Culture

• Culture and gender roles - AO1

  - If a particular gender-role behaviour appears to be consistent across different culture

  - Conclude that it represents an innate biological difference between males and females. - NATURE

  - If gender roles are culturally specific

  - Assume that the influence of shared norms and socialisation - NURTURE
• Cultural differences researcher - AO1

  - Mead - 1935

  • The influence of nurture
• Mead - 1935 -AO1

  - looked at tribal groups in new guinea

  - the Arapesh women were gentle and responsive - similar to western stereotype

  - the Mundugumor were aggressive and hostile - similar to western stereotype of men

  - The Tchambuli women were dominant and organised the village - men were passive ad considered decorative- reverse of western stereotype
• Mean results conclusions - AO1

  - Suggests there may not be a direct biological relationship between sex and gender

  - That gender roles may be culturally determined
• Cultural similarities researchers - AO1

  - Buss - 1955

  - Munroe and Munroe - 1975

  • The role of nature
• Buss - 1955 - AO1


  - Found consistent patterns in mate preference in 37 countries across all continents

  • In all cultures women sought men who offer wealth and resources
  • Men sough women of youth and physical attractiveness
• Munroe and Munroe - 1975 - AO1


  - Revealed that in most societies, division of labour is organised along gender lines.

  - Males - breadwinners and females nurtures
• Criticisms of Mead's research - AO3

  - Did not separate her own opinion from the description of Samoan life - observer bias

  - May have been sweeping generalisations based on a relatively short period of study

  - Freeman -1983 - was critical of Mead's conclusions and conducted a follow up study on the Samoan people decades after meads orligal

  - Mead's findings were flawed and her preconceptions of what she through she would find may have influenced her ideas.
• Imposed etic -AO3


  - Cross-cultural research typically undertaken by western research

  - Mead used theories and methods that have been developed in the west

  - She may have imposed her own cultural interests and understanding upon the people.

  - Berry - 2002 - advocates the inclusion of at least one member of the local population as a way of guarding against this.
• Nature vs nurture - AO3

  - it does not solve the nature-nurture debate

  - It is impossible to separate the two influences on the development of gender roles.

  - when a child is born their socialisation along with the gender role expectations that come with it.

  - Likely there is a complex and constant interaction between both influences and each influence gender roles - a mead hinted.