The first thing to note before exposing the different theories about the acquisition of stereotypes and roles on how to educate in gender equality at home and at school, is that they all start from the premise of existence of differences between men and women and try to find and explain the reasons why they show, socially, differences in behavior, reasoning, etc.
The other side of the coin is made up of many investigations and studies from different approaches that try to find and justify precisely the opposite, that is, the similarities between men and women. Biological theories Some researchers focus their efforts on knowing what is the role of genetic variables, hormonal and physiological differences in the behavior and performance of individuals of both sexes (perspective biological). Others focus on explaining these variables in relation to the evolution of the species and the current behavior of men and women (ethological and sociobiological perspective).
The biological perspective gives us one of the approaches to what are the bases of gender differences by pointing out that in neighboring species different behaviors between males and females can be observed in man and that these cannot be attributed to social but genetic factors (Hinde). Therefore, biologists have traditionally maintained that many behaviors, ways of proceeding and behaving, and even intellectual capacities and abilities of humans must also be based on differences biological. What is the reason for this difference between the sexes? It is the ethologists who are interested not only in the
Well, for many students of this approach, these differences are useful for the development of the species and, therefore, they have been outlined and settled throughout its evolution. The sociobiologists They also point out that differences of different kinds between individuals of different sex, can be explained considering that, through this "differential behavior", individuals ensure the survival of the most appropriate genes for subsequent generations (Kendrick and Trost). This approach not only takes biological elements (genes and hormones) into account when explaining gender differences. For sociobiologists, environmental factors should also be taken into account when understanding such differences. Thus, starting from a different genetic base in men and women, it is the environmental conditions that promote, maintain and complete this differentiation. On the other hand, for some sociobiologists, even if this is true, another factor should be taken into account: the interaction between elements biological and environmental, to produce a normal development, has to come together at certain times, what is called "periods critics ".
Another area of special relevance for the socialization of gender stereotypes is school. Like parents, teachers, mainly kindergarten and elementary school, also behave differently towards boys and girls. In general, research indicates that teachers have a more brusque behavior and scold boys more than girls.
Some authors point out that this may be because the expectation of bad behavior is higher for boys than for girls. This has a curious effect, which is that when girls are not obedient or do not show themselves socially mature as expected, they are perceived more negatively by teachers than children who act the same way. Kindergarten teachers motivate and reinforce behaviors, games, and activities more when they are sex-appropriate, especially for children.
For some authors, therefore, it is not surprising that boys show a more intransigent attitude than girls towards changing toys. Another aspect in which parents and teachers are similar is the number and types of help they provide to boys and girls when perform different activities and games. These behaviors, also in this context, usually respond to the expectations that are had about both sexes. Therefore, at school and at home, some studies suggest that children are stimulated more to do physical activities than girls, while if they reach their goals they are more praised. On the other hand, boys are more easily recriminated when they deviate from their gender stereotypes, while girls are much more permissive.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
