Social Role Theory

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Social Role Theory

• Leah Hyde

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Gender Stereotypes

• Aggressive - Dominant
• Direct - Acts as a leader
• Independent - Never cries
• Active - Logical
• Not emotional - Worldly
• Objective

Men
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Gender Stereotypes

• Gentle
• Tactful
• Quite
• Religious
• Neat
• Aware of others feelings

• Easily expresses tender feelings
• Enjoys art and literature
• Need for security

Women
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Why do women and men differ in their social
behavior?

• Eaglys Social Role Theory of sex differences in
  social behavior
• Social Role Theory- suggests that almost all
  behavioral differences we know about between
  males and females is the result of cultural
  stereotypes about gender (how males and females
  are supposed to act) and the resulting social
  roles that are taught to young people.

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Alice Eagly

• a social psychologist whose interests are mainly
  in two areas-the psychology of attitudes and the
  psychology of gender
• new research is on sex differences in attitudes
  on social and political issues
• Recently published over 20 books
• Currently a professor at Northwestern
• Enjoys the arts, especially classical music,
  theater, dance, and painting

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Her Argument

• The gender roles that emerge from a societys
  division of labor by sex are thus not arbitrary
  cultural constructions.
• Gender roles are thus emergents from the
  productive work of the sexes the
  characteristics embodied in these roles become
  stereotypic of women and men and facilitate the
  activities typically carried out by the workers
  of each sex.

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This implies

• that is because of a division of labor that
  women and men are different and not because of
  evolutionary psychology characteristics.
• because of the division of labor, women came to
  be regarded as housewives, not being able to work
  with men, but rather doing house related duties
  such as taking care of the children and cooking.
  
• ( supports social role theory and not
  evolutionary theory)

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So what are the actual differences in social
behavior?(Eagly and Wood 1991)

• 9 differences in adults observed across many
  studies
• 1- Women are better at sending and receiving
  messages non-verbally
• 2- Women conform to group pressures more then men
• 3- Women act more friendly and agree more with
  other group member in small groups

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Actual differences

• 4- Men are more strictly task-oriented in work
  groups
• 5- All female groups typically perform better
  than all male groups
• 6- Men are more likely to emerge as leaders in
  initially leaderless groups
• 7- Men are more helpful in short-term
  interactions with strangers

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Actual Differences

• 8- Men behave more aggressively to others than
  women, particularly when the aggression brings
  about physical harm or pain
• 9- Women report more life satisfaction and
  happiness then men

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How are these differences are produced?

• Social Role Theory and not because of
  evolutionary theory
• Pregnancy of women causes a difference
• If men were getting pregnant, then women would
  have been the ones that provide everything that
  is necessary for the baby to live.
• Differential treatment of girls and boys, which
  is still evident in the way children are raised
• (but steadily disappearing with the growing
  number of educated women)

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The End