Not only are people born into a specific culture, they also are socialized into

Question

Not only are people born into a specific culture, they also are socialized into specific gender roles. “Cross cultural studies of gender are concerned with both the degree to which psychological processes and behaviors are relatively invariant across cultures and how they vary systematically with cultural influences,” according to Best and Williams (Matsumoto (Ed.), 2001, p. 197). Cultures often differ in the emphasis placed on social roles assigned to males and females; appropriate gender relations based on sexual role ideologies; gender stereotypes; and the incorporation of masculinity and femininity into self-concept and self-perception. Children are socialized into these gender roles through multiple agents, such as parents, siblings, peers, teachers, religious institutions, and various forms of media.

For this Discussion, consider various socialization agents and their influence on gender role development related to behaviors, attitudes, or expectations. Use Asian and American culture. Select two socialization agents to use in this Discussion.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 4

a description of the two socialization agents you selected and explain how these agents influence gender role development across two different cultures.

Then, describe two socialization agents that influenced your own gender role development and explain how.

Finally, explain how your gender role development might have been affected if you were raised in a different culture. Support your responses using the Learning Resources and the current literature.

Explanation / Answer

Select two socialization agents to use in this Discussion.

Two of the socialisation agents in this discussion would be family and mass media.

Asian and American culture.

Asian culture: in the Asian culture, for a long time, women have been referred to or considered to be the home makers and the gender that was responsible to take care of the house. This reponsibility could be seen more prominently in joint families, were daughters would be expected to contribute to household work, often keeping academics or any other work as the secondary priority. Family and grandparents have had such profound contribution of development of this identity, that at many times the last word spoken by the head of the family would be the final word. This scenario has begun to change with families separating into the more independent or nuclear versions. With a shift in family size, there has been a shift in the definition of gender roles, which is still defined by the mothers instilling values into their kids, with distribution of toys to making children contribute in household works.

Further change in the dynamics has been seen with the overpowering influence of mass media in today’s world. As theinfluence of mass media has been increasing, with the incrased awareness of gender roles and increased information of what work is done by women, there is a huge change in the thought process and growing empowerment has been seen in women.

American culture:

In the American culture, women were also considered the home maker. In particularly African American families, the major contributions of women had to be to take care of women and to give good values to the children. After the war, women were expected to manage homes and take care of the house. The idea that women would work outside the house was co,plenteous rejected. Men wanted a peaceful space as they would return to their homes and hence there began a culture where women would be encouraged to become house wives. Their education would not be a topic of primary importance and for women to become empowered and establish themselves in offices took a huge time.

The acceptance of women in offices and work places had been a struggle for a long time. Even today women face issues at work places where they fail to establish themselves or even obtain equal pay. At such places, the influence of mass media has played its parts where promotion of such rights of women and greater awareness has occurred. Children growing up in such environments are not only aware of the whereabouts but also of the issues and of their rights. Women growing up in such environments under the influence of mass media do not succumb to the orthodox rules and stand not only at par but at times also above the men.

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse N
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.