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Gender Roles and DevelopmentChapter 7
Gender Roles in the Family• Roles are not innate but are learned• Progress toward Egalitarian roles in family• However, women still engaging in “second shift”• Equal sharing closely tied to marital satisfaction
Role Relationships in Happy vs. Unhappy Couples
Role Issues Happy Couples
Unhappy Couples
Both are equally willing to make adjustments
87% 46%
Both are satisfied with division of housework
81% 41%
Both work hard to have an equal relationship
90% 54%
Couples make most decisions jointly
89% 57%
Household tasks based on preference not tradition
71% 55%
Olson & Olson, 2000
Top Five Role Relationship Issues for Married Couples
Percentage
Concern about unfair division of housework 49%
House work is based on traditional roles versus interest
44%
The husband is not willing to adjust as much as the wife
44%
Women are responsible for running the household in addition to working outside the home
43%
Disagree that both work to maintain an equal relationship
40%
Adapted from Olson & Olson, 2000
Key Concepts
Key Concepts
• Sex: who we are biologically as male or female• Gender: includes psychosocial components that
characterize us as masculine or feminine• Gender Identity: an individual’s personal, internal
sense of maleness or femaleness• Gender Role: expectations about attitudes and
behaviors based on whether male/female
Key Concepts
• Masculinity: constellation of traits traditionally associated with men:• Aggressiveness• Independence• Dominance and competence
• Femininity: constellation of traits traditionally associated with women:• Passivity and dependency• Sensitivity and emotionality
Bem Sex-Role Inventory
Feminine
Masculine Undifferentiated
Masculine Traits
Feminine TraitsFeminine Traits
High
High
Low
Low
-assertive -athletic-competitive -dominant-independent -leadership
-soft spoken-affectionate-cheerful-compassionate-gentle-sympathetic
Bem, 1995
Androgynous
Traditional Patterns found in Dating & MarriageTraditionalTraditional• Men are initiators• Woman take husband’s
name• Live apart prior to
marriage• No premarital sex• Roles are rigid• Men are providers—
head of household• Women—supporters
and nurturers
ContemporaryContemporary• Women & men initiators• Woman keeps own
name• Cohabitation acceptable• Premarital sex
acceptable• Roles are flexible• Both partners share in
household tasks• Both partners initiate sex• Career of both important
Gender Differences Found in Families• “Second Shift”—women take on primary responsibility for
housework:• Women have higher standard• Women feel responsible for housework• Women ask men to “help out”
• Source of conflict in relationships
International Perspective on Gender Bias
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Japan
Germany
Iceland
France
U.S.
Britain
El Salvador
China
Thailand
Percent in Agreement That Their Society Favored Men over Women
Gallop Poll, 1996
International Perspective on Traditional Gender Roles
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70Hungary
Chile
U.S.
France
Japan
Thailand
Taiwan
Spain
India
Germany
Lithuania
Percent That Support Traditional Gender Roles
Gallop Poll, 1996
Multicultural Perspectives on Gender• Mexican American
• Stereotype of male machismo• African American
• Egalitarian marriages• Economic marginalization
• American Indian• Communal orientation
• Asian American• Filial piety• Segregated sex roles
Gender and Socialization Theories
Gender and Socialization Theories• Social Learning Theory• Cognitive Development Theory• Family Systems Theory• Feminist Theory
Social Learning Theory• Learn sex appropriate behavior:
• consequences control behavior• Learning involves:
• Observation• Imitation• Reinforcement• Understanding standards and rules
Cognitive Development Theory• Learning changes with maturation• Children create:
• Gender identity• Gender role stereotypes• Gender values
• Once learn—seek congruence
Criticisms of Social Learning & Cognitive Approaches
• Assumes children of same sex develop similar identities
• Favors traditional role identities as desirable
• Focus is on childhood processes—overlooking adult processes
Family Systems Theory
• Gender role development and change occurs within family context• Change difficult
• Balanced families more open to change
• Unbalanced families resist change and independence
Feminist Framework
• View that women have been exploited, devalued and oppressed
• Focus on institutional restrictions on women’s development
• Focus on changing conditions
Gender Inequalities Around the World• Mortality • Natality • Institutional • Opportunity
• Professional• Ownership • Household
Nobel laureate Amarta Sen, 2001
Power in Families
Family Power…
• Ability of an individual to change the behavior of other family members• System property versus individual • Dynamic, not a static process• Multiple perspectives
Why People Want Power
• Self Actualization• Social Expectations• Family of Origin Influences• Psychological Need
Bases of Family Power
• Power Bases or Resources• Power Processes• Power Outcomes
Power Bases or Resources
• Resource theory of family power• Power balance relative to resources each
partner brings to relationship• “more resources equals more power”
• Principle of Least Interest• Person with least interest in relationship
has most power in relationship
Power Bases and Resource
• Coercive• punishment
• Reward• Ability to provide
rewards• Legitimate
• authority
• Expert• special knowledge
• Referent• Respect and/or love
• Informational• knowledge
Raven, Centers & Rodriguez, 1975
Family Power ProcessesInteraction techniques that occur during decision making• Assertive
• Expression of wants or desires• Aggression
• Demands of conformity• Control
• Effectiveness of attempts to change behavior of others
Family Power Outcomes
• Focuses on who makes decisions • Focuses on who are the “winners”• Research often examines ratios of assertive statements and
responses
Marital Power Balances
• Husband-dominant• Man is the boss
• Wife-dominant• Woman is the boss
• Syncratic • Authority shared; joint decision making
• Autonomic• Equal authority but in different arenas
Herbst, 1952
Power Patterns in Marriage
Power Dynamics in Couples
• Symmetrical• couples send similar messages to control how the relationship is
defined• Three subtypes that both partners utilize:
• Competitive• Submissive• Neutralized
• Complementary• one is dominant, the other submissive
Fitzpatrick, 1988