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Gender Roles in the Family

Morgan Brownlee

That starts with family

Family is one of the primary places where people are taught about gender, gender roles and gender socialization (Risman 1998)

Gender is learned at a young age and begins within the family.

A group consisting of parents and their children

United by marriage, blood or adoption

There are many different family structures

Family genders its members and is organized along gendered lines

Family is an institution

Used to refer to feminine and masculine social expectations in a family based on a person’s sex

Gender Roles

-There are many stereotypes we are expected to follow -Society expects children to follow gender norms

For a girl to play with a truck?

What makes it wrong…

Or a boy to play with dolls?

2 parent

Single parent

Extended

Blended

Stepfamilies

LBGT

Child-free families

Non-biological families of choice

Family Structures

Stereotyped that is the “norm” in family structure

Consists of 2 heterosexual parents legally married carrying out in separate masculine and feminine roles

Nuclear Family?

The nuclear family is self-sufficient when there are other factors that influence it; such as work or religion

Some marriages end in divorce

Children will live in blended families

Families will have no kids under the age of 18

There is an assumption that the nuclear family is the “normal” family

Nuclear family is a myth

Parent-child communication

Children’s communication

Couple communication

Communicating in family

Parents influence gender identity before the child is born

Primary function is to teach and maintain culture norms

Gender norm and roles

Gendered role scripts

Demand to abide by a specific role

Parent-child Communication

Siblings influence gender

Parents tend to give children gender specific toys

Children gender/sex themselves

Child Communication

Studies show that girls with older brother tend to have masculine identities

Gender specific toys

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Domestic Communication

Household work

Studies show men tend to do less house work than woman

Women and men have increased involvement in child care

Conflict Communication

Demand/withdrawal pattern One partner wants change

through complaining or criticizing, the other partner does not and withdraws by avoiding or leaving the room

Couple Communication

- Parents are the most influential to their children -Children are likely to model behaviors of who they admire

Gender Role Socialization

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As people construct their own identities, they make more of an

effort to do so to make them more socially acceptable

Social Accountability

Single parents Play important role in larger society

Engaged Fatherhood More emotionally involved

Same Sex Parents No significant difference in children raised in

heterosexual families Raising Transgendered Children

Accepting more diverse gender identities

Thriving Diverse Family Structures Today

*The key to all of these is to provide a loving, supportive and stable life for the children

Parents take turns with housework

Ex. cooking and cleaning

Encourage the child to do a variety of activities

Sports, theater etc.

Gender inclusive toys

Compliment a range of attributes

Educate thoughtfulness

Encourage a variety of friends

Not just same sex playmates

Gender Flexibility