media and culture

• • Role of culture in gender behaviour:

  Cultural differences: if we find that some behaviours are culturally specific, it suggests that socialisation has influenced behaviours (nurture) - for example - girls in England being calm, and girls in Asia being loud - shows an influence of their environments on their behaviour

  On the other hand ….

  Cultural similarities: if a certain gender role behaviour appears to be consistent across different cultures - it suggests an innate, biological basis of gender behaviours (nature)
• David buss 

  • Consistent mate preferences in mate preferences in 37 countries across all continents 
  • In all cultures …
  • women sought out partners who had wealth and resources 
  • Men sought out partners who were youthful and physically attractive

  This suggests that gendered behaviours are biological and universal - supporting biological explanations of gender development and opposing SLT
• • Role of media in gender behaviour:

  Media provides role models

  • children may want to identify and imitate

  Children are likely to imitate same sex models who engage in gender appropriate behaviour

  Rigid stereotypes:

  The media gives very clear gender stereotypes, such as men being independent, ambitious etc and women are dependent and unambitious 
• Cultural differences - gendered behaviours are learnt - Margret mead

  • Studied 3 tribes in Papua new guinea
  • M Tribe - found that both males and females were aggressive and hostile
  • A Tribe - found that both males and females were gentle and responsive 
  • T Tribe - found that women were dominant and organised and men were passive and decorative

  This suggests that gendered behaviours are learnt and due to environments and socialisation (not innate) - supporting the social learning theory of gender 
• Media provides role models

  • children may want to identify and imitate

  Children are likely to imitate same sex models who engage in gender appropriate behaviour

  Rigid stereotypes:

  The media gives very clear gender stereotypes, such as men being independent, ambitious etc and women are dependent and unambitious 
• Analysis of tv ads - Furnham: 

  found that:

  Men - leadership roles

  Women - family, domestic roles

  Suggests the media plays a role in reinforcing social stereotypes 

  BUT ….

  The media does more than just confirming gender stereotypical behaviours- media can show a child what they are able to do - self efficacy (mitra et al) - detective drama show in India starring a female. Young girls who watched the show were more likely to see themselves as capable of working outside of the home than girls who didn't watch the show - suggests self efficacy had changed as a result of media