SOSC 200Y Gender and Society

Lecture 5:

Rethinking Gender Socialization

L5: 20.09.06

Gender Socialization

Home School Other sources- parents - teachers - media- relatives - principles - publication- other adults - social workers - churches

Children

MEN WOMEN

L5: 20.09.06

Inadequacy of Gender Socialization

• Source of influence– Other institutes– Peer groups, siblings, etc.

• Direction of influence– Children’s reaction

• Role of the receivers– Social learning approach– Cognitive approach: identification

L5: 20.09.06

Critique of Socialization Theory

Too simple (simplify the reality):Experience at home• Parents-children interaction• Toys, books, cartoons, etc.

Experience in school• Teachers-students interaction• Structure and setting of schools• Single sex schools

L5: 20.09.06

Critique of Socialization Theory

Too deterministic:How to understand deviant cases?• “tomboy” and “sissies”• Cases of gay and lesbian

How to understand the change of social norm and social culture?

• Increasing number of career-women• Increased involvement of men in household

duties.

L5: 20.09.06

Rethinking Gender Socialization

• Methods of identifying stereotypes– Selecting only the supportive evidence?– Gender-bias or reflecting the social reality?

• The involvement of all people/ all institutions in society– Families, schools, media, churches, etc. are

all enemy of women?– Why they would have the same goal?

L5: 20.09.06

E.g. Gender representation in textbooks

• Pictorial Representation of males and females

Kinds of activities Male Female

Doing housework 0 1

Working 26 8

Studying/ at school 2 5

Playing 18 8

Relaxing 4 4

Engaging in social activities 6 19

Engaging in personal/ family activities 14 5

Other 23 11

Total 93 52

L5: 20.09.06

Further questions

Who benefits from the sex-segregated world?

Who benefits from the gender-inequality?

• Who are the main source of socialization at home and in school?

• Why the parents would do something bad and harmful to their children (daughters)?

L5: 20.09.06

First Tutorial (this Thursday and Friday)

Gender Socialization at Home (week 3)

Share your experience as a daughter or a son at home during your childhood and adolescence. Recall your toys, clothes, assigned duties and parental treatment. What was expected to be a good daughter and sister? What was expected to be a good son and brother? Do you think the practices in your home influence your gender identity, thinking and behaviour? Can we explain all this with the concept of sex role socialization?

Readings:• Wharton, A. (2005) The Sociology of Gender: An Introduction to Theory a

nd Research, Malden: Blackwell Publication, p. 28-39; 122-133.• Maccoby, E. (1998) The Two Sexes: Growing Up Apart, Coming Togethe

r, Cambridge: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, p.121-144.