Gender Roles
The term socialization refers to the "lifelong social experience by which individuals develop their human potential and learn culture." [Macionis et al. p 55] The concept of socialization is that our actions are driven/learned by culture. Socialization is also the foundation of personality, which we build by internalizing our surroundings. Through the lifelong process of socialization, society transmits culture from one generation to the next. A good example of socialization is the learning of gender roles. Anthropologist Margaret Mead reasoned that if gender reflects biological facts of sex, that people everywhere in the world would define the same traits as masculine or feminine. However, she argued, that if gender is cultural, such conceptions should vary. Mead researched three societies in New Guinea and concluded that "culture is the key to how sexes differ." [Macionis et al. p233] In the first society, Arapesh, Mead reported that the men and women had similar behaviour and attitudes. They possessed similar traits that our culture would define as feminine, such as being cooperative and sensitive to others. Similarly, Mead found the men and women of Mundugumor to posses similar traits as well, although contrary to those of
Globally, physical labour seemed to be defined as 'men's work', whereas the responsibilities of the home, such as cooking, cleaning and child rearing were deemed the 'ladies work'. However, the women handled the child dressed as a boy more aggressively, such as bouncing them and swinging them in the air. Although, contrary to our culture, the feminine and masculine traits defined by their culture were reversed. From such research, we can see that ". p236] Similarly, in the female peer group, the basis for family life is promoted through the activities they participate in, such as skills of communication and cooperation. Pushing males towards natural sciences and females towards home studies and clerical work. While male peer groups activities promote masculine traits such as aggression and control and competitiveness. Although we are experiencing change, the educational institutions traditionally encouraged gender specific patterns. It was noted that the women handled the child dresses as a girl in an affectionate manner, holding them tenderly and giving them ample amounts of hugs and kisses.
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