Gender Roles and Socialization Notes

•Sex, Gender, and Gender Role Socialization

•Summer 2012

•Sex refers to the physical and biological attributes of men and women

•Sex includes the chromosomal, hormonal, and anatomical components of males and females.

•Gender and Gender Identity

Gender refers to the social, psychological and cultural attributes of masculinity and femininity, many of which are based on biological distinctions

–Gender includes people’s self image and expectations for behavior among other things

Gender describes societal attitudes and behaviors expected of and associated with the two sexes.

Gender identity refers to the degree to which an individual sees herself or himself as feminine or masculine based on society’s definitions of appropriate gender roles.*

Gender Characteristics?

Generally, sex is considered to be an ascribed status while gender is an achieved status

Examples of gender characteristics? What physical, emotional, or other characteristics are considered “masculine” or Feminine”?

The Social Construction

of Gender

Gender Roles

Gender Role Socialization

Gender role socialization is “...a lifelong process whereby people learn the values, attitudes, motivations, and behavior considered appropriate to each sex by their culture”

Gender role socialization takes place from earliest childhood through adolescence and throughout all social interactions in which we participate

•Socialization approach emphasizes conscious social learning

‘Proper’ behavior is reinforced through rewards while inappropriate behavior is punished

- children modify behavior in order to maximize rewards and minimize sanctions

Gender Role Socialization

Children learn proper behavior for girls and boys through parents, the media, peer groups, and other sources of socialization

At an early age, children develop stereotypical conceptions of both genders, and begin to use these conceptions to organize their knowledge and behavior

•Masculine Scripts

1.No sissy-stuff - men...