Kohlberg's cognitive explanation of gender

• kohlbergs theory

  1966 - suggests a childs understanding of gender runs parallel to intellectual development as the child matures biologically

  gender development progresses through 3 stages, ages suggested are approximate and the transition from stage to stage is gradual
• stages

  1. gender identity (2-3) = child recognises that they are a boy or a girl, able to identify others as a girl or a boy, understanding of gender does not go beyond simple labelling don't believe gender is fixed
  2. gender stability (4) = child starts to understand their own gender is fixed for life and they will a man/women when they are older, cannot apply this logic to other people and can be confused by external changes in appearance eg see a man with long hair believes they have changed their gender
  3. gender constancy (6) = realises their gender stays the same over time and situations this understanding is applied to others gender as well as their own, begin to identify with people of their own gender and start to behave in stereotypically gender-appropriate ways
• strength

  • evidence that gender stereotyping does emerge in gender constancy stage
  • damon (1977) told children a story about a boy who liked to play with dolls, children were asked to comment on the story 4 year olds said it was fine for the boy to play with dolls if he wanted to, 6 year olds thought it was wrong, they had gone beyond understanding what girls and boys do, to develop rules about what they should do (stereotyping)
  • suggest children who have as predicted reached constancy stage have formed rigid stereotypes regarding gender-appropriate behaviour
• limitation

  • research challenges that interest in gender appropriate behaviour only develops around age 6
  • bussey and bandura found that children as young as 4 reported 'feeling good' about playing with gender appropriate toys and 'bad' about doing the opposite, contradicts what Kohlberg's theory predicts but may also support gender schema theory which suggests that children absorb gender-appropriate behaviour info as soon as they identify themselves as either a girl or a boy
  • therefore other cognitive theories may provide a better explanation of how gender identity develops
• strength

  • contribution to nature-nurture debate
  • stages are influenced by changes in the developing brain - a nature approach, studies have found cross-cultural support for kohlberg's theory which suggests that the cognitive changes he described are universal and therefore biological, however he fails to account for the socialisation process in the development of gender, including learning processes ascribed by nurture such as observation, imitation and identification with role models, research show these play a much more influential role in gender development than cognitive structures
  • suggest that development of gender related concepts involves an interaction in nature and nurture
• limitation

  • may be different degrees of gender constancy
  • kohlbergs theory recognises that childrens understanding of their own and other peoples gender guides their thoughts and behaviours, however exactly when and how this understanding affects children's gender-related behaviour remains unclear, martin et al suggests there may be different degrees of constancy, an initial degree may involve children knowing the importance of gender in choosing friends and this may develop before the age of 6, a second degree may heighten childrens alertness to gender norms
  • suggests acquisition of constancy may be more gradual process