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Gender
Issues In Psychology (PSY -
512)
VU
LESSON
14
GENDERTYPING
AND STEREOTYPING
Sex-Typing
Sex-typing
is process of categorizing
menand women on the bases of
some traits. Despite of cultural
differences
we find some similarities in
traits. For example
womenare thought to be
sensitive,weak,
dependent
andmen
are associated with the traits of
adventurous and determined in most of the
cultures.
The
term gender and sex
areused interchangeably.
Theword sex gives
biological affect whereas
socialscientists
prefer
to use term gender because of
its
socio-psychologicalconnotation.
Development
of sex-typing
Development
of sex-typing starts with sex-identity
that is sense of being male or
female, mostly children
acquire
this identity at the age of 3
years.Researches have found
that sex-identity changes with the
ageand
experiences;according
to socio-psychological phenomenon development of sex-typing
takes placeduring
late
childhood.
In early childhood differences in
hair styles, clothes
andtoys aid in child's
concept of sex-identity,
whereas
in later childhood sex
stereotypesare learned
throughimitation and observational
learning; what other
people
act, feel, behave or
think.Mostly at the age of
fivechildren can
associatecertain traits like
brave or weak
withman
and women or they areable to
separate tools or things used by
both sexes.
Socialscientists
present twomodels about
development of gender-typedstereotypes.
According to first model
gendercharacteristics
like physicalappearance or
gender biased activities are learnt in
earlier childhood as they
do
not involve abstractconcepts
and personality traits about activities
and occupations developed in
later
childhoodbecause
of need perceptual variations.
Second
model emphasize the presence of
cuesand gender biased
activities that aids understanding
of
personality
traits stereotypes in earlier
childhood.Gender stereotypes
are broad categories that reflect
our
beliefsabout
males and females.Parents,
peer group, schoolsand cultural
norms areimportant
factorsthat
playsimportant
role in development of sex-typing.
Sex-roles
Sex-rolesare
expected set of thinkingand
behavior patterns formales
and females. A group of
social scientists
take
development of gender-roles as
positivefactor for
socialization andadjustment
process of individual.
Othersopine
that gender-identity minimize the use of
individual potentialand abilities
considering
notsuitable
fortheir
sex. They view that sex-typing
stereotypes also affect the process of
self-exploration, especially in
case
of
women.
Theoristsconcerned
with women issuesconsider
same sex-typestereotypes for
femalesthroughout the
world
andconsider
gender-roles natural andinflexible. In
1930's Meadstudied three
cultures in New Guinea
and
foundout
different sex-typedbehaviors
for women and supported
hypothesis that humannature
is flexibleand
changeable.But
biological bases of behavior cannot be
ignored.
SOMESEX
STEREOTYPED BEHAVIORSFOR
MALES AND FEMALES
Males
Aggressive
Brave
Autocrat
Dominant
Independent
Females
Emotional
Sentimental
Fragile
©copyrightVirtual
University of Pakistan
43
Gender
Issues In Psychology (PSY -
512)
VU
Dependent
Submissive
Theories
of sex-typing
Severaltheories
are presented to find out
the cause of sex-role development.
Psycho-analyticalTheories: Freud
view that sex-typing is natural
processdue to biological
differences of
maleand
female. This approachexplains
that child identifies with the parent of
same
sex.Psycho-analytical
approachfocus
on biological differencesand
view first fiveyears of
and individualimportant for
personality
development.
Freud gave psycho-sexual stages of
development and proposed that healthy
resolution of
tensions
at each stage result in healthy
personality and identification with the
parent of same sex; in this
way
gender-rolesare
learnt as process of
socialization.
Social
Learning Theory emphasizesthat
individual's gender development is
process of observational learning
andimitation,
modeling and rewardand punishment
guide a childtowards gender
appropriate and
inappropriatebehavior.
Social stereotypes, cultural norms
and agents of socialization
(parents,
peer,teacher
andinstitutions)
play important role in development of
gender identity
andsex-typing. But this
approach
ignores
the importance of individual cognitive abilities,
inheritance and development stages and
treat individual
a
passive object to respond
forenvironment.
CognitiveDevelopment
Theory explainsthat
child develops the concept of being
male or femalefirst
and
thengender
behaviors are learnt. They view
that sex identity is facilitated by
people around child but it is
not
imitation.This
model believes thatchild
develops permanentcognitive
category forhis/herself as being
male
or
female at the age of 4 to 6 years, after
that sex-roles are
adopted.This theory is criticized
because it ignores
cultural
aspects.
Cerebral
Lateralization Theory explains
the there is difference in the
cerebralhemispheres of both
maleand
female.
In females left hemisphere is developed
earlier that is
responsiblefor their active
languagefaculties and
malesacquire
mathematical andanalytical abilities
earlier due to early development of
righthemisphere.
Factors
influencing sex-typing
Sex-typingoccurs
at both intentionaland
unintentional level. At unintentional level
biological determinants
play
role and intentional level is
affected by
psycho-Socialdeterminants.
Biological
Determinant of Sex-Typing
Thefirst
determinant of being male or female is biological.
Chromosomes are structural units of heredity
and
carrygenetic
information. In humanbeings
there are 23 pairs of
chromosomes. 23rd pair of chromosome
is
calledsex
chromosome in females it is XX and in
males it is XY. Onlyfemales
can bear child,and
these
biologicaldifferences
lead towardsdifferent
sex-typestereotypes.
Psycho-social
determinants of sex-typing
Socialization
Socialization
is a process of learning sex-roles
fromdifferent agents of
society.Firstly parents and
familyare
importantagents
that guide child in sex-typing
and identification withsame
sex. Their differentbehavior
with
girland
boy develops genderidentity.
Secondly cultural sex-stereotypes also
aid in identifying
process.Gender
rolecan
vary according to the socialgroup to
which a personbelongs or
he/she identifies. Forexample in
all
over
the world women share the
stereotype of being coward
andweepy. Sex-typing is very rigid in
first 5 years
of
individual because girls
andboys receive
differenttreatments from the
society. Sex-typing is flexible
and
with
the passage of time when
childacquire cognitive development
sex-rolesare learnt
andchanged.
©copyrightVirtual
University of Pakistan
44
Gender
Issues In Psychology (PSY -
512)
VU
Family
Family
is most important of agent of
socialization and sex-typing. Family
members are responsible
forfulfilling
physicaland
psychological needs.Child
receives inheritance fromfamily
and it guides forsocial,
emotional
development.
Family provides basic knowledge of sex-typing
andteaches cultural sex-stereotypes. In
cultures
likePakistan
extended familymembers
(grandparents, uncle & aunts)
also influence the process of
sex-typing.
Parents
Parentsare
responsible for transmitting their
own sex-roles andstereotypes
to their child.Parents' verbal
and
non-verbalgestures
and selection of toys,
colors and play activities for by
and girl develop concept of
sex-
typing.
Positive encouragement or extra
supportfrom parents can
develop opposite sex stereotype in girl
or
boy,for
example girl can be more
assertive or boy cantake
more interest in cooking or household
activities.
Schools
Schoolsare
significant institutions for sex-typing
especially early perceptions about
individuals and things
influence
the decisions of later life.
Teacher'sbehavior, style of punishment
anddifferent play activities
with
boysand
girls facilitatessex-typing. Schooling is
threat for the child at beginning as
he/she has to leave
mother.
So,
in most of the countries
nurseryteaching is associated
withfemales that provides
substitute of mother to
the
students.
Childhood
Play
Childhood
play activities star in
pre-schoolyears and share
stereotypesand sex-typing,
socialized by parents
andfamily.
Role of childhood play in ex-typing
depends on the school environments.
Schools where
boysare
girlsare
stressed sexstereotypes,
sex-typing is developed earlier but
institutionswhere child are
allowed to play
according
to their interest
andcognitive abilities boys or
girlscan enjoy any kind of
play (dolls house or
boxing).
Language
Peers
Peergroups
develop at the age of six or seven when
schooling starts andgenerally
same sex groupsare
formed.
Peerinfluences
style of conversation, play activities,
ideas and religious activities.
Peer approval force child to
adoptsex-biased
behaviors in case of same
sex peer group.
Socialdiscrimination
In
socialization process of Pakistani
culture females are
generallyvictim of sex discrimination.
Socialization is
affected
by Lullabies and marriage practices.
Lullabies are practices
thatpromote cultural norms
andvalues. In
Pakistani
culture these lullabies
promotenegative or weaker
position of females than
males. Womenare given
inferiorstatus
and males areconsidered
symbol of prideand power for
the family.Women are thought
to be
custodian
of family's honor and they
aresacrificed for ending
familydisputes or property
matters in Hindko,
Brahvi,Pashto
and Bloch lullabies,whereas
males share the status of power
and personalglory.
Thesepractices
promote
sex-discrimination, negative
stereotypesand inferior
concept of gender-identity. When
girl or boy sees
his/hermother
and father singingthese
lullabies, negativesex-identities
for femalesare
developed.
Mass
media
Media
is not only source of communication or
entertainment; it also plays a
vitalrole in projecting
cultural
normsand
values, and
sex-typedbehavior. In Pakistani
mediawomen are portrayed as
passive,economically
reliant
on men and having no information about
the world outside home or
national progress
andinternational
affairs.Media
has been depictedwomen
concerning aboutfamily
matters or house holdcores.
After andduring
90'smedia
has started projectingwomen
in positive wayshowing their
educationalconcerns
andprogress,
female
health issues and role of
women in economic development. Media
transmit sex-typed
behaviorsvia
novels,stories,
and cartoon movies.Children
learn sex biasedroles
and values.
©copyrightVirtual
University of Pakistan
45
Gender
Issues In Psychology (PSY -
512)
VU
Community
Communitygreatly
influences the decisionmaking,
achievement of goals or taking
responsibilities. In the same
way
when an individual try to
violatenorms values or
prevailingsex-type behaviors community
opposehis/her
and
force him/her to follow
traditionalpatterns. When
women getsome higher status
than prevailingsex-
biasedstereotypes,
because of her personaleffort
and individual abilities, she
has to face certain
obligations
from
community and keep herself on the
way of success. The community's reaction
to individual's action
influenceshis/her
sex-typebehavior.
Workenvironment
In
choosing an occupation sex-typed behavior
is very important. Male
andfemale both think
whileselecting an
occupation
that it is according to
his/hersex-role or not. Sex-typing
also affect the behavior at
working
environment.When
a woman wants to enter in
professional life she has
to take into consideration
hersex-
typed
behavior and needs of
profession. Generally the same nature of
work done by male and
femaleworker is
given
different weightage andmales
are given privilegefor
promotion. Theories before feminism were
based
on
physiological differences; believe
thatfemale personality characteristics
aredependent, low in
mechanical
abilities
and resultantly cause
lowachievement level of women in
professional life. Feminist
theorieshave
influenced
the sex-typing.
In
case when a woman wants to
achieve higher professional
statusrelying on her
individual abilities she has
to
sacrificeher
sex-role.
Problems
for working women in
community:
Harassment
at workplace, Discriminative behavior of
male
colleagues,Obstacles
in the way of progressetc.
these are alldue to
negative sex-biasedstereotypes
prevailing
in
the society.
Conclusion
Sex-rolesare
important for the development of any
society, but theseroles
should give equal opportunities
of
development
for both sexes.
Specificsex-roles should not be
perceived superior or inferior as it
causesrigidity
in
behavior patterns and affect the
process of social development.
©copyrightVirtual
University of Pakistan
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