological
model: Microsystem influence
School environment

Teachers interact different

with boys and girls

Teachers attend more to boys

and call on them more in class

Peer group reactions to crossgender play (particular

intolerance for boys)

Source: http://robynv.globalteacher.org.au/files/2008/06/100_1164.jpg

Bronfenbrenners Bioecological
model

Mesosystem influence - connections

between parents and teachers beliefs

and expectations about academic

achievement

Exosystem different occupational

roles available for men and women,
reinforcement of gender stereotypes
through media publications

Macrosystem cultural variations in

gender expectations and roles

Chronosystem dramatic changes in

societal attitudes about gender roles
over the past few decades

Source: www.aifs.org.au

Gender Segregation

Source: Microsoft Clipart

Gender segregation is less

pronounced during preschool
years and adolescence

Between grades 3-6 gender

segregation reaches its peak
with boys and girls found
almost exclusively in samesex peer groups

What is the reason for such strong

gender-based segregation?

Sources: www.fun.familyeducation.com (top) & Microsoft Clipart

Incompatibility in boys and

girls styles of interacting and
play activities (Maccoby,
1990)

Significant gender
differences in the structure
and behaviour of same-sex
peer groups in early and later
primary years

What is the reason for such strong

gender-based segregation?

Source: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/50/131192105_6d0db09c40.jpg

Segregation maintained
and strengthened during
middle and late childhood
through border work
(Thorne, 1986)

Inherent rules and

regulations for crossgender interactions

Rules for Contact with the

Other Gender
Rule 1: The contact is accidental

Rule 2: The contact is incidental

Rule 3: The contact is in the guise of
some clear & necessary purpose

Rule 4: An adult compels you to have

contact
Rule 5: You are accompanied by
someone of your own gender
Rule 6: The interaction or contact is
accompanied by disavowal
Source: Microsoft Clipart

What is the reason for such strong

gender-based segregation?

Source: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/50/131192105_6d0db09c40.jpg

Segregation maintained
and strengthened during
middle and late childhood
through border work
(Thorne, 1986)

Inherent rules and

regulations for crossgender interactions

Age is strongest factor in

dissolution of gender
segregation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Utpam0IGYac&feature=related