CHAPTER 7: GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT

GENDER
 One of the universal dimensions on which status differences are based.
SEX and GENDER
 Sex is a biological concept while gender is a social construct specifying the socially and culturally
prescribed roles that men and women are to follow.
(RILEY, 1997)
 Gender shapes the lives of all people in all societies.

THEORIES OF GENDER DEVELOPMENT

1) SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY

 Proponents of this theory believe that parents, as the distributors of reinforcement, reinforce
appropriate gender role behaviors.
2) COGNITIVE-DEVELOPMENT THEORY
 Derived from Kohlberg’s speculations about gender development.
3) GENDER SCHEMA THEORY
 Helps a child to develop gender identity & formulate an appropriate gender role.

Schema  is a mental blueprint for organizing information. Such a schema helps a child to develop gender identity
and formulate an appropriate gender role.

(Elliott et al., 1996)

 Children develop an integrated schema or picture of what gender is and should be.

GENDER STEREOTYPING
 Defined as the beliefs humans hold about the characteristics associated with males and females.

STEREOTYPE  A schema or a set of beliefs about a certain group of people.

Problems in Gender Stereotyping:

1) When characteristics associated with a particular gender have a negative image.
2) When a unique individual is assumed to have all the characteristics associated with his/her gender.

GENDER IDEOLOGIES
 Attitudes toward men & women’s role.
1. Traditional Gender Ideology
 Maintains that men sphere is work and women sphere is the home.
 The implicit assumption is that men have greater power than women.
2. Egalitarian Gender Ideology
 Maintains that power is distributed equally between men and women and that each group identifies
equally with the same spheres.
3. Transitional
 Identified by Hockchild.
 It is acceptable for women to devote energy to both work and family domains but women should
proportionally more responsibility for the home and men should focus proportionally more their
energy on work.

GENDER AND EQUALITY

GENDER EQUALITY
 Gives women and men the same entitlements to all aspects of human development, including economic,
social, cultural, civil and political rights.
 The same level of respect, the same opportunities to make choices, and the same level of power to
shape the outcomes of these choices.

FEMINISM  means advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of equality of the sexes.

(Kemal Davis, UNDAP Administrator, 6 Sept. 2005)  “Strong evidence from around the world confirms that
gender equality accelerates overall economic growth, strengthens democratic governance, and reduces poverty and
insecurity.
 GENDER INEQUALITY

4 Themes Characterize Feminist Theorizing Of Gender Inequality:

1) Men & Women are situated in society unequally.
2) This inequality results from the organization of society, not from any significant biological or personality
differences between men and women.
3) No significant pattern of natural variation distinguishes the sexes.
4) All inequality theories assume fairly easily & naturally to more egalitarian social structures.

GENDER AND POWER

Gender  refers to the different ways men & women play in society, & to the relative power they wield.

Power  is a basic fabric of society & is possessed in varying degrees by social actors in diverse social categories.

“Essays in Sociology” by Max Weber  He defined power as the likelihood a person may achieve personal ends
despite possible resistance from others.

Factors Act As Determinants Of The Amount Of Power A Person Holds:

1) Status resources
2) Experience
3) Self-confidence

GENDER AND EDUCATION

 Investing in Education is seen as one of the fundamental ways in which nation states and their citizens
can move toward long-term development goals and improve both social and economic standards of
living.
 Schools also reinforce gendered social roles.

(Sadker and Sadker, 1988)

 The differential treatment accorded to males and females in the classrooms that reinforce a sense of
inferiority and lack of initiative among female students.
(Boggiano and Barrett, 1991)
 Boys are far more likely than girls to be given specific information that guides the improvement of their
performance.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Prepared By:
1. Castillo, Ellien R.
2. Mendoza, Ronald
SUBJECT: PROFED02 (The Teacher and the Community, School, Culture and Organizational Leadership)
SECTION: M62
SCHEDULE: TTHS / 8:00 A.M. – 9:00 A.M