Influence of Culture & Media Flashcards
(9 cards)
Outline cross cultural study supporting nurture in gender development
Mead (1935)
- Mead studied gender roles + behaviour in 3 tribes in Papua New Guinea
- Arapesh: valued cooperation, both sexes raised to be gentle and loving
-Mundugumor: both sexes aggressive + hostile
-Tchambuli: men regarded as emotional + decorative; women dominant + organised village life
= concluded gender roles largely culturally determined
Outline cross cultural study supporting nature in gender development
Buss (1990)
- examined features women + men look for in partners across 37 cultures
- found consistent mate preferences
- men sought youth + physical attractiveness
- women sought men who could offer wealth + resources
Give a strength of cross cultural studies on gender development
Research support –> Hofstede argued the changing roles of women are a reflection of their increased active role in the workplace whereas in more traditional societies they retain a more domestic role; suggests gender roles determined by cultural context
Give limitations of cross cultural studies into gender
Observer bias + ethnocentrism —> Meads observations have been criticised as her presence may have altered ppts behaviour
- she also may have applied Imposed etic; issues such as language barrier or preconceptions may have affected objectivity of observations
How are rigid stereotypes involved in media influence on gender development?
Media may play a role in reinforcing stereotypes concerning male and female behaviour; men depicted as independent and ambitious vs women as opposite
Outline study into role of media in gender development
Furnham & Farragher
~ investigated use of sex-role stereotypes in adverts
~ men tended to be used in power positions + women in familial settings
~ voiceovers also tended to be male, suggesting males are deemed to speak with more authority
= suggests media plays a role in sex stereotypes
How is self efficacy involved in media influencing gender roles?
Media provides information to males and females on the likely success or failure of adopting a behaviour —> seeing others perform gender appropriate behaviours increases a child’s belief they can perform it in the future
Give strengths/counter point of influence media of gender roles
Research support –> Eisend reviewed 64 studies and found gender stereotypes in adverts have been reduced over time; analysis suggests reduction is due to changes in wider society
- suggests advertising mirrors society and doesn’t mould society as sugested by SLT
Counter-stereotyping has been found effective in reducing stereotypes in children, shows media can have positive role in challenging stereotypes; e.g. study found children showed reduced stereotypes when shown adverts about women in non stereotypical roles
Give a limitation of media influence on gender roles
Correlational —> we cannot be certain media creates gender stereotypes or if these are simply a reflection of social norms about women and men
- difficult to establish a causal link without a control group as most children already exposed to media
