C H A P T E R

6 Gender

“Don’t think that girls cannot be assertive

and boys cannot be sensitive.”
— Zoe, age 13

“Girls don’t understand guys, and guys

don’t understand girls very well.”
— Toby, age 17

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What is Gender?

• Sex
– Biological dimension of being male or
female
• Gender
– Sociocultural and psychological
dimensions of being male or female
• Gender Roles
– Expectations prescribing how females and
males should think, act, and feel

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Biological Influences on Gender

• Pubertal Change and Sexuality

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Social Influences on Gender

• I. Parental Influences

• Social-Cognitive Theory of Gender:

we are rewarded/punished to engage
in gender-appropriate ways by our
parents

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5

Social Influences on Gender

II. Birth order and Siblings:

Individuals in early adolescence are more

likely to conform to the norms of their older
siblings with regards to not only gender
norms, but also leisure activities.

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6
Social Influences on Gender

III. Peer influences: Starting in elementary school, children look

to and are influenced by their peers with regards to how to
behave, related to our gender.
Gender School: elementary school boys “teach” each other
“masculine” behavior just as much as elementary school girls
“teach” feminine behavior.

In general, those females who express traditionally “masculine”

behavior in early adolescence(tomboys) are more likely to be
accepted than those males who express traditionally “feminine”
behaviors.

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7

Social Influences on Gender

IV. Schools and Teachers:

How are gender and schools linked during adolescence?

Traditional View: Teachers experience inherent gender
biases dictated by the traditional norms of our society.

Who has a better overall chance of success in an academic

setting: males or females?

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8

Social Influences on Gender

V. Mass Media:

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Cognitive Influences on Gender

• Cognitive Developmental Theory of

Gender
– Children’s gender-typing occurs after
they have developed a concept of
gender
– First, children think of themselves as
either male or female. They then
organize their world on the basis of
gender

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10

Cognitive Influences on Gender

• Gender Schema Theory

• Schema: framework guiding our cognitive
understanding(ex..baby boys wear blue/baby
girls wear pink)
– Gender-typing emerges as individuals gradually
develop gender schemas of what is gender-
appropriate and gender-inappropriate in their
culture

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11

Gender Similarities & Differences

• Physical Similarities and

Differences

• Cognitive Similarities and

Differences

• Socioemotional Similarities
and Differences
“There is more difference within the sexes than between them.”
- Ivy Compton-Burnett
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12

Physical Similarities and Differences

• 1. Women have 2xs body fat of men

• 2. Men grow to be 10% taller, on
average, then women.
• 3. Women have a longer life-
expectancy—especially women who
have never married nor had children
• 4. Men reveal higher levels of stress
responses and stress hormoes

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13

Cognitive Similarities & Differences

Visiospatial Skills of Males and Females

Fig. 6.2
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14

Socioemotional Differences

• Overt versus Covert Aggression

• Males are undoubtedly more likely to express PHYSICAL

forms of anger, regardless of culture or age of child.
• Physical versus Relational aggression:
Research suggests that females engage in a
form of aggression called “relational”
aggression—involves subversive aggression:
spreading rumors, manipulating relationships,
influencing perceptions of others

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Socioemotional Differences

• Rapport talk:
– The language of conversation and a way
of establishing connections and
negotiating relationships
– Females tend to prefer private,
relationship-oriented conversation

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16

Socioemotional Differences

• Report talk:
– Talk that gives information.
Males tend to hold center stage
though such verbal
performances as storytelling,
joking, and lecturing with
information

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17

Gender-Role Classification

Fig. 6.4
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Context, Culture and Gender Roles

• Context Dating

• Culture
Woodabe Tribe

Geewewol

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19
Traditional Masculinity and Problem
Behaviors in Adolescent Males

• Boy code:
– Boys are socialized to not show feelings
and act tough

• Boys could benefit from being

socialized to express anxieties and
concerns

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Traditional Masculinity and Problem
Behaviors in Adolescent Males

• Premarital sex

• Alcohol & drugs

• Delinquent activities

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Gender Role Transcendence

• When an individual’s competence is

at issue, it should be conceptualized
not on the basis of masculinity,
femininity, or androgyny, but, rather,
on a person basis

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22
Developmental Changes and
Junctures

• Gender intensification hypothesis:

– Psychological and behavioral differences
between boys and girls become greater during
early adolescence
– This is due to increased socialization pressures
to conform to traditional masculine and feminine
gender roles

• Is Early Adolescence a Critical Juncture for

Females?

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23

Taking it to the Net

• For more information on material

covered in this chapter, visit our
Online Learning Center:

http:www.mhhe.com/santrocka11

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