Free Essays on The Development Of Gender Roles In Children

The Development of Gender Roles in Children In a society filled with gender stereotypes and biases, children often adopt gender roles which are not always equal to both males and females. As children move on through childhood and later into adolescence many factors influence their views and behaviors towards gender roles. These attitudes and behaviors are learned initially in the home, and later reinforced by many other outside influences such as their school experiences, friends, teachers, and television. Children turn out to internalize many of the gender stereotypes and behaviors of the past. Where are these stereotypes coming from? The strongest influence on gender development occurs in the home, with parents passing on many of the beliefs they have about gender roles. Children learn at a young age what it means to be a boy or a girl in our society. Through opportunities, encouragement and discouragement, obvious behaviors, covert suggestions, and various types of guidance, children experience the formation of their gender role socialization. It is hard for children to grow into adults without experiencing some form of gender bias or gender stereotyping, whether it be that boys are supposed to be tough or better at math, or that females can only play with dolls. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research states, â€Å"parents, especially fathers, tend to reward boys more than girls for displaying gender-congruent forms of play. They also tend to punish boys more harshly than girls for deviations from prescribed gender role norms† (McCreary 519). Often times this punishment is mental, with boys being teased by their fathers for acting like a â€Å"sissy,† or not being â€Å"tough.† A child’s earliest exposure to what it means to be male or female comes from parents. From the time they are babies, parents treat sons and daughters differently, dressing infants in gender specific colors and clothing, and giv... Free Essays on The Development Of Gender Roles In Children Free Essays on The Development Of Gender Roles In Children The Development of Gender Roles in Children In a society filled with gender stereotypes and biases, children often adopt gender roles which are not always equal to both males and females. As children move on through childhood and later into adolescence many factors influence their views and behaviors towards gender roles. These attitudes and behaviors are learned initially in the home, and later reinforced by many other outside influences such as their school experiences, friends, teachers, and television. Children turn out to internalize many of the gender stereotypes and behaviors of the past. Where are these stereotypes coming from? The strongest influence on gender development occurs in the home, with parents passing on many of the beliefs they have about gender roles. Children learn at a young age what it means to be a boy or a girl in our society. Through opportunities, encouragement and discouragement, obvious behaviors, covert suggestions, and various types of guidance, children experience the formation of their gender role socialization. It is hard for children to grow into adults without experiencing some form of gender bias or gender stereotyping, whether it be that boys are supposed to be tough or better at math, or that females can only play with dolls. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research states, â€Å"parents, especially fathers, tend to reward boys more than girls for displaying gender-congruent forms of play. They also tend to punish boys more harshly than girls for deviations from prescribed gender role norms† (McCreary 519). Often times this punishment is mental, with boys being teased by their fathers for acting like a â€Å"sissy,† or not being â€Å"tough.† A child’s earliest exposure to what it means to be male or female comes from parents. From the time they are babies, parents treat sons and daughters differently, dressing infants in gender specific colors and clothing, and giv...