Describe and evaluate gender schema theory.
Describe and evaluate gender schema theory. (8 marks +16 marks)
Martin and Halverson (1981), like Kohlberg, believed that gender development involves acquiring information about one’s own gender. However, Martin and Halverson argued that children start to learn about gender – appropriate behaviour before gender constancy is achieved. They claimed that basic gender identity (gender labelling) is sufficient for a child to identify him/herself as boy/girl and take an interest in what behaviours are appropriate.
Martin and Halverson explained gender development in terms of schemas, organised clusters of information about gender appropriate behaviour. Children learn these schemas from their interactions with people, such as learning about what toys are appropriate toys for each gender, what clothes to wear and so on.
These gender schemas provide a means of interpreting the environment and selecting appropriate types of behaviour, with children’s perceptions becoming sex – typed. In – group schemas relate to attitudes and expectation relating to one’s own gender, while out – group schemas relate to the other gender. Toys, games and even objects become categorised as ‘for boys’ or ‘for girls’ and children increasingly indulge in gender – stereotyped activites, actively ignoring the other gender.
An important aspect of Gender Schema theory is that it can explain the power og gender beliefs. Gender beliefs lead children to hold very fixed gender attitudes because they ignore any information they encounter that is not consistent with ingroup information. For example, if a boy sees a film with a male nurse, this information is ignored because the man is not behaving consistenly with the boys’ ingroup schema. Therefore, the boy does not alter his existing schema. In this way gender schema have a profound effect on what is reme,mbered.
There is research support for the view that gender stereotypes are acquired before constancy. Martin and Little (1990) found
Martin and Halverson (1981), like Kohlberg, believed that gender development involves acquiring information about one’s own gender. However, Martin and Halverson argued that children start to learn about gender – appropriate behaviour before gender constancy is achieved. They claimed that basic gender identity (gender labelling) is sufficient for a child to identify him/herself as boy/girl and take an interest in what behaviours are appropriate.
Martin and Halverson explained gender development in terms of schemas, organised clusters of information about gender appropriate behaviour. Children learn these schemas from their interactions with people, such as learning about what toys are appropriate toys for each gender, what clothes to wear and so on.
These gender schemas provide a means of interpreting the environment and selecting appropriate types of behaviour, with children’s perceptions becoming sex – typed. In – group schemas relate to attitudes and expectation relating to one’s own gender, while out – group schemas relate to the other gender. Toys, games and even objects become categorised as ‘for boys’ or ‘for girls’ and children increasingly indulge in gender – stereotyped activites, actively ignoring the other gender.
An important aspect of Gender Schema theory is that it can explain the power og gender beliefs. Gender beliefs lead children to hold very fixed gender attitudes because they ignore any information they encounter that is not consistent with ingroup information. For example, if a boy sees a film with a male nurse, this information is ignored because the man is not behaving consistenly with the boys’ ingroup schema. Therefore, the boy does not alter his existing schema. In this way gender schema have a profound effect on what is reme,mbered.
There is research support for the view that gender stereotypes are acquired before constancy. Martin and Little (1990) found