Media & Culture

• What do supporters of Social Learning believe about gender role behavior?

  It is mainly determined by the environment
• How are social norms communicated?

  Through culture and media
• What does it indicate if a gender role behavior is consistent across cultures?

  It suggests an innate biological difference (nature) between males and females
• What does it imply if gender-role behavior is culturally specific?

  Shared norms are more based on an influence of nurture
• What is a significant evaluation point in gender research?

  Whether the research is cross-cultural
• What were the findings of Mead's 1935 study on gender roles in Papua New Guinea?

  • Arapesh: gentle & responsive (female stereotype)
  • Mundugumer: aggressive & hostile (male stereotype)
  • Tchambuli: women dominant, men passive (reverse stereotype)
• What conclusion can be drawn from Mead's study regarding sex and gender?

  There may not be a direct biological relationship between sex and gender, gender roles may be culturally determined
• What did Buss find in his 1995 study on gender roles?

  Consistent patterns in male preferences across 37 countries

  In all cultures, women sought men who offered wealth & resources while men looked for youth & physical attractiveness
• What do women typically seek in men according to Buss's findings?

  Wealth and resources
• What do men typically look for in women according to Buss's findings?

  Youth and physical attractiveness
• How is the division of labor organized in most societies according to Munroe & Munroe?

  Along gender lines, with men as breadwinners and women as nurturers
• What role does media play in shaping children's gender identity?

  • Provides role models for children
  • Children identify with same-gender role models
  • Reinforces stereotypical gender-appropriate behavior
• What rigid stereotypes does the media often portray about men and women?

  Men as independent, women as dependent
• What did Furcham and Faraghar find in their study of TV ads?

  Men shown in professional roles, women in domestic roles
• What is a limitation of older studies on gender roles in media?

  They may not apply to today's society- temporal validity
• How does media influence self-efficacy in gender roles?

  It informs beliefs about performing gender-appropriate behaviors

  
  

  • seeing people perform gender appropriate behaviours increase a child’s belief that they are capable of carrying out such behaviours increase the future
• How did Bandura define self-efficacY?

  Peoples beliefs in their ability to control their functioning and events that affect their lives
• What was the focus of the TV program studied by Mitra et al. in India?

  Challenging deep-rooted gender stereotypes
• What was the outcome for girls who watched the program in India?

  They saw themselves as capable of working outside the home
• What was the aim of Williams et al.'s 1986 study on TV's effects on children's behavior?

  • Investigate TV's impact on children's behavior
  • Compare towns with different TV access
  • Measure changes in gender-stereotypical attitudes
• What were the three towns compared in Williams et al.'s study?

  Notel, Unitel, and Multitel
• What was observed about children's gender-typed views at the beginning of the study?

  Notel and Unitel children had fewer stereotypes
• What change occurred by the end of Williams et al.'s study?

  Stereotypes increased in Notel and Unitel children after TV was introduced