Distribution of Gender Roles - Research Paper Example

A research interview project on gender Research assignment about 'Gender' Stephanie Spencer StephanieSpencer14@hotmail.com 07886 380937 Literature Review When we look at an object or person, we identify it as something. Objects or persons are not considered individuals but they are grouped into cognitive categories based on their similarities. Each category has expectations for appearance and behavior. Two fundamental bases for categorization are gender and age (Horn & Gurel, 1981). A role is the cluster of expectations for behavior of individuals in a particular category (Chafetz, 1978). Each society has specific beliefs concerning the roles that are appropriate for each gender. To conform or do not conform to these roles' expectations facilitate social interaction and affects how others perceive them. Gender has been shown to affect teacher-student interactions and expectations. Brophy and Good (1970) found that boys received more behavior criticism than did girls. Rich (1975) found that unattractive girls were blamed less frequently for a misbehavior and received more lenient recommendations for punishment than did unattractive boys. (Allen & Eicher, 1973) found that in a school, dress that conforms to peer expectations may enhance social acceptability and opportunities for social interaction with peers. They found that friendship choice and choice for peer group membership as a function of violation of dress norms. Thematic Analysis: The courses presented in school during the time the respondent attended school conformed to gender expectations. The respondents' background in woodwork which caused her to join the woodwork course has caused the respondent to non-conform to the female gender role and conform to the male role. At first after joining the woodwork course as a female, the teacher demonstrated disapproval of being a female in a male course as demonstrated by respondents words "Teacher not happy about having a girl in the class and wasn't nice to me". The boys in class reacted similarly by implying that the respondent's was funny as quoted by the respondent "Boys were great they thought I was funny at first". After the respondent demonstrated her skills in crafting their first wood project, the boys did not like her more and the teacher was less hard on her even though he did not accept her mentally in class. Thus the more the female respondent did not conform to the female gender role, the more dislike she gained as quoted by the respondent "Boys didn't like it when I was I was good at woodwork". After time in the woodwork course, it was decided that the female respondent was not a typical female. The female respondent was thought more of a male rather than a female which was why she was not asked out on dating as quoted by the respondent "when I got interested in dating some of them they didn't see me in that way". The female respondent did not conform to the female role in her school by joining the woodwork and metal work courses. As an initial reaction to this non-conformity, the course teacher demonstrated dislike and the boys in class never thought the female was funny. Later on the boys in class showed more dislike of her non-conformity to gender roles as the female demonstrated skills in woodwork. As time passed, the female respondent was more thought of as a male rather than a female which caused fewer boys to ask her out for dating. The female respondent was further influenced by her social image as more belonging to the male group rather than female as she quoted "I was a tomboy and I never really followed the latest fashion" and "I was never a very feminine girl, often mistaken for a boy in junior years". After the female respondent graduated from school, she started to conform towards the female gender role. The pressure from school conformation to gender roles was removed and she became more feminine as she quoted "I am a lot more feminine now than I was then". Schools cause pressure to conform to gender roles as demonstrated in their dress code. As quoted by the respondent "Girls were not allowed to wear trousers. We had to wear skirts in P.E. with horrible blue pants underneath". The school rules concerning the dress code caused stress on females and males to conform to their respective gender roles. If one student similar to the female respondent did not conform to her respective gender role, she was disliked until she was later accepted as a male rather than a female. Today schools pose less pressure to conform to gender roles. Respondent quoted "I wouldn't expect to have the treatment I had off a woodwork teacher now". However the pressure to conform to one's gender still exists since the respondent's daughter is the only girl in the science club last year. Results: Thematic analysis of this interview conformed to literature reviewed as it proves the categorization of students based on gender. Within a closed society as a school, there exist gender role expectations. Gender affects teacher-student and student-student interactions. The conformity to gender role expectation affects social acceptability and opportunities and friendship choice for peer group membership. References Allen, C, & Eicher, J. (1973). Adolescent girls' acceptance and rejection based on appearance. Adolescence, 8(29), 125-138. Brophy, J., & Good, T. (1970). Teachers' communication of differential expectations for children's classroom performance: Some behavioral data. Journal of Educational Psychology, 61, 364-374. Chafetz, J. (1978). Masculine/feminine or human (2nd ed.). Itasca, IL: Peacock. Horn, M., & Gurel, L. (1981). The second skin. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Rich, J. (1975). Effects of children's physical attractiveness on teachers' evaluations. Journal of Educational Psychology, 67(5), 599-609. Workman, J. & Johnson, K. (1994). Effects on conformity and nonconformity to gender-role expectations for dress: teachers versus students". Adolescence. Spring 1994. FindArticles.com. 06 Oct. 2007. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2248/is_n113_v29/ai_15502647 Appendix I: Transcript of Interview An interview to investigate conformity to gender roles at school. Question 1- What subjects did you study at school Answer- well I did the usual, you know, English maths and science; I also did music, R.E woodwork, metal work and French at O level and then sciences at A level. Question 2- Do you consider that the subjects you took conformed to gender expectations Answer- Well obviously not. I mean some we didn't have any choice over. I hated home economics- I think you would call it food technology now. I remember making scotch eggs and mine were runny and raw and I couldn't cover them. Once I made a sponge that stuck to the top of the oven and this was a disaster. I even set the fire alarm off making lemon curd! The teacher was really relieved when I said I wasn't going to take it at O level. Woodwork was a different kettle of fish. My granddad was a carpenter so my early years were spent in his workshop making things. By the time I got to secondary school I was very good at it. The teacher was not happy about having a girl in the class and wasn't nice to me. The other boys were great they thought I was funny at first. When we made our first thing it was a wooden spatula. Mine was really very good and I got an 'A' after this things got better with the teacher. He wasn't quite so hard on me. I don't think he ever really accepted me though. The boys didn't like it when I was I was good at woodwork. It took them sometime to come round and I only really got by because they decided I was 'one of them' and not a typical girl. This didn't help me though as when I got interested in dating some of them they didn't see me in that way. Metalwork was much the same as woodwork. I loved it and was good at it but I was stil the only girl doing it. I did do needlework at school and I was good at that aswell. I still like it. Funny thing is I cook loads now and don't do woodwork anymore. Question 3- Do you think, in general, you conformed to gender roles in school I guess to some extent I did. I was always a bit of a tomboy and I never really followed the latest fashion. I wasn't one of the trendy girls but I wasn't unpopular. I was never a very feminine girl, often mistaken for a boy in junior years. I guess I am a lot more feminine now than I was then. Maybe I have conformed more as time has gone on. I think that there are lots of things you don't have choices over- when I went to school girls were not allowed to wear trousers. We had to wear skirts in P.E. with horrible blue pants underneath. I don't think I was aware of conforming or not to gender roles really. I just went along with the rules. I don't think it was really about one specified gender role. Some girls would go a lot further with boys than others and this was a role they had. Some girls were bright, some were trendy. There were different groups of girls in the school and I guess you conformed to one type of group. Question 3- do you think gender roles have changed in schools Answer- I don't really know. I think there is much more equality. I wouldn't expect to have the treatment I had off a woodwork teacher now. Although my daughter was the only girl in the science club last year- so how far have we come I think that there will always be pressures to conform in schools. My teenager is really into fashion and spends ages trying to look right. I guess there will always be gender roles. I think it is important for us to allow kids to be individuals- if they can be. Appendix II: Consent Form Information Sheet Title of Study: A research interview project on gender Name and Address of Researcher/Email/Phone Number Stephanie Spencer StephanieSpencer14@hotmail.com 07886 380937 Thank you for taking the time to read the Information Sheet and considering taking part in my study. Purpose of the study To help me with my research assignment about 'Gender'. Why have I been chosen to take part I have chosen you to be a participant in my study because you are a Psychology Student at Manchester Metropolitan University, Cheshire. Do I have to take part No- there is no compulsion to take part. Your participation in the evaluation is voluntary. You may discontinue at anytime, without prejudice. What will happen to me if I take part Participating in the study will require a short interview about 'Gender'. The interview will be tape-recorded and will be heard by myself only. The tape will be solely for the purpose of research with the ethical standards of confidentiality. If you wish, the tape can be destroyed at any time. What are the possible disadvantages of taking part You may be required to give up 20 minutes of time. What are the possible advantages of taking part You will be helping me a great deal with my assignment and university work. What are the possible risks of taking part There are no risks identified Will my taking part in the study be kept confidential You will not be identified in any way in any report or publication associated with the study. The only person, other than myself, reading the study is Dr. Kathryn Kinmond. Thank you again for considering taking part in my study and you should ask any questions you have concerning the study before you sign the consent form. Read More