Gender Socialization

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ASSIGNMENT GENDER SOCIALIZATION

REENA MERIN CHERIAN

M.A. (PREVIOUS)

DATE : 23RD JANUARY, 2009

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“Girls “Girl s we wear ar dre dresse sses s and hea heart rt or flo flower wer covered covered out outfit fits, s, boy boys s wea wear  r  three-piece suits, overalls, and super hero pajamas. Catalogs feature girls playing with dolls and kitchen sets, and boys with Legos and trucks. Toys for boys tend to encourage exploration, manipulation, invention, construction, competition, and aggression. Girls? Girl s? Toys To ys ty typi pica call lly y ra rate te hi high gh on cr crea eati tivi vity ty,, nu nurt rtur uran ance ce,, an and  d  attractiveness.”  In books, men are almost always the heroes. These excerpts are taken from various literary pieces which are included in the curriculum of  young students and written by world renowned authors.

 The term sex and gender are used interchangeably but the literary meaning is different from its usual usage sex is defined in biological term te rms, s, th the e ex exac actt de defi fini niti tion on ca call lls s fo for, r, “mal malene eness ss or fem female alenes ness s as deter det ermin mined ed by gen geneti etic c fac factor tors s pre presen sentt at con concep ceptio tion n that res result ult in anatomical and physiological factors.”  This factors.”  This indicates the influence of  factors like genes (i.e. whether the chromosome combination is XX or XY), the effect of hormones largely referring to gonadotropin and the presence of characteristic physiological factors. However gender refers to everything associated with an individual’s sex that is societal roles, expectations, behaviors, preferences and attributes that define a male or after male in a particular culture. It is defined as “the attributes, behavior, personality characteristics and expectancies associated with a person’s biological sex in a given culture. Gender differences can be erased on biology learning and the combination of the two.”

SOCIALIZATION

Socialization is the process by which children and adults learn from others. We begin learning from others during the early days of life; and most people continue their social learning all through life (unless some mental men tal or phy physic sical al dis disabi abili lity ty slo slows ws or sto stops ps the lea learni rning ng pro proces cess). s). Sometimes the learning is fun, as when we learn a new sport, art or

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musical technique from a friend we like. Socialization is of several types. Natural socialization occurs when infants and youngsters explore, play and di disc scov over er th the e so soci cial al wo worl rld d ar arou ound nd th them em.. Pl Plann anned ed soc socia iali liza zati tion on occu oc curs rs wh when en ot othe herr pe peop ople le ta take ke act actio ions ns de desi sign gned ed to te teac ach h or tr trai ain n othe ot hers rs fr from om in infa fanc ncy y on on.. Na Natu tura rall so soci cial aliz izat atio ion n is ea easi sily ly se seen en wh when en looking at the young of almost any mammalian species, for instance e when whe n chi childr ldren en rea realiz lize e or lea learn rn tha thatt that their you younge ngerr sib siblin lings gs are made to wear particular coloured clothes soon after they are born i.e.  pink if a girl and blue if a boy, acquires these schemes and gets stored  in their memory. their memory. Planned socialization is mostly a human phenomenon; and all through history, people have been making plans for teaching or training others, school can act as an agency for primary socialization, when students of different gender are made to wear different uniforms which indicates a segregation, for instance in certain schools in Delhi, having co-education emphasize on girls wearing salwar-kameez from a very    young very  young age its itself elf.. Ce Certa rtain in li liter terary ary mat materi erial al in the their ir tex textt boo books ks reinforce their already acquired gender schemas by clearly indicating the roles young students are to follow when they grow, grow , for instance. Both Bo th na natu tura rall an and d pl plan anne ned d so soci cial aliz izat atio ion n ca can n ha have ve go good od an and d ba bad d feat fe atur ures es:: It is wi wise se to le lear arn n th the e be best st fe feat atur ures es of bo both th na natu tura rall and planned socialization and weave them into our lives. Positive socialization is the type of social learning that is based on pleasurable and exciting experiences. We tend to like the people who fill our socia sociall learn learning ing proce processes sses with positive motivation, motivation, loving care care,, and rew reward arding ing opp opport ortuni unitie ties, s, for ins instan tance ce a you young ng gir girll chi child ld bei being ng rewarded for winning a sports event, say cricket in her school being appreciated by her parents. Negative socialization occurs when others use punishment, harsh criticisms or anger to try to "teach us a lesson;" and of ofte ten n we co come me to di disl slik ike e bo both th ne negat gativ ive e so soci cial aliz izat atio ion n an and d th the e people who impose it on us. An example of this can be young boy being ridiculed by his elder siblings for playing with dolls or an elderly person per son bei being ng cri critic ticiz ized ed for exp expres ressin sing g or pos posses sessin sing g fem femini inist st vie view w point.  There are all types of mixes of positive and negative socialization; and the more positive social learning experiences we have, the happier we tend to be, especially if we learn useful information that helps us cope well with the challenges of life. The process by which future members learn to become members of the society is called socialization . Certain statutes and roles are allotted to the members of a particular culture based base d on the shared practice practices s and nor norms. ms. The soc social ializa izatio tion n of the indiv ind ividu idual al tak takes es pla place ce thr throug ough h var variou ious s age agenci ncies es tha thatt inf influe luence nce ant through imitation and role taking socialization and the process of role

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taking and playing their roles are closely knitted. Socializations occur in all aspects and stages of human development.

AGENCIES PROMOTING GENDER SOCIALIZATION

The e 1. Th

family fami ly be beiing th the e in intteg egrral pa parrt of ever ery y in indi div vid idua uall upbringing is one of the most important agencies of  socialization. The family has the power to influence individual self-c sel f-conc oncept ept,, emo emotio tions, ns, att attitu itude de and beh behavi avior. or. As men mentio tioned ned earlier family is a primary agency for socialization, hence, there is a strong influence of the family members in terms of gender socialization, right from the colours chosen by the students to the programs children are allowed to watch to the games they are enc encour ourage aged d to pla play, y, all re refle flect ct the soc social ializa izatio tion n pro proces cess s knowingly or unknowingly initiated by the family. for instance, young girls are encouraged to play with Barbie dolls and watch serials seri als like Bi Bidaai daai and Baa Baalik lika a vad vadhu, hu, mean meanwhil while e her brot brother her would be encouraged to watch cartoons like tom and jerry and RAW and SMACK SMACKDOWN DOWN which inco incorporat rporates es aggre aggression ssion (which again is presumably a masculine desirable aspect)

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 This cartoon shows as to hoe doing certain tasks are specific to only a particular gender.

also so ac acts ts as ke key y ag agen ency cy in de deve velo lopi ping ng ge gend nder er 2. Education al identity. For inst identity. instance ance the diffe differenc rence e in educat educational ional treatment treatment give gi ven n to gi girl rls, s, in ma many ny par parts ts of ru rura rall In Indi dia, a, gi girl rl ch chil ildr dren en ar are e deprived of education and those receiving are lagging behind in performance as compared to the tog boys.   Teachers socialize girls towards a feminine ideal. Girls are praised for being neat, quiiet qu et,, and cal alm, m, whe herreas bo boy ys ar are e enc ncou ourrag aged ed to th thiink independently, be active and speak up. Girls are socialized in schools to recognize popularity as being important, and learn that educational performance and ability are not as important. "Girls in grades six and seven rate being popular and well-liked as mo more re im impo port rtan antt th than an be bein ing g pe perc rcei eive ved d as co comp mpet eten entt or independent. Boys, on the other hand, are more likely to rank indepe ind epende ndence nce and com compet petenc ence e as mor more e imp impor ortant tant." ." (Ba (Bail iley, ey, 1992)   This This soc social ializa izatio tion n of fem femini ininit nity y beg begins ins muc much h ear earli lier er tha than n the midd mi ddle le gr grad ades es.. At ve very ry ea earl rly y ag ages es,, gi girl rls s be begi gin n de defi fini ning ng th thei eirr femi fe mini nini niti ties es in re rela lati tion on to bo boys ys.. On One e st stud udy y of a th thir ird d gr grad ade e classroom examined four self-sorted groups of girls within the clas cl assr sroo oom: m: th the e ni nice ce gi girl rls, s, th the e gi girl rlie ies, s, th the e spi spice ce gi girl rls s an and d th the e tomboys. Through interviews researcher Diane Reay found that 'nice girls' was considered a derogatory term indicating, "...an absence of toughness and attitude." (Reay, 2001) Furthermore, the girlies were a group of girls who focused their time on flirting with and writing love letters to boys, the tomboys were girls who played sports with the boys, and the spice girls espoused girlpowe po werr an and d pl play ayed ed 'r 'rat atee-th thee-bo boy' y' on th the e pl play aygr grou ound nd.. Re Reay ay's 's research shows that each of the groups of girls defined their own femininities in relation to boys. (2001)  Teachers socialize girls towards a feminine ideal. Girls are praised for being neat, quiet, and calm, whereas boys are encouraged to think independently, be active and speak up. Girls are socialized in schools to recognize popularity as being important, and learn that educational performance and ability are not as important. "Girls in grades six and seven rate being popular and well-liked as more important than being perceived as competent or independent. Boys, on the other hand, are more

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likely to rank independence and competence as more important." (Bailey, 1992) Clearly the socialization of gender is reinforced at school, "Because classrooms are microcosms of society, mirroring its strengths and ills alike, it follows that the normal socialization patterns of young children that often lead to distorted perceptions of gender roles are reflected in the classrooms." (Marshall, 1997) Yet gender bias in education reaches beyond socialization patterns, bias is embedded in textbooks, lessons, and teacher interactions with students. This type of gender bias is part of the hidden curriculum of lessons taught implicitly to students through the every day functioning of their classroom.

3. The peer groups, they are made of up people with similar age

group grou p an and d st stat atus us in so soci ciet ety. y. Th The e gr grou oup p al also so se sett no norm rms s an and d values by which the individual must abide. Here, the child enters the second stage of gender socialization where elder children are encouraged to be with the children of their own gender and feel disgusted on being getting associated with the children of  other gender, from this stage onward they tend to develop a strong sense of gender identity which later culminates into rigid roles.

4. Under the secondary socialization, are the work environment,

mass media and religion . There are certain occupational and   job job cat categ egor orie ies s and co cour urse ses s me mean antt fo forr wo wome men n an and d me men, n, fo forr inst in stanc ance, e, te teac achi hing ng,, ho home me sc scie ienc nce, e, nu nurs rsin ing g pr prof ofes essi sion on and psychological practices are now considered female domain as society socie ty consi considers ders them more sensitive. sensitive. Mean Meanwhil while e role roles s such  jobs such as that of drivers, high bureaucratic posts, postman, bus bu s co cond nduc ucto tors rs al alll ri rigi gidl dly y de defi fine ned d fo foe e me men, n, th the e ro role les s ar are e so unbending, that any deviation from them is not encouraged and even punished for. The famous book of 17 th century, the ‘Malfic Malf Ma lfec ecar arum um’’ te tell lls s st stor orie ies s of wo wome men n wh who o we were re id iden enti tifi fies es as witc wi tche hes s fo forr no nott ad adhe heri ring ng to th the e tr trad adit itio iona nall ro role les, s, va vari riou ous s atrocities were showered upon them. Jane of Arch was burnt alive as French society could not accept a woman leading an army ar my to vi vict ctor ory y in a ba batt ttle le fr fron ont. t. Me Men n wh who o ar are e fo foun und d to be sens se nsit itiv ive e an and d em emot otio iona nall ha hav ve be been en as assi sign gned ed th the e la labe bell of  ‘jell ‘je llyfi yfish’ sh’ in Uni United ted Sta State tes, s, in the Fre French nch ope open n hel held d in 20 2000 002 2

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when An when Andr dre e Ag Agga gass ssii br brok oke e do down wn af afte terr lo loosi osing ng in th the e me men’ n’s s singles, the western media media criticized criticized his spontaneous outburst as too ‘girly’ n unfit for a sportsman.

5. The mass media which serve as a medium of communication

is one of the agencies of socialization. Through the mass media, individual are able to learn and adopted new of lifestyle and behavior which at the end becomes a convention in the society. Fashion is a platform were inventions and innovations are tried, metro sexuality for men is fine example, but them most men have ha ve no nott ac acce cept pted ed it an and d th thos ose e wh who o ex expe peri rime ment nt wi with th it ar are e termed ter med ‘tr ‘trans ansves vestit tites’ es’.. Pow Power er dre dressin ssing g is ano anothe therr aspe aspect ct of  gender identity which indicates that women who dress as men with formal coats in pastels and shoes are found to be more successful than those who dress in a feminine manner.

6. Religion is a major agency of socialization because it embodies

the moral principle in society. In this respect, religion has its own set of norms, values and objectives that regulate the conduct of its members.  The roles and expectations defined for men and women are highly inflexible, The Bible contains various references where women who don’t cover their heads , while praying are labeled as ‘seductresses’ and holy texts of various religions concentrate on men as warriors and fighters and those who indulged in it enjoyed social sanctions and deviants were met with divine reprisal. In conclusion, it is from the agencies of socialization that we learn how to act in the way that others expect of us in society.

END PRODUCTS OF GENDER SOCIALIZATION

There ar are e several end products socialization they are as explained:-

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conse seq quences

of

gender

Gender Identity: Perception of Difference in Gender 1. Identification Developing a gender identity is a result of primary socialization acquired through family and education. It is defined as those parts pa rts of 

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self concept involving a person’s self concept as male or a female. Consciousness of gender identity usually develops about an age of  two. This occurs by noticing the difference in genital make-up and learning to use words such as ‘girl’ and ‘boy’

. 2. Internalization

Gender consistency once an identity begins to take form children star st ars s to co comp mpre rehe hend nd th the e im impo port rtan ance ce of ge gend nder er co cons nsis iste tenc ncy, y, th they ey accept the principle that gender is the basic attribute of a person. 3. Sex typing, gender role behavior and reactions to the gender role

behavior

Gender er role iden identif tificat ication ion: the degree to which an individual 4. Gend identifies with the gender stereotype of his or her own culture. These generally indicate the general traditional roles and not any other. What is Early Gender Socialization and how early does it start? “What are little boys made of? Frogs and snails and puppy Dog’s tails That’s what boy’s are made of. What are little girls made of? Sugar and spice and all things nice, That’s what girls are made of.” At th the e pr proc oces ess s st star arts ts at bi birt rth h an and d in invo volv lves es le lear arni ning ng cu cult ltur ural al ro role les s accord acc ording ing to one one’  ’ s se sex. x. Fr From om th the e st star art, t, bo boys ys an and d gi girl rls s ar are e tr trea eate ted d differently by people in their own environment (for example, parents, siblings and caregivers), and thus learn the difference between boys and girls, women and men. Differing parental and societal expectations of boys and girls. There is general agreement on what is meant by gender socialization:

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AGES 2 TO 4 CONCEPTION Genes on the sex chromosome determine whether a biological male or  a biological female has been conceived

Child learns social categories of male and female and labels self and others as boy or girl, though with somewhat precise understanding of what they refer to.

LATER CHILDHOOD

ADULTHOOD AND ADOLECENCE Gender identity is well established and gender  stereotypes are well understood. the individual may or may not identify with the gender stereotypes.

Sex identity becomes clear  and gender identity develops as self concept, also learns culturally appropriate and inappropriate characteristics associated with gender. By age 5 gender stereotypes  begin to occur.

learns culturally approprair 

THE PROCESS OF SOCIALIZATION

It is also clear from the comments received that gender socialization is culturally bound. As boys are favored over girls in most cultures, this is refl re flec ecte ted d in th thei eirr se self lf-i -ima mage ge:: bo boys ys ar are e of ofte ten n mo more re as asse sert rtiv ive e an and d demanding, while girls are frequently more submissive and modest.

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 Theories on Gender Socialization

Early Childhood Gender Socializat Socialization ion

( Three types of theories explain gender socialization: psychoanalytic, social learning and cognitive developmental. •

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Freud’s psychoanalytic theory focuses on children’s observations about their genitals (e.g., castration anxiety, penis envy). It has not marshaled much empirical support. Social learning theories are behaviorist theories that rely on reinforcement reinforceme nt and modeling explanations of behavior—the environment makes people do things. Cognit Cogn itiv ive e de deve velo lopm pmen enta tall th theo eori ries es po posi sitt th that at “c “chi hild ldre ren n le lear arn n gender (and gender stereotypes) through their mental efforts to organize their social world.”

One problem with some variants of this perspective is the assumption that children learn gender because it is a natural facet of the world, rather than that it is an important facet of the social world. Research shows that the importance children place on gender varies by class, race, family structure, sexuality of parents, etc. A social constructionist perspective, such as is proposed by Bem and Coltrane, is a version of the cognitive development perspective. Bem has identified three key “gender lenses” (hidden assumptions): gender gende r pola polariza rization tion (m (men en an and d wo wome men n ar are e di diff ffer eren entt an and d th thes ese e differ dif ferenc ences es con consti stitut tute e a cen centr tral al or organi ganizin zing g pri princi nciple ple of soc social ial lif life), e), androcentrism (males are superior to females; male experience is the normative standard); and biological essentialism (the first two lenses are due to biological differences between the sexes). She recommends substituting an “individual differences” lens that emphasizes “the remarkable variability of individuals within groups.” A social constructionist approach (advocated by Bem & Coltrane) views gender gen der acqu acquisi isitio tion n as a sel self-fu f-fulfi lfilli lling ng pro prophe phecy. cy. The mos mostt imp import ortant ant insight from research on gender socialization is that because boys and girls are treated differently and put into different learning environments, they develop different needs, wants, desires, skills, and temperaments; in short they become different types of people—men and women—who hardly question why they are different or how they ended up that way. The basic underlying model is that of the self-

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fulfilling prophecy. Because people think boys and girls are supposed to be different, they treat them differently and give them different opportunit oppor tunities ies for deve developm lopment. ent. This diffe different rential ial treat treatment ment prom promotes otes certai cer tain n beh behavi aviors ors and sel self-i f-imag mages es tha thatt rec recrea reate te the pre precon concei ceived ved cultural stereotypes about gender. The process repeats itself over and over in an unending spiral across the generations, so that although gender stereotypes are being constantly re-created and modified, they seem natural and impervious to change. (Coltrane, p. 114) Children learn about gender and how to “do gender” because it is centr cen tral al to the way we org organi anize ze soc societ iety. y. Chi Childr ldren en “le “learn arn cul cultur turall ally y appropriate ways of thinking and being as they follow routine rituals and respond to the everyday demands of the world in which they live… [T]o be considered competent members of society, they must learn how to fit in as appropriately gendered individuals.” (Coltrane, p. 114) Gender socialization turns children into “cultural natives,” who know their culture’s reality without realizing that other realities are possible. Both R&C and Coltrane review research showing that boys and girls are treated differently.

What characteristics of male and female gender roles can lead to ‘gender equality’ and ‘gender equity’ globally?   There is a universal pattern of gender role expectations that can be elaborated, adopted and accepted by every society. This can help girls and wom women en par parti ticip cipate ate as equ equal al cit citize izens, ns, and can red reduce uce vio viole lence nce against girls and women as well as boys and men. But the challenge is to define positive male and female gender roles that will replace those that are now ‘not working’ in our society. Among the contributors to the discussion, Malaak Zalouk eloquently described the challenge: “It is not only that we affix specific gender roles from birth and that we expect each of the gender roles to present discrete and pure models; we also create a hierarchy of masculine and feminine traits regardless of who they are attributed to. In other words, being tough (a masculine trait) is usually ranked as a more elevated trait than being considerate in the global value system of today … whereas being loving, sensitive or considerate is viewed as weak, and of course more so for men. The same is true of the dichotomy between being rational and intuitive. The assumption seems always to be that these are mutually exclusive traits.” Zalouk concluded that research indicates that the most creative human beings are able to combine femininity and masculinity in equal measure.

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  Jenni Jennifer fer Str Straus auss s com comme mente nted: d: “We nee need d to emp emphas hasiz ize e the com common mon (across gender) activities and interests of children as well as honoring their differences – if we do so we may be able to reduce levels of  gender hostility later in life.”

How can we improve our understanding and promote positive early gender socializat socialization? ion? Gary Ba Gary Bark rker er re remi mind nded ed us th that at ’p ’pos osit itiv ive’ e’ is a re rela lati tive ve te term rm and is culturally specific. Hajara Ndayidde reminded us that religious values and an d up upbr brin ingi ging ng ar are e in inte tert rtwi wine ned d wi with th cu cult ltur ural al va valu lues es,, wh whic ich h ar are e important factors in gender socialization. Christy Swatley, referring to herr mi he midd ddle le-cl -clas ass s Un Unit ited ed St Stat ates es up upbr brin ingi ging ng,, po poin inte ted d ou outt th the e ma many ny similarities in gender-conditioning around the world. What would make girls and boys feel more ’positive’ about the gender roles attributed to thei th eirr se sex? x? Th The e an answ swer er ca can n pr prov ovid ide e a va valu luab able le pa path thwa way y to towa ward rds s ’positive’ gender socialization. A summary of recommendations made by several contributors (based primarily on the list from Gary Barker) is as follows. Starting with what parents, children and local leaders say about gender roles and expectations, identify specific points of entry and opportunity for promoting change. Map gender roles in specific settings, understanding where change is already happening and how this change can be tapped or accelerated. Assess the environment for young children at home, examining how a literate home environment may benefit a child's learning at school and how material deprivation may hinder it. Foster greater engagement of men in the care of children. Focu Fo cus s on pa pare rent ntin ing g an and d ch chil ildd-re rear arin ing g pa patt tter erns ns in th the e fa fami mily ly (including the extended family) and community. Focus on group learning opportunities (including daycare centres, pre-schools and the early years of primary school) Focus on adult parents of both sexes, as well as on community reli re ligi giou ous s le lead ader ers. s. En Enco cour urag age e pa pare rent nts s to pa part rtic icip ipat ate e in ad adul ultt educ ed ucati ation on cl class asses es th that at in inte tegr grat ate e re reli ligi gion on an and d a fo form rmal al we west ster ern n curriculum so that they can see the need for and benefits of literacy for their daughters and wives.

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 This list of recommendations for positive gender socialization is a good starting point. But it is also a reminder that there is a vast knowledge gap.

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 This draws attention to an important socialization process that starts at birth, continues throughout the life cycle and contributes immensely to the gender disparities and inequalities faced by girls and women in school and in later life. However, it also highlights the need for further analysi anal ysis s and re resea search rch to ela elabor borate ate on gen gender der soc social ializa izatio tion n th that at is embedded in our cultural child-rearing patterns.

SOCIAL WORK INTERVENTIONS As social workers gender socializatio socialization n shoul should d be regarded regarded as a tool to delimit the advancement of individuals and groups, thus through case work wo rks, s, gr grou oup p wo work rks s wi with th ch chil ildr dren en an and d ad adol oles esce cent nts s an and d th thro roug ugh h comm co mmun unit ity y ou outr trea each ch pr prog ogra rams ms ef effo fort rt mu must st be ma made de to un undo do th the e negative influences of gender socialization.

References

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Chinoy, Ely (1961) Society: An Introduction to Sociology, New  York: Random House. Clausen, John A. (ed.) (1968) Socialization and Society, Boston: Little Brown and Company.  Johnson, Harry M. (1961) Sociology: A Systematic Introduction, London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. McQuail, Dennis (2005) McQuail’s Mass Communication Theory: Fifth Edition, London: Sage. Parsons, Talcott and Bales, Robert (1956) Family, Socialization and Interaction Process, London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. White, Graham (1977) Socialisation, London: Longman. Michael Paul Rhode, Smithsonian Dep. of Anthropology Bogard, Kimber. "Citizenship attitudes and allegiances in diverse youth." Cultural Diversity and Ethnic minority Psychology14(4) (2008): 286-296. Mehan, Hugh. "Sociological Foundations Supporting the Study of  Cultural Diversity." 1991. 1991. National Center for Research on Cultural Diversity and Second Language Learning. Robert Feldman, Ph.D. at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Child Development Third Edition