Sex-Role Development - Essay Example

We live in a society, in which sons and daughters are treated very differently, pink is considered feminine and blue is considered an ideal colour for boys. Boys are given much more freedom than girls; this is often fought against by the mothers. Boys make their own groups when they reach infancy, such groups operate independently but when girls make such groups they have to be dependent on someone to operate effectively. A girl who displays masculine traits is considered abnormal and a boy who displays feminine traits is considered abnormal, this is very stereotypical thinking and something which must change very soon.

Girls are encouraged to play with dolls and boys, on the contrary, engage in activities which suit their gender. “While both mothers and fathers contribute to the gender stereotyping of their children, fathers have been found to reinforce gender stereotypes more often than mothers.” (Ruble, 1988) These were some of the socio-cultural and biological factors which affect gender role development.