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