kholberg's theory

• Kholbergs stages of gender development: stage 1:

  Gender identity(2-3)- child can identify own gender.The gender of others is based on outward appearance- e.g - clothes. Gender isn't stable/fixed across time or situation - eg- a little boy may say ' when I grow up I'll be a lady like mummy'
• Kholbergs stages of gender development: stage 2

  Gender stability (4) - children realise that their gender is stable overtime - they will always stay the same gender BUT …. They cannot apply this to other people - they may get confused by men doing feminine jobs. Gender is still being determined by external features
• Kholbergs stages of development: stage 3

  Gender constancy (6) - children realise that gender remains constant across time and situation. Are able to apply this to their own gender as well as others. Understand that gender is not determined by external features. They have an Internalised concept of gender And actively search environments for gender behaviours and models

   
• Supporting evidence for kholberg’s stages: Marcus & Overton: showed children pictures where hairstyles and clothes of a male and female character could be changed.

  Young children viewed the characters gender to be different based on the clothes and hair, whereas older children viewed the character’s gender as constant. Showing that the stages may be a reliable explanation as the ages devised correspond to the ages of children in the study - increasing validity of study
• Opposing evidence for kholbergs’s theory is Bem et al’s research: children were shown a naked baby and then a baby wearing gendered clothes. 40% of 3-5 year olds showed gender constancy, understanding the babies gender remained constant despite the clothing, decreasing the validity of kholbergs stages. BUT… not 100% of 3-5 year olds could show gender constancy which may be because we are taught from a young age to decipher gender based on appearance
• Cognitive explanations of gender (kholberg and martin & halverson) emphasise the importance of the role of thought processes on gender development. Our thought processes change as we get older due to brain maturation
• • Kohlberg suggested that all children mature through the same 3 stages of gender development. This occurs inline with biologically-determined development in terms of physical appearance and intellectual/cognitive development. Kohlberg argues that a child’s understanding of gender becomes more advanced and accurate with time