Gender Role Development

Overview

Lawrence Kohlberg’s theory of gender role development says that an individual’s gender role is determined by three processes. According to this theory, the foundation for understanding depends on a particular level of cognitive development. The notion of a child’s association between physical characteristics and psychological attributes was also incorporated by Kohlberg in his theory.

  • Gender Identity

    • 3-4 years old

    • preoperations cognitive stage

    • They have the capacity to distinguish between male and female individuals, including ourselves.

    • It is based on appearance, but they think gender is flexible and subject to change.

  • Gender Stability

    • 4-6 years old

    • late preoperations, early concrete operations cognitive stage

    • They understand girls will always be female and boys will always be male.

  • Gender Constancy

    • 6-7 years old

    • concrete operations cognitive stage

    • They understand that despite changes in appearances or activities, gender is stable.

Sandra Lipsitz Bem endorsed the idea that schemas form through cognitive development and believed that gender role formation is related to the function that assimilation and adaptation play in the development of schemas. There are four components to Bem’s gender-biased schematic processing.

  • Gender Recognition -> Stimulus Introduced -> Questioning How One Should React -> Response According to Gender

  • I am a boy -> I was given a doll to play with -> How should a boy react? -> I know that boys should not play with dolls

According to Bem, a child’s gender identity and role development are shaped by their family, society, and culture. 60 traits make up the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI). On a scale of 1 (never or almost never true) to 7 (always or almost always true), participants rate how they view each trait in themselves.

  • Feminine Traits

    • affectionate

    • cheerful

    • gentle

    • loyal

    • shy

    • sympathetic

  • Masculine Traits

    • acts as a leader

    • aggressive

    • dominant

    • independent

    • makes decisions easily

    • self-reliant

There are 20 “neutral” terms in the BSRI as well. Once a “score” has been computed, the individual will be able to see how much they identify with feminine and masculine personality traits as self-descriptive. Depending on the results of the BSRI, the person may be classified as masculine, feminine, androgynous, or undifferentiated.

  • Masculine

    • high “masculine” personality traits

    • low “feminine” personality traits

  • Feminine

    • high “feminine” personality traits

    • low “masculine” personality traits

  • Androgynous

    • high “masculine” personality traits

    • high “feminine” personality traits

  • Undifferentiated

    • low “masculine” personality traits

    • low “feminine” personality traits

Relating Gender Role Development

I knew as a child that certain things were exclusive to boys and certain things were exclusive to girls. However, both of my parents work, cook, and clean. They function as a unit and nobody had one specific job. I learned that gender roles did not have to be confining. Still, I was aware that boys and girls play with different toys and have different personalities. My two sisters and I shared both feminine and masculine traits as we grew up. We liked to play with dolls and makeup, but also loved spending time outside and playing in the woods.

Gender Role Development in My Future Career

I can keep each of these theories in mind when interacting with children. My knowledge may contribute to those with developing minds comprehend how gender norms affect their daily lives. As children learn about themselves and how they relate to others, gender identity is crucial for them to understand. I will be able to better assist children more appropriately based on their age and gender. When working with children, I must also be aware of implicit societal and cultural gender roles as these can influence how those children view gender. Throughout time, a child may express their gender identification in new ways as they learn more about it.

Winsor, D.L., Murrell, V.S., & Magun-Jackson, S. (Eds.) (2017). Lifespan Development: An Educational Psychology Perspective (4th ed.).