The Development of

Gender identity
Gender identity refers to whether people
consider themselves to be primarily
masculine, primarily feminine, or some
combination of two. It is also the way
someone identifies internally and how they
choose to express themselves externally.
According to social learning theory, children develop their
gender identity through observing and imitating the
gender-linked behavior of others; they are then “rewarded”
for imitating the behaviors of people of the same gender
and “punished” for imitating the behaviors of another
gender. For example, male children will often be rewarded
for imitating their father’s love of basketball but punished
or redirected in some way if they imitate their older sister’s
love of dolls. Children are shaped and molded by the
people surrounding them, who they try to imitate and
follow.
Further research suggests that children’s concept of
gender develops gradually between the ages of three
and five. After the age of five most children believe
that outward changes in clothing or hairstyle don’t
constitute a change in gender.
Once children begin to think about gender as a stable
trait, they also start to incorporate gender into their
own identity.
The terms “gender” and “sex” do not refer to the same
thing. When we say “Gender” it refers to a broad set of
characteristic qualities that distinguish between masculinity
and femininity and includes personal attributes, social roles,
social customs, activities and behaviors. Further, the
characteristic qualities associated with particular gender
vary over time, and across cultures. Unlike gender the term
“sex” is a constant across time and culture and refers to a
biological chromosomal determination of being either male
or female. In simplest terms, sex is biological while gender
is sociological.
 How do most children express their gender identity?

Younger children may express their gender very clearly. For example “I am a
girl not a boy”, “I am beautiful not handsome”
Children may also express their gender through; clothing or hairstyle, choice of
toys, games, and sports, social relationship, including the gender of friends and
lastly preferred name or nickname.
Remember: Gender expression is different from gender identity. You can’t
assume a child’s gender identity based on their gender expression( for example,
their choices of toys, clothing, or friends).
THANK YOU!!!