Gender Roles Being Taught to Young Children: A Psychological Approach

2237 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Effects of gender stereotypes psychology

Gender is socio-psychological characterizing of being male or female. Gender identity is the sense of being identified as one of these genders, and it is usually established before three years of age. Gender role describes the expectations of the society as how a male or female should behave according to their sex. Biology is the natural factor for differential gender development, and biologically a person with 46 XY chromosomes in their cells and gonads of testes would be a male, and a person with 46 XX chromosomes in their cells and gonads of ovaries would be a female. Also, hormones such as testosterone and estrogen, and evolution offer some insight in to the psychological differences in the genders (Santrock, 2009). However, there is mounting evidence that the gender roles and stereotypes are being taught from childhood, and studies point out that the teaching of gender roles at an early age greatly affects a child’s identity of their gender and the opposite sex.

Through parents’ toy selections, children learn what is appropriate and inappropriate for their gender (Wood, Desmarais & Gugula, 2002). Though boys have a strict set of rules and expectations for their role in society, girls’ roles are not as consistent. This factor causes gender conflict within girls and causes problems with boys because they are highly restricted in what they can do (O’Brien, Peyton, Mistry, Hruda, Jacobs, Caldera, Huston & Roy, 2000). These roles and expectations are taught not only by parents but also through children’s books and media. One of the biggest issues in teaching gender roles too early is that the children develop the concept of gender stereotyping. Gender stereotyping is culturally defined, which usually dictates men to be ...

... middle of paper ...

....

Galligan, S., Barnett, R., Brennan, M. & Israel, G. (2010). The Effects of gender Role Conflict on Adolescent and Emerging Adult Male Resiliency. Journal of Men’s Studies, 18(1), 3-21.

Gooden, A. & gooden, M. (2001). Gender Representation in Notable Children’s Picture Books: 1995-199. Sex Roles, 45(1/2), 89-101.

O’Brien, M., Peyton, V., Mistry, R., Hruda, L., Jacobs, A, Caldera, Y., Huston, A. & Roy, C. (2000). Gender-Role Cognition in Three-Year-Old Boys and Girls. Sex Roles, 42(11/12), 1007-25.

Tepper, C. & Cassidy, K. (1999). Gender Differences in Emotional Language in Children’s Picture Books. Sex Roles, 40(3/4), 265-80.

Wood, E., Desmarais, S. & Gagula S. (2002). The Impact of Parenting Experience on Gender Stereotyped Toy Play of Children. Sex Roles, 47(1/2), 39-49.

Santrock, J.W. (2009). Life-span development. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

Show More
Related

  • Gender Stereotype: Gender in The Toy Store

    1409 Words  | 3 Pages

    Pike, J. J., & Jennings, N. A. (2005). The Effects of Commercials on Children’s Perceptions of Gender Appropriate Toy Use. Sex Roles, 52(1/2), 83-91. doi:10.1007/s11199-005-1195-6

    Read More

  • Stereotypes In Jean Piaget's Stages Of Cognitive Development

    764 Words  | 2 Pages

    Francis’s study analyzes three to five-year-old preschool students as well as their parents about their views about toys and viewing materials based on gender. The study showed that parental beliefs shaped their child 's opinions of gender roles based on the toys they played with. The parent 's idea of what is female and what is male is transferred onto the toys their child plays with which in terms developed their child 's stereotype of what is male and female based on their toy selection and color. In the article “How do today 's children play and with which toys?”, by Klemenovic reference that a child 's view on gender stereotypes is developed by their parents who train them on how to use the toys. Klemenovic (2014) states "Adults start training in the first months of a child 's life because knowledge of objects is the outcome of other people 's behavior towards us" (Klemenovic, 2014, p. 184). Young children’s development of gender stereotypes is largely influenced by his or her parent’s actions and view on what they consider male or female. A parent’s color preference and toy selection can influence a child’s gender bias or association to a specific

    Read More

  • Disney and Gender Identity

    1424 Words  | 3 Pages

    Society cements certain roles for children based on gender, and these roles, recognized during infancy with the assistance of consumerism, rarely allow for openness of definition. A study conducted by Witt (1997) observed that parents often expect certain behaviors based on gender as soon as twenty-four hours after the birth of a child. The gender socialization of infants appears most noticeably by the age of eighteen months, when children display sex-stereotyped toy preferences (Caldera, Huston, & O’Brian 1989). This socialization proves extremely influential on later notions and conceptions of gender. Children understand gender in very simple ways, one way being the notion of gender permanence—if one is born a girl or a boy, they will stay that way for life (Kohlberg 1966). “According to theories of gender constancy, until they’re about 6 or 7, children don’t realize that the sex they were born with is immutable” (Orenstein 2006). The Walt Disney Corporation creates childhood for children worldwide. “Because Disney are such a large media corporation and their products are so ubiquitous and wide spread globally, Disney’s stories, the stories that Disney tell, will be the stories that will form and help form a child’s imaginary world, all over the world, and that’s an incredible amount of power, enormous amount of power” (Sun). Because of the portrayal of women in Disney films, specifically the Disney Princess films, associations of homemaker, innocence, and dependence are emphasized as feminine qualities for young children. Thus, children begin to consider such qualities normal and proceed to form conceptions of gender identity based off of the movies that portray the very specific and limiting views of women (...

    Read More

  • Examining Gender Socialization through Toys

    1393 Words  | 3 Pages

    From this research of examining how gender socialization is projection through toys to children, have led to conclusion that in order to prevent children from living by these stereotypes portrayed through toys, parents should encourage gender-neutral and cross-gender play in children at an early age. Just for the mere that their brain is so receptive to knowledge into creating to become the person they are to be in life. Give children a chance to not only have fun while playing with their toys and that there aren’t any pressures on them that this what they should be and that there a mind full options that they can choose from.

    Read More

  • Gender Femininity And Masculinity

    1477 Words  | 3 Pages

    All around the world society has created an ideological perspective for the basis of gender roles. Gender and sex are often times misused and believed to be interchangeable. This is not the case. There are two broad generalization of sexes; female and male, yet there is a vast number of gender roles that each sex should more or less abide by. The routinely cycle of socially acceptable behaviors and practices is what forms the framework of femininity and masculinity. The assigned sex categories given at birth have little to do with the roles that a person takes on. Biological differences within females and males should not be used to construe stereotypes or discriminate within different groups. Social variables such as playing with dolls or

    Read More

  • Sexism in Society Starting at Childhood

    1268 Words  | 3 Pages

    Children start to define their gender identity in early preschool (Zhumkhawala 47). This means that the toys children are given go a long way to further (or help change) gender stereotypes and inequality. In general, boys are given trucks, blocks and doctor’s kits, encouraging them to build, explore how things work and be a...

    Read More

  • Gender Roles and Stereotypes

    1756 Words  | 4 Pages

    Girls are supposed to play with dolls, wear pink, and grow up to become princesses. Boys are suppose to play with cars, wear blue, and become firefighters and policemen. These are just some of the common gender stereotypes that children grow up to hear. Interactions with toys are one of the entryway to different aspects of cognitive development and socialism in early childhood. As children move through development they begin to develop different gender roles and gender stereotypes that are influenced by their peers and caregivers. (Chick, Heilman-Houser, & Hunter, 2002; Freeman, 2007; Leaper, 2000)

    Read More

  • Stereotypes in Early Gender Socialization

    1370 Words  | 3 Pages

    Wood, E. (2002). The impact of parenting experience on gender stereotyped toy play of children. Sex Roles, 47, 39-50.

    Read More

  • Sex Roles and Gender Bias in Early Childhood Education

    2170 Words  | 5 Pages

    Toys, literature, media, and films also encourage sex roles. Males are depicted as "doing", while females are always "receiving." In this paper, 5 articles focusing on sex roles were used. The articles look at the damaging effects of sex role stereotyping, and some ways the sex roles are accentuated in the schools.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Sexism In Little Women

    2175 Words  | 5 Pages

    The kinds of books children and young adults read today are read because they offer either important lessons or qualities that the children and young adults should portray. Books that children read reflect on the social structure on our world. A significant social issue today is one of gender inequality where men and women are still not seen as equals at home or in the workplace. This inequality reflects the sexism that occurs against women. Sexism is discrimination and stereotyping based on sex, most commonly against women.The sexism between men and women that exists today reflect the female stereotypes often seen in literature new and old. Literature published in the nineteenth and twentieth century, like Little Women and Peter and Wendy,

    Read More

  • Gender Stereotypes in Fairytales

    996 Words  | 2 Pages

    Westland, Ella. "Cinderella In The Classroom. Children's Responses To Gender.." Gender & Education 5.3 (1993): 237. Academic Search Premier. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.

    Read More

  • Toys Case Study

    1072 Words  | 3 Pages

    The toy industry makes it seem acceptable that only certain toys are suitable for one or the other gender by marketing them as such. For a parent to differ, it would mean stepping out of the box, possibly alienating their child from others with a choice that might seem odd. Rather than making their child feel or appear awkward, parents continue to support the gender biases found in toys, thereby promoting gender socialization. It is important however, that parents, as role models and consumers, must be diligent in their choices and make decisions that will help either negate or balance out gender biases in

    Read More

  • Sexism in Language

    2513 Words  | 6 Pages

    Turner-Bowker, M. (1996). The 'Turner-Bowker'. Gender stereotyped descriptors in children's picture books: Does "Curious Jane" exist in the literature? Sex Roles, 35(7-8), 461-487. Ya-Lun, T. (2008).

    Read More

  • Gender Functionalism Essay

    903 Words  | 2 Pages

    In our society, gender roles are instigated at a very young age. Society develops a standard or a norm of what role a women or man should play (Griffiths et al., 2015). For example, young girls are taught to play with dolls and learn

    Read More

  • Gender Identity: A Child's Identity

    1898 Words  | 4 Pages

    They seem pleasant and innocent. However, these drawings reveal and conceal girls’ desires to see themselves not how they are but how they wish they might be or think they should be—a complicated matter operating on multiple levels of pleasure, desire, and sociality oppressed (McClure-Vollrath, 2006, p. 68).” Socially the world expects girls to be interested in princesses and the color pink, that’s the social norm and looked to as socially acceptable. The study performed by McClure Volrath allows a way to see beyond the social norms and understand that through a child’s art, we are able to see a difference in a child’s gender identity. The media often has an influence on a child’s gender identity.

    Read More

More about Gender Roles Being Taught to Young Children: A Psychological Approach

Open Document