GENDER THEORIES

1
GENDER THEORIES
2
GENDER THEORIES

• IDENTIFICATION
• A CHILDS ADOPTION OF THE CHARACTERISTICS,
  BELIEFS, ATTITUDES, VALUES, AND BEHAVIORS OF
  ANOTHER PERSON OR OF A GROUP

3
GENDER

• GENDER
• REFERS TO THE SOCIAL DIMENSION OF BEING MALE OR
  FEMALE
• GENDER IDENTITY
• SENSE OF BEING MALE OR FEMALE, WHICH MOST
  CHILDREN ACQUIRE BY THE TIME THEY ARE 3 YEARS OLD
• GENDER ROLE
• SET OF EXPECTATIONS THAT PRESCRIBE HOW FEMALES
  AND MALES SHOULD THINK, ACT, AND FEEL

4
GENDER

• BIOLOGICAL INFLUENCES
• HORMONES
• PRENATAL INFLUENCE
• ANDROGEN
• MAIN CLASS OF MALE SEX HORMONES
• ESTROGEN
• MAIN CLASS OF FEMALE SEX HORMONES
• CHILD BEHAVIOR AS MALE OR FEMALE IS DUE TO AN
  INTERACTION OF BIOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL
  FACTORS

5
GENDER

• SOCIAL INFLUENCES
• PARENTS
• CULTURE
• SCHOOLS
• PEERS
• MEDIA
• OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS

6
GENDER THEORIESIDENTIFICATION THEORY

• FREUD
• OEDIPAL
• 5-6 YEARS RENOUNCES ATTRACTION
• IDENTIFIES WITH SAME PARENT (ANXIETY)
• UNCONSCIOUSLY ADOPTING THE SAME- SEX PARENTS
  CHARACTERISTICS
• NO LONGER POPULAR
• CONTRADICTED
• CHILDREN BECOME GENDER-TYPED EARLIER THAN 5-6
  YEARS EVEN WHEN THE SAME SEX PARENT IS NOT IN THE
  FAMILY

7
GENDER THEORIESSOCIAL LEARNING THEORY

• GENDER DEVELOPMENT OCCURS THROUGH OBSERVATION AND
  IMITATION OF GENDER BEHAVIOR, AND THROUGH THE
  REWARDS AND PUNISHMENTS CHILDREN EXPERIENCE FOR
  GENDER APPROPRIATE AND INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR
• CRITICS NOT AS PASSIVELY ACQUIRED AS THIS
  THEORY INDICATES

8
GENDER THEORIESCOGNITIVE DEVELOPMENTAL

• GENDER TYPING OCCURS AFTER THEY HAVE DEVELOPED A
  CONCEPT OF GENDER
• ONCE CONSISTENTLY CONCEIVE OF THEMSELVES AS MALE
  OR FEMALE, CHILDREN OFTEN ORGANIZE THEIR WORLD ON
  THE BASIS OF GENDER

9
GENDER THEORIESGENDER SCHEMA THEORY

• SCHEMA
• COGNITIVE STRUCTURE
• NETWORK OF ASSOCIATIONS THAT GUIDES AN
  INDIVIDUAL'S PERCEPTIONS
• GENDER SCHEMA
• ORGANIZES THE WORLD AS MALE OR FEMALE
• GENDER SCHEMA THEORY
• INDIVIDUALS ATTENTION AND BEHAVIOR ARE GUIDED BY
  AN INTERNAL MOTIVATION TO CONFORM TO GENDER-BASED
  SOCIOCULTURAL STANDARDS AND STEREOTYPES

10
GENDER INFLUENCES

• BIOLOGICAL
• FAMILY
• MEDIA
• CULTURAL

11
FEARS

• WHAT DO CHILDREN FEAR, AND WHY?
• 2-4 YEARS TEMPORARY FEARS ARE COMMON
• ANIMALS, ESPECIALLY DOGS
• 6 YEARS CHILDREN ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE AFRAID OF
  THE DARK
• OTHER FEARS ARE
• THUNDERSTORMS
• DOCTORS
• CHILDREN BECOME FEARFUL DUE INTENSE FANTASY
  LIFE--THEIR INABILITY TO CLEARLY DISTINGUISH
  PRETENDING FROM REALITY.

12
FEARS

• 10-12 YEAR-OLDS ARE AFRAID OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
  THEY UNDERSTAND CAUSE AND EFFECT
• FEAR BODILY INJURY
• FEAR PHYSICAL DANGER
• 4-6 YEAROLDS MAY FEAR A PERSON WHO LOOKS UGLY.
• UNDRLYING ANXIETIES MAY CAUSE SOME FEARS.
• VIIOLENT TELEVISION SHOWS
• VIOLENT MOVIES
• THESE PROVIDE FRIGHTENING IMAGES FOR ANXIETIES.

13
FEARS

• FEARS COME FROM APPRAISAL OF REAL DANGERS
• DOG BITES
• BEING HIT BY A CAR AND THEN IS AFRAID TO CROSS
  STREETS
• PREVENTING AND DEALING WITH FEARS
• PARENTS SHOULD ACCEPT FEARS AS NORMAL AND OFFER
  REASSURANCE AND ENCOURAGE CHILDREN TO EXPRESS
  THEIR FEELINGS WITHOUT BEING RIDICULED OR
  PUNISHED
• AVOIDANCE DOES NOT REMOVE THE CAUSE OF FEAR
• THROUGH CONDITIONING , MODELING, AND GRADUAL
  EXP0SURE TO THE FEARED OBJECT (DESENSITIZATION)
  , THE FEAR CAN BE ATTACKED DIRECTLY

14
AGGRESSION

• AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR
• HOSTILE ACTIONS INTENDED TO HURT SOMEBODY OR TO
  ESTABLISH DOMINANCE
• INSTRUMENTAL AGGRESSION
• TODDLER ROUGHLY SNATCHES A TOY AWAY FROM ANOTHER
  CHILD IS INTERESTED ONLY IN GETTING THE TOY
• AGGRESSION USED AS AN INSTRUMENT TO REACH A GOAL

15
AGGRESSION

• AGRESSION SURFACES MOSTLY DURING SOCIAL PLAY.
• SOME AGGRESSION IS NORMA, AND THE CHILDREN WHO
  FIGHT THE MOST TEND TO BE THE MOST SOCIABLE AND
  COMPETENT
• 2-5 YEARS-BETTER ABLE TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES WITH
  WORDS, AGGRESSION DECLINES IN FREQUENCY,
  INITIATION, AND AVERAGE LENGTH OF EPISODES.
  HOWEVER, INDIVIDUAL DIFFFERENCES UP TO AGE 2
  ,EXPECIALLY IN BOYS, TEND TO BE FAIRLY STABLE.
  BOYS WHO HIT OR GRAB AT AGE 2 ARE STILL ACTING
  AGGRESSIVELY AT AGE 5

16
AGGRESSION

• MOST CHILDREN BECOME LESS AGGRESSIVE AFTER AGE 6
  OR 7 AS EMPATHY MORE COMMONLY REPLACES
  EGOCENTRISM
• SOME CHILDREN BECOME MORE AND MORE DRESTRUCTIVE.
  AGGRESSION MAY BE A REACTION TO MAJOR PROBLEMS IN
  A CHILDS LIFE. IT MAY ALSO CAUSE MAJOR
  PROBLEMS, BY MAKING OTHER CHILDREN AND ADULTS
  DISLIKE A CHILD
• ADHD
• HYPERACTIVE CHILD\OPPOSITIONAL DEFIANT

17
TRIGGERS OF AGGRESSION

• TESTOSTERONE (BIOLOGICAL)
• SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY
• INEFECTIVE PARENTING
• PARENTS FAILTO REINFORCE GOOD BEHAVIOR AND ARE
  HARSH OR INCONSISTENT OR BOTH IN PUNISHING
  MISBEHAVIOR. THEY ARE NOT CLOSELY INVOLVED IN
  THEIR CHILDRENS LIVES IN POSITIVE WAYS.
• CHILDREN TEND TO DO POORLY IN SCHOOL AND TO BE
  REJECTED BY THEIR PEERS. DEPRESSED, THEY THEN
  SEEK OUT OTHER TROUBLED CHILDREN, WHO SPUR THEM
  ON TO MORE ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR

18
TRIGGERS OF AGGRESSION

• TRIGGERS FOR THESE CHILDREN
• REINFORCEMENT FOR AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR,
• FRUSTRATION
• IMITATION OF AGGRESSIVE MODELS IN REAL LIFE OR ON
  TELEVISION. (POWER RANGERS?)
• REINFORCEMENT
• CHILDREN ARE EWARDED FOR AGRESSION BY GETTING
  WHAT THEY WANT

19
TRIGGERS OF AGGRESSION

• SOMETIMES SCOLDING OR SPANKING CAN EINFORCE
  AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR. (NEGATIVE ATTENTION IS
  BETTER THAN NONE AT ALL)
• SOME PARENTS ACTIVELY ENCOURAE AGGRESSION TOWARD
  OTHER CHILDREN WHILE DISCOURAGING IT TOWARD
  THEMSELVES

20
TRIGGERS OF AGRESSION

• FRUSTRATION AND IMITATION
• FRUSTRATION---OFTEN RESULTING FROM PUNISHMENT ,
  INSULTS, AND FEARS---DOES NOT NECESSARILY LEAD TO
  AGGRESSION, BUT A FRUSTRATED CHILD IS MORE LIKELY
  TO ACT AGRESSIVELY THAN A CONTENTED ONE
• TELEVISED VIOLENCE
• RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT CHILDREN ARE INFLUENCED
  MORE BY SEEING FILMED VIOLENCE THAN BY SEEING
  REAL PEOPLE ACTING AGGRESSIVELY.
• CHILDRENS PROGRAMS ARE MUCH MORE VIOLENT THAN
  ADULTS PROGRAMS

21
REDUCING AGGRESSION

• PARENTS CAN OFTEN NIP AGGRESSIVE TENDENCIES IN
  THE BUD BY CHANGING WHAT THEY DO EARLY IN THEIR
  CHILDRENS LIVES
• PARENT TRAINING
• REASONING (DEALING WITH GUILT AND WITHDRAWING
  APPROVAL AND AFFCTION) CAN LEAD TO STRONGER
  CONSCIENCE.
• CHILDREN WHO ARE DISCIPLINED BY SPANKING,
  THREATS. OR WITHDRAWL OF PRIVILEGES ARE MORE
  LIKELY FO BE AGGRESSIVE.PUNISHMENT-- ESPECIALLY
  SPANKING-- MAY BACKFIRE, BECAUSE HITTING CHILDREN
  PROVIDES A DOUBLE INCENTIVE FOR VIOLENCE. THE
  CHILD NOT ONLY SUFFERS PAIN, FRUSTRATION, AND
  HUMILIATION BUT SEES AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR IN AND
  ADULT.