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Schema Theory of
Gender Development
- part of the
cognitive approach
Schema Theory of Gender
Development
A schema is a packet of thoughts – a mental building block of thinking. This shorthand way of thinking saves us having to wade through lots of thoughts to reach a conclusion.
E.g. in a supermarket, we would expect the dog biscuits to be next to the tinned dog food, rather than near the biscuits we eat
Schema Theory of Gender
Development
A schema can be strengthened or changed as a result of experience, e.g. I now know that supermarkets change their shelves around at Christmas time
So, children put together a schema of what is normal for each gender … and how to grow up into that gender.
Stereotyping?
Schema Theory of Gender
Development
Schema Theory of Gender
Development
Ages & Stages:
Gender Labelling: up to 3 years – children realise they are either a boy or a girl and they can recognise others of their own gender and those of the opposite gender
Gender Stability: 3 to 5 years – boys know they will become men and girls know they will become women (but are confused by pantomime dames …)
Gender Constancy: 6+ years – they accumulate more knowledge about their own gender than the opposite one and therefore behave according to what they see in others of their own gender
Schema Theory of Gender
Development
Nowhere is this more apparent than with toys …
Schema Theory of Gender
Development Two Year 11 girls
decided to try this
out at our local
nursery a few
years ago.
They tipped out a
load of toys and
let the 3-year olds
loose …
Schema Theory of Gender
Development
Results:
Schema Theory of Gender
Development
Martin (1989)
Young children have a stereotype of boys liking boys’ toys and girls liking girls’ toys
Older children are more able to accept that boys sometimes play with girls’ toys and vice versa
vs.
+
Conclusion?
Young children
have a
stereotyped
view of gender;
older ones are
more flexible
Schema Theory of Gender
Development
A young boy and his father are in a car
accident. The father dies at the scene. The
boy is transported to the hospital, taken
immediately into surgery... but the surgeon
steps out of the operating room and says, "I
can't operate on this boy - he is my son!"
The question: Who is the surgeon?
Schema Theory of Gender
Development
The answer: the surgeon is the boy’s mother
So what stage of gender schema theory are you at?!
Schema Theory of Gender
Development
Not everyone is the same though …
Individual Differences:
Children who are stereotyped (“gender-
schematised”) look for evidence to back up that
prejudice while others are more flexible
The less usual gender occupations are done by
people who are less gender-schematised (i.e. more
flexible). E.g. male nurses, female truck drivers
Schema Theory of Gender
Development
Schema Theory of Gender
Development
Evaluation
We have looked at theories of gender identity –
biological, psychodynamic, social learning
theory (inc. media) and schema theory.
+ Of all these, schema theory seems to be the
best explanation because it makes most sense
(“ecologically valid”) and is the easiest to test
- But it ignores genes & hormones, parents and
those children who are not strongly gender-
schematised