Gender Socialization Chapter 3.2 PDF

Gender Role Socialization Objectives At the end of the chapter, the students must have: 1. Understood the meaning of socialization; 2. Explained the agents of socialization 3. Describe how agents of socialization contribute in the development of self; 4. Explained the dynamics of gender role...

Gender Role Socialization Objectives At the end of the chapter, the students must have: 1. Understood the meaning of socialization; 2. Explained the agents of socialization 3. Describe how agents of socialization contribute in the development of self; 4. Explained the dynamics of gender role socialization; 5. Understood gender issues and concerns. Definition Socialization refers to the lifelong process of learning to become a member of the social world, beginning at birth and continuing until death. It is a lifelong experience by which individuals develop their human potential and learn culture. Socialization is the process of internalizing society’s values in order to adapt to one’s culture. It influences how people behave as males and females in the society. Gender socialization encompasses the process of learning society’s gender roles and their advantages and limitations. Human Development: Nature and Nurture The Role of Nature – how much personality is determined by our biological inheritance. The Role of Nurture – how much personality is determined by social-cultural environment. Agents of Socialization Family ⮚ The family is perhaps the most important agent of socialization for children. Parents’ values and behavior patterns profoundly influence those of their daughters and sons. Peer ⮚ Our peers also help socialize us and may even induce us to violate social norms. However, peer groups generally only affect short term interest unlike the family, which has long term influence. Agents of Socialization School ⮚ Schools teach set of expectations about the work, profession, or occupations they will follow when they mature. Schools have the formal responsibility of imparting knowledge in those disciplines which are most central to adult functioning in our society. Workplace ⮚ At the workplace, a person meets people of different age groups and belonging to different social and cultural backgrounds. Agents of Socialization Mass Media ⮚ Television shows, movies, popular music, magazines, web sites, and other aspects of the mass media influence our political views; our tastes in popular culture; our views of women, people of color, and gays; and many other beliefs and practices. Church ⮚Many religious institutions also uphold gender norms and contribute to their enforcement through socialization. Religion fosters a shared set of socialized values that are passed on through society. Role Role set – a number of roles attached to a single status. Role conflict – occurs when incompatible demands are built into a single status that a person occupies (e.g., a woman whose roles include fulltime employee, mother, wife, caregiver for an elderly parent, community volunteer). Role Strain – refers to the stress when, for any number of reasons, an individual cannot meet the demands of their social roles (e.g., doctor to a public clinic who is responsible for keeping expenditures down and providing high quality patient care simultaneously). Role exit – occurs when people disengage from social roles that have been that have been central to their identity (e.g., divorced women and men, retirees, ex-nuns). Gender Role Socialization Gender Role Socialization is the process of learning and internalizing culturally approved ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving according to one’s gender. Gender Stereotypes are fixed, unquestioned beliefs, or images we carry in the back of our minds about women and men. Gender Discrimination refers to any situation where a person is denied an opportunity or misjudged solely on the basis of their sex. Gender discrimination is when someone is treated unequally or disadvantageously based on their gender but not necessarily in a sexual nature. Gender Role Socialization Gender roles are highly resistant to change due to continuous exposure and reinforcement of gender differentiation. ⮚ Once internalized, gender roles are further reinforced, maintained, and sanctioned by the mechanism of social control: family, language, school, church, media. Agents of Socialization in the Context of Gender Role 1. Family: Four Processes in Child’s Learning of Gender Bias 1st stage: Manipulation – where people treat boys and girls differently 2nd stage: Canalization – people will direct their attention to gender appropriate objects exemplified by toys 3rd stage: Verbal Appellation – words used to tell children what they are. 4th stage: Activity Exposure – children are familiarized with gender appropriate task. Agents of Socialization in the Context of Gender Role 2. Education/Schools ⮚ Schools reinforce sexist concepts e.g., textbooks depict stereotyped roles like females as mother, housewives, sewers, or well-behaved girls, and males as fathers, workers, or naughty adventurous little boys. 3. Language ⮚ Language to communicate thoughts or ideas in the most pervasive institution of socialization. ⮚ Sexist terms, no matter how subtle, very easily maintain gender ideology e.g. using male “man” (whether by itself or as prefix/suffix) and “he” to refer to both sexes. Agents of Socialization in the Context of Gender Role 4. Churches/ Religion ⮚ Religious teachings depicting women as martyrs, self- sacrificing and conservative, etc. 5. Mass Media ⮚ Print and broadcast media are most effective socializing agent; subtle and often subconscious way plus long amount of time people expose themselves to media. Agents of Socialization in the Context of Gender Role Gender roles are deep-seated in the culture as well as beliefs and value systems of the society. Pervasive social control further reinforces, maintains, and sanctions gender roles. THEREFORE, ALL OF US NEEDS TO BE CONSCIOUS OF OUR BELIEFS AND ASSUMPTIONS AS THESE OFTEN IMPEDE THE ATTAINMENT OF OUR FULL POTENTIAL AS HUMAN BEINGS AND THOSE FOR WHICH WE ARE RESPONSIBLE.  Social script ascribed to individuals performing to their role in child- bearing or child-rearing and related tasks such as maintaining the household Social script ascribed to individuals pertaining to their role in economic production and related tasks such as engaging in public affairs and living in the world of work. Manifestations of Gender Bias 1. Marginalization The process which forces women out into the periphery of economic and social life; on the periphery of decision making, as well as diminishing the value of the activities in which they contribute to the national development process. Manifestations of Gender Bias 2. Subordination ∙ Is the institutionalized domination by men and women ∙ Position (very few women in politics and top positions) ∙ Status (weaker sex) ∙ Decision making (women are not included in planning and decision-making process.) VISION: Quality participation in decision making, recognition of capabilities Manifestations of Gender Bias 3. Multiple Burden ∙ Involvement in the three spheres of work: reproduction, production, and community work (parenting, housework, work in the public/private sector). VISION: Shared parenting, shared housework; shared breadwinning. 4. Gender Stereotypes ∙ Fixed, unquestioned beliefs or images we carry in the back of our minds about men and women VISION: Liberation from stereotyped images: non- sexist child rearing, non-sexist language. Manifestations of Gender Bias 5. Violence Against Women ∙ Acts of instilling fear and inflicting pain with the aim to injure, or abuse a person usually women using intimidation, emotional abuse, isolation, minimizing, denying, and blaming, using their children, using male privilege, using economic abuse, using coercion, and threats. VISION: Freedom from violence, freedom from harassment, control over one’s body, non-threatening behavior, respect, thrust and support, honesty and accountability, responsible parenting, shared responsibility, economic partnership, negotiation and fairness. Gender Sensitivity ⮚ The ability to recognize gender issues ⮚ Wo/men’s different perceptions and interests arising from their social location and different role ⮚ Renaming and reimaging wo/men relationships to bring about mutuality and partnerships. ⮚ Not a war of sexes ⮚ Not an anti-male stance (both women and men are victims, although women are affected more than men. In practically all cultures women have lower status than men.) How to be Gender Sensitive Seeing women and men, what they actually do, rather than relying on assumptions. Hearing women and men, their needs, priorities, and perspectives Counting the value of women’s work Respecting the full dignity of women and men Caring about women and men and what happen to them. References https://archive.unescwa.org/gender-discrimination https://share.stanford.edu/get-informed/learn- topics/gender-discrimination https://www.equalrights.org/issue/economic- workplace-equality/discrimination-at-work/ https://www.unicef-irc.org/evidence-for-action/what- is-gender-socialization-and-why-does-it-matter/