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How Family Structure Influences Gender Socialization

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Gender socialisation is explained as the process in which society influences its members to internalise attitudes and expectations based on gender, which refers to being either masculine or feminine. Even before the birth of a baby names for girls and boys are looked up. They are given titles, are called things like ‘pretty girl’ or ‘strong boy’ in order to give off the stereotypical way in which society has conditioned us to think (Lamanna, 2015). In the following essay we will look at gender socialisation in depth and its function in society, the micro level of the family and the bigger picture of our diverse county South Africa, we will look at ways in which it has changed and how gender identity is slowly changing in society at large. …show more content…

An explanation on how family structure influences gender socialization Society expects different attitudes and behaviours from boys and girls. Gender socialization is the tendency for boys to be socialized differently. Boys and girls are raised to conform to the male gender roles and girls are raised to conform to female gender roles. A family structure influences gender socialization by using certain mechanisms that people adopt without recognizing the patterns they create within social context. Every culture has different guidelines about what is suitable for males and females and family members may socialize babies in gendered ways without consciously following that path. For example, in a modern society, the colour pink is associated with girls and the colour blue with boys. Even as tiny babies, boys and girls are dressed differently according to what is considered ‘appropriate’ to the respective sexes. Even parents who strive to achieve a less ‘gendered’ parenting style unconsciously reinforce gender roles. A family structure acts as the most important agent of gender socialization for children and adolescents as it serves as the centre of a child’s life. Socialization theory tells us that primary socialization- the process that occurs when a child learns the attitudes, values and actions expected of individuals within a particular culture which the most important phrase of social development and lays the groundwork for all future socialization. Therefore, family structure plays a pivotal role in the child’s development influencing both the attitudes the child will hold. Socialization can intentional and unintentional the family may not be conscious of the messages nonetheless contribute to the child’s socialization, for example, if parents buy dolls for their daughters and toys trucks for their sons, the children will learn to value different

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Introduction Parents play an important role in guiding the development of their child in the early years, before the influence of teachers and peers comes into play (Diem-Wille, 2014). This influence that parents have on their children would naturally affect the child’s perception of gender roles and stereotypes. Following the approach of the Gender-Schema Theory, the child learns about gender in his or her society by observing behaviours of the people around him or her and then classifying the information as characteristic of different genders (Bem, 1983). The family environment and experience would therefore be central to helping the child construct schemas about gender roles since parents’ actions and attitudes are part of the information that the child receives from the environment that is integrated into the schema (McHale, Crouter, & Whiteman, 2003).

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After baby enters the world, individuals are overwhelming with symbols and languages which build the concept of gender roles and gender stereotypes. Language fitted to girls by family might involve affection, expressivity, delicateness or frangible, on the other hand, language appropriated to descried boys by family is usually focused on physical characteristics and cultivated traits such as strength and agility. In additions, fathers play a major role of instilling their children with the strongest pressure for gender specific behavior (Long, 2011). They give rewards and positive feedback for gender behavior to daughter but punish sons for gender inappropriate behavior and given more on negative

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Although some people believe that nature affects the gender identity, others argue that, based on the education an individual receives, it is actually nurture. For example, John Moore, a teacher at a female-only school, says, “My findings suggest that, in some senses, the single-sex school is strongly feminist” (Moore, 2005). On the other hand, many societies teach the children gender stereotypes to try and limit them from becoming against what the society feels is appropriate. Gender roles or stereotypes are “a set of qualities, behaviors, and attitudes that are considered appropriate for males and females based on their biological sex” (Whalen & Maurer-Starks, 2008). Most of the time, these stereotypes are taught and explained to the children in the early stages of learning, since as mentioned above, gender identity is most likely detected after the child is two years old.

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