Introduction:

Informal socializing agents

People in which close contact occurs:-

Parents Siblings Extended family Friends

Formal socializing agents

Distant, but still exert an influence on individual behaviour:-

Education – teachers, school, curriculum

Law – police, courts, government.

Media

What theories can we use to explain how parents and schools might influence gender behaviour ?

Social learning theoryBiosocial

Gender schema theory

H&K – biosocial – fathers treat children differently depending on their biological sex – leads to gender differences e.g. boys likely to engage in more boisterous behaviour.

E&D – SLT – characters in the books could act as role models for the children who read them – could lead to imitation of behaviours and differences in role models.

Friedman – GST – the younger children's gender schema is being influenced by the mothers attitudes to gender

Bigler – GST – children form in-group/out-group schemas and own-sex schemas.

Must make sure you link back to social influence of parents and schools

It is important to consider how social influences actually impact on children’s perception of gender. It could be argued that they alter children’s gender schemas as the children gather information from their parents and teachers or perhaps the literature that they are exposed to at school. Friedman found that a mother’s use of stereotypical language predicted gender stereotyping in young children and Bigler found that when teachers split classes into all girl or all boy groups these children showed more gender stereotypical views than before. The research suggests that children are collecting information from their environment that is strengthening their schemas for each gender.

This research may be considered socially sensitive

Why?

If the research evidence backs up this theory, then it is potentially useful to us because …….

Overall the research is….

High in reliability but low in validity.

However this research is still useful!

It is difficult to isolate social factors when investigating gender.

Can other explanations account for findings?

Other IDA – nurture, determinism.