Gender Introduction

Gender Introduction

1. Wilson biological view (1975)

   • Argues that the need to reproduce requires men to be more promiscuous- 'spreading the seed'.
   • Women on the other hand, need to nurture one child and stay faithful to the farther of their child to ensure his help in its upbringing.

2. The Functionalist view Parsons (1955)

   • Females have an 'expensive role' in the family. This is natural and based on their childbearing role but is reinforced by socialisation
   • Males have an 'instrumental role' in the family that of a breadwinner and protector. This is also natural, based on physical strength but also reinforced through socialisation.

3. Feminist

   • Argue that gender identity is socially constructed by patriarchal society. They mean that male dominated society creates and reinforces stereotypes of how male and females should be.
   • Not only family that contributes to the social construction of gender. The other agencies of socialisation may also reinforce stereotypical expectations of gender roles

4. Hey (1997

   • Studied friendship groups among teenage girls and looked at the power the female peer group has over girls behaviour.
   • How the norms of the female peer group are deeply rooted in patriarchy and expectations of how girls should be

5. Mead (1935)

   • Studied was male and female behaviour and gender role expectations in different tribes. These were very different from the gender role expectations in the US at the time.
   • For example, the Arapesh tribe, both males and females were gentle and cooperative. In contrast both genders in the Mundugumor tribe were violet and aggressive.
   • Tchambuli (Chambri) where males and females were different from each other, but roles were almost the opposite of those expected in the US and the UK
   • The women were dominant and aggressive and not much involved in childrearing,whereas the men were timid, emotionally dependent and spent their time decorating themselves. Aggressive men were considered 'abormal'