Gender, Sex, Ethnicity

• Gender Identity

  Perception as oneself in terms of gender (male, female, non-binary etc.)
• Gender typing

  Gender typing → Process by which children become aware of their gender and acquire values, motives and behaviours considered appropriate for their gender in their culture

  Gender stereotypes → Beliefs held about how men/women should behave

  Gender roles → Composites of behaviours, preferences, appearances and actions associated with masculinity and femininity in a culture – reflections of a culture’s gender stereotypes

  Sexual orientation → Sexual attraction to members of particular gender
• Gender typing theories

  Kohlberg’s cognitive developmental theory of gender typing

  Three phases:

  1. Age 2-3: Basic gender identity acquired through reinforcement and role models
  2. Age 4-5: Gender stability acquisition
  3. Age 6-7: Gender constancy acquisition

  Gender-schema theory:

  • Children develop schemas about gender that help them organize, structure, and understand information relating to gender
  • Easier to remember information that is gender-consistent than gender-inconsistent.
• Social Identify and Intergroup theories


  Nesdales Social Identity Development Theory

  4 stages of ethnic attitudes:

  • Undifferentiated
  • Ethnic awareness (4 - 5 years old)
  • Ethnic preference (5 - 7 years old)
  • Ethnic prejudice

  
  

  Developmental intergroup theory

  Groups form rapidly

  Group formation is based on differences:

  • Skin colour
  • Gender
  • Native language
  • Accent
  • Shirt colour
• Intergroup biases