Reference no: EM133318580

Case Study: Discussion on Gender

• Gender is the first core identity that gets young children's attention. It develops very early.
• By age 2, children begin to notice physical differences and begin to describe themselves as boy or girls, although they are not yet sure what that means.
• By age 3, children have ideas about behaviors, activities, and toys that go with gender: "Boys don't cry." ... "Girls can't play with a hammer." "He can't have a doll, he's a boy!" ... "Toby is a boy's name; she can't be a Toby!"
• 3 and 4-year-olds tend to define gender by behaviors and appearance rather than by anatomy.
• By age 4, children are often rigid in their insistence on limited and stereotypical gender role behaviors.
• By age 5, most children have deeply incorporated a gender identity reflecting the gender expectations of their family and the larger society.
• Gender identity includes both, gender anatomy and gender role.

Purpose:

To reflect and recognize how society influences our views on gender and it's roles.

Question 1: What may influenced ideas on gender roles? Share some main influences about gender roles.
Question 2: As you go about your life this week, be particularly cognizant of how media, books, movies, conversations with family/friends, listening to strangers at the store converse, etc influence one's ideas on gender roles. Share at least one concrete example of how what you saw/heard would influence our gender roles. For example, did you hear the "garbage collector" or "trashman" is picking up our trashcans today?
Question 3: How has this chapter and simple exercise influenced your ideas on gender roles in young children?