culture

• cultural differences (nurture):

  gender roles are different in each culture.

  mead 1935 3 tribes: arapesh gentle and responsive, mundugmor aggressive and hostile, tchambuli women dominant and organise village life men are passive and decorative

  suggests that gender roles are culturally relative
• cultural similarities (nature):

  gender roles are consistent throughout cultures innate and biological

  buss 1995 found similarities in mate preferences in 37 countries women sought men who are wealthy and have resources and men sought women who are attractive

  munroe and munroe 1975 found most societies division of labour men breadwinner and women nuturers
• The influence of culture on changing gender roles is supported by evidence. Geert Hofstede (2001) argues that in industrialised cultures the changing status and expectations of women are a function of their increasingly active role in the workplace and away from the domestic sphere. This has led to a breakdown of traditional stereotypes in advanced industrialised societies. In traditional societies women still occupy the role of house-maker as a result of social, cultural and religious pressures. This suggests that gender roles are very much determined by cultural context.
• -meads research flawed. mead accused generalising based on short study time suggests lacks temporal validity as shows gender over a specific time not overtime. also generalised study to all cultures showing ethnocentrism and imposed etic viewpoint, and thought research universal but is culturally relative. freeman 1983 argued meads findings flawed as misled from pps and western preconceptions influenced readings of events. suggest no direct casual relationship gender roles and culture
• cross cultural research beneficial to debate, nature side. evidence similarities gender roles across cultures. munroe 1954 found all children diff cultures progressed kohlbergs stages suggests gender roles innate and consistent, can be applied universally. but other research suggests gender roles culturally relative.mead found gender roles vary diff cultures. supports lockes view blank state at birth and understanding gender develop interaction. best seen as interaction. some universal, other culturally relative