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Running Head: THE DEVELOPMENT OF GENDER ROLES

Formal II
Alzada-Rose Vanarsdale
The University of Memphis

Running Head: THE DEVELOPMENT OF GENDER ROLES


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In the Beginning:
Gender stereotypes have become second nature in the modern world. Some studies show
evidence that gender roles and stereotypes are acquired from the parent(s). Before birth, the child
has no knowledge of direction or morality. It is the parents duty to raise a well-mannered and
well-taken care of son or daughter. Any ounce of hatred or being prejudice, is taught. However as
the child develops and matures, they also begin decide whether or not they agree with their
parents parenting styles. One question that still raises an eyebrow is at what age does a child
know who they are and when do they identify a male as a male and a female as a female?
While in the womb, the expecting mother awaits the sex of her child, hoping to hear the
desired sex was living inside of her. The embryo could be a girl (XX chromosomes) or a boy
(XY chromosomes). The sex or biological, anatomical makeup of the child will soon be
determined. Gender is coincide with sex. Gender refers to the role. The gender and the sex of the
child can be pretty difficult to differentiate but as the child grows older the two can easily be
determined.
Many great theorist believed:
Modeling, according to theorist Albert Bandura, is one of the most persuasive and
powerful means of transmitting values, attitudes and patterns of thought and behavior, (Bussey
& Bandura, 1999). While the childs social learning skills start to develop on particular thing
they begin to do is mimic their surroundings. Young girls may wear makeup just like their
mothers; young boys may even begin to walk. This is an example of gender role modeling,
when the gender role observe the model. The child will mimic whatever, he or she feels is
necessary to become the role model.

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Another theorist, Jerome Kagan, also studied the social learning of children. After
observing the children, this theorist breaks down physical development into four stages: identify
in the model, acting like the model, feeling what the model feels and being the model. Lets use
eight year old, Jane Reed for example. In stage one, Janes role mole model is more likely to be
her parent or guardian. Lets say her father was the only role mode she had. So in stage two Jane
subsequently starts acting like her father. She proudly belches in public, collects race cars and
plays the organ. To a certain extent Jane is her father, especially in stage three and four. The only
difference is that in stage four she has fully taken on the persona of her father, no longer does
Jane live.
Once the school age children years approach, many children start wondering what their
sex role pertains to. A sex role is a psychological mentality that women and men share different
roles. For example, women can psychologically nurse infants and men cannot, so nursing is a sex
role (Windsor et. al, 2015). Also, members of a family often assume responsibilities based on
gender roles assumed by the society we live in (Coltraine & Adams, 2008). Sex roles can easily
be mistaken for a stereotype. However, sex roles different from one generation to another.
In addition, theorist Sandra Lipsitz Bem, elaborates more on sex roles by classifying it
under a gender theory. This gender role theory pertains to Bems usage of tactics that made
Kohlbergs theory Richet. Bem brings awareness to the schema; the schema is a beneficial factor
when reckoning with the child sex role. By using the Bem Sex Role inventory (BSRI), she
believe that we recognize gender much earlier than Kohlberg theorized; therefore the role of
gender in a schema would become much more important earlier in the cognitive development
(Windsor et al, 2015) . Bem tested the children on how they interact with their families, parents,
teachers and even the society and/ or culture. The results gained from these studies allow the

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researcher to gain more knowledge about gender biases, many of which most theorist try to stay
clear of.
Barbara A. Kerr and Karen D. Multon, the authors of The Development of Gender
Identity, Gender Roles, and Gender Relations in Gifted Students, elaborate more on gender
biases and gender identity. The difference between the two, is that gender bias is the act of
discrimination against genders and gender identity the acceptance of being either male or female.
In their study, the authors explored ways in which many gifted educational gendered, a model for
the development of talent in the context of gender and gender relations, and ways of
reducing gender inequities in the realization of potential for both male and female
students (Kerr & Multon, 2015).
Many gifted students are projected to be the smarter bunch of student. They do not view the
world, in the eyes of a normal kid; life has a whole new, meaning. Throughout this study, the
author provide research displaying various reasons why girls mature faster than boys. An
example of this is girls ability to obtain the skill of reading comprehension. It is a known fact
that girls began to read earlier than boys. Even though this is true most girls arent given the
change to taken superiority, especially when kindergarten approaches. Because gifted girls on the
average read earlier than gifted boys, both admissions policies and gifted identification policies
that do not take into account these differences in development can be considered gendered
practices (Kerr & Multon, 2015). The injustice of these acts are absurd, but oh so common in
todays world. Gender bias is prevalent everywhere.
Self-Identification:

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As a child approaches their late pre-teen years and progress to their teens, various
obstacles may hinder them from success. Obstacles such as low self-esteem, self-identification or
even acceptance from their peers. The big question, who am I?, begins to eat away at ones
conscious. Most students never fully commit to their true self until early adulthood approaches.
The child may research gender identity, the acceptance of being either male or female, or even
sexual orientation, the path of ones sexual attraction. To main components of self-identification.
Various pictures such as the one below may strike their fancy:

(GenderQueer, 2013)
This picture raises an eyebrow and makes the view think. The caption below states, which
category do you identify yourself with? This question is very challenging because out of the
sixteen people in this chart one may identify with several. Theorist, Erik Erickson, believes that
identity and personal development regards how a child interacts with others and their
environments. So a woman is never just a woman and a man is never just a man (Windsor et al,
2015).
Once adulthood strikes, most of adults are comfortable in their own skin. Acquired
stereotypes learned from their childhood experience, come to light. Stereotyping is unfair and is

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not just. In conclusion, people are free to live their lives, in way they please. Growing up
children are blind to the world and the only sin they know of is the word No. Any prior
knowledge is obtained from their surroundings. As the child progresses in age, the child begins
to develop their own sense of right from wrong. As adulthood approaches, that child is no longer
a child. His or he decisions are pre meditated. To conclude gender roles and stereotypes are
premeditated ideas that make each human unique in their own way.

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Reference:
Bussey K., Bandura, A.,( 1999). Social and cognitive theory of gender development and
differentiation. Psychological Review, 106, 676-713.
Coltraine & Adams, (2008). Gender and families (2nd edition), Lanham, Maryland: Rowman.
GenderQueer. (Editor). (2013). Flexible Gender Identity) [Media]. Retrieved from
https://fysopgenderfocus.wordpress.com/gender-binary/
Kerr, B. A., & Multon, K. D. (2015). The development of gender identity, gender roles, and
gender relations in gifted students. Journal Of Counseling & Development, 93(2), 183191.
Windsor, D.L., Murrell, V.S., & Magun-Jackson, S. (2015). Lifespan development: An
educational psychology perspective, Boston, MA: Pearson Learning Solutions.

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