Influence of culture and media on gender roles Flashcards
(16 cards)
What is culture?
The ideas, customs and social behaviour of a particular group of people or society
What is media?
Communication channels through which news, entertainment, education and data are available
What are gender roles?
Set of behaviours and attitudes that are considered typical of one gender and atypical of the other
Why is cross-cultural research important?
Valuable contribution to the nature-nurture debate in gender
What did Mead find about cultural difference (nurture)?
Cross cultural research
Papua New Guinea
Arapesh - gentle and responsive (feminine)
Mundugumor - Agressive and hostile (masculine)
Tchambuli women - dominant and organised village life
Tchambuli men - passive and ‘decorative’
(reverse of stereotype in industrialised society)
What did Meads findings suggest?
May not be a direct biological relationship between sec and gender
Gender roles may be culturally determined
Underestimated the universal nature of many gender typical behaviours
Extent to which innate behaviours are expressed is largely the result of cultural norms
What is a strength of culture in changing gender roles?
Supported by evidence
Hofstede
Industrialised cultures the changing status and expectations of women are a function of increasingly active role in work place and away from domestic sphere
Led to breakdown of traditional stereotypes
Traditional societies - women still occupy role of house-maker as a result of social cultural and religious pressures
Gender roles are very much determined by. cultural context
What is a weakness of cultural explanation of gender roles?
Meads cross cultural research criticised
Freeman
Follow up stduy
Papua New Guinea
Meads findings flawed - misled by some of her participants
Preconceptions of what she would find had influenced her reading of events
Observer bias and ethnocentrism
Meads interpretations may not have been objective and calls into questions the conclusions she drew
What did Buss find about cultural similarities (nature)?
Consistent patterns in mate preference
37 counties across all continents
Women sough men who could offer wealth and resources
Men looked for youth and physical attractiveness in potential partner
What did Munroe and Munroe find about cultural similarities (nature)?
Most societies division of labour is organised along gender lines
Men typically breadwinners
Women nurturers
How does media have an influence on gender roles?
Provides role models
Who children identify with and imitate
How does media create rigid stereotypes?
Men - independent, ambitious, advice givers
Women - Dependent, unambitious, advice seekers
Men more likely to be shown in autonomous roles within professional context
Women often seen occupying familial roles within domestic settings
Media may play role in reinforcing widespread social stereotypes concerning gender appropriate behaviour
What is self-efficacy?
Bandura
Media gives info to men and women in terms of the likely success of adopting these behaviours
Seen other people perform gender appropriate behaviours increases a Childs belief that they are capable of carrying out such behaviours in the future
What did Mitra et al study that supported self efficacy?
Attitudes of people in india
Watched a programme designed to challenge deep rooted gender stereotypes
Detective drama
78 episodes
Girls - more likely to see themselves as capable of working outside the home than non viewers
Suggesting their self efficacy had changed as a result of media influence
What is a strength of medias influence on gender roles?
Cultivation theory
More time individuals spend living in the media world - more likely they are to believe that this reflects social reality
Bond and Drogos
Positive correlation between time spent watching reality programme jersey shore and permissive attitudes towards casual sex
Effect still found true when researchers controlled for the influence of such factors as existing sexual attitudes, parental attitudes and religious beliefs
Suggesting media cultivates perception of reality and this affects gender behaviour
What is a limitation of the influence of media on gender roles?
May not be a casual relationship
Durkin
Very young children are not passive and uncritical recipients of media messages
Norms within childs family may be bigger determinant on childs gender attitudes and behaviour
If media confirm existing gender norms held by family then are likely to be reinforced in childs mind
If not then rejected
Suggesting media influences are secondary to other influences such as family
