A gender role is a type of social role that defines acceptable and desirable behavior for men and women.
In the North Caucasus, almost all women are economically active
Everything related to development tends to change, so there is nothing permanent in the world, including expectations from the behavior of men and women. But we’ll look into how gender roles are fixed and what determines them in our article.
Let's consider the concept of gender role in order to clearly understand the meaning of this phenomenon.
Gender roles represent the traditional behavioral responses expected in society from males and females. They can be expected, attributed, imposed, demanded by society, but any person has the right to decide for himself whether he needs stereotypical behavior.
They are instilled by society by raising from childhood a certain manner of behavior inherent in one or another gender. Let's find out what the gender role of a representative of one sex or another means using specific examples.
Examples of gender roles
Examples of individual gender roles have changed over time and as humanity has changed. Moreover, they continue to change. Thus, a person’s gender roles can be imposed and prevent him from manifesting himself as nature created him. These behavioral stereotypes lead to misunderstandings between the sexes, conflicts, and therefore make people unhappy.
Let's now look at some examples of gender roles. Since ancient times, a man has been a hunter, a leader, a warrior with such character traits as self-confidence, risk-taking, aggression, and quick reaction. The woman was always distinguished by her gentleness, compassion, care and was only concerned with maintaining the home and raising the future generation.
Naturally, time leaves its mark on behavioral stereotypes, so it is rare to find truly feminine or masculine behavior in its pure form.
Female gender role
Recently, representatives of the fair half of humanity are increasingly claiming equality and almost duplicating the male line of behavior, earning money, holding leadership positions and serving in the military.
What are the features of the female gender role?
The female gender role in the previous understanding implies the keeper of the hearth, mother and wife. As modernity dictates its own laws, the gender role of women is changing and expanding.
The modern gender role of women has expanded. Now a lady is often not only the keeper of the hearth, but also a worker
To do this, you will have to understand what the features of the female gender role are. It lies in the fact that a woman strives to be successful, active, resilient in the conditions of the prevailing rules in society that equalize both sexes. Thus, a lady must have time to manage the house, give birth to children, build a career, and also look amazing.
Male gender role
Men's actions are characterized by the presence of fortitude, will, and courage at all times, but this does not mean that changes did not also affect men.
Traditional education of a boy as a bearer of the male gender role (masculinity)
The essence of the male gender role
In the modern world, not only strength and courage are expected from representatives of the stronger sex. Men are required to gain status and respect, mental and emotional stability, physical stamina and avoidance of feminine activities. If a man does not achieve success in one aspect, he seeks to compensate for this by being more active in another.
A lot of other qualities are gradually added to this list, such as intelligence, caring, restraint, the ability to communicate, and empathy.
At the same time, such signs of male behavior as clarity of thinking, stability and transmission of the gene to the future generation remain unshakable.
What is the difference between the gender roles of men and women?
With the development of society, representatives of the fair half of humanity no longer want to put up with the fate of a housewife, which forces us to reconsider social stereotypes about female behavior. This is explained by the fact that society lives according to male laws, where there is a winner and a loser, and there is no sympathy and compassion.
Following this, there is often a change in roles, when the lady is the breadwinner, and her husband manages the housework. There have been quite a lot of such couples lately, and the woman herself is not satisfied with the situation, as well as the man, because both of them lack the actions inherent in nature.
It should only be noted that the husband will cope with any housework no worse than his beloved, but in one thing he will not be able to replace her, because only a woman is destined to bear and give birth to a child. As we see, the boundaries between the generally accepted behavior of representatives of both sexes are blurring, bringing with them a lot of consequences.
Equalization of representatives of different sexes leads to the fact that the family does not have time to have a child, because there are still so many things that can be interfered with. Girls are getting married later and later, because they first need to make a career, which also aggravates the demographic situation and devalues the institution of the family.
How are gender roles reinforced?
Children of both sexes are born and have standard behavior. Social reactions are acquired by girls and boys under the influence of upbringing and social expectations. Girls are encouraged to self-sacrifice, tenderness, devotion, convinced to be calm and allowed to show emotions. Boys are shown traditional male behavior, goals and principles; they require restraint in emotions and impatience with injustice.
It is worth noting that some stereotypes are already being criticized. And although it is considered shameful for a girl to be the first to meet someone, while shy boys are not at all held in high esteem, this situation no longer surprises anyone, whereas 100 years ago it would have led to disastrous consequences.
So, if a girl starts to fight, she is stopped instead of being enrolled in the appropriate section, but for a boy this is considered the norm. Conversely, a boy who dances causes ridicule or an ironic smile from many.
As a result, men and women, when creating a family, do not understand each other, take a long time to get used to opposing views on life, quarrel and gradually learn to understand each other.
We should not forget that every modern person has the freedom to choose those reactions in which he does not lose his essence, remaining himself, ignoring all sorts of stereotypes and imposed expectations.
Now it has become clear what gender is, how gender roles are fixed, so each person can objectively assess his purpose in the family and behave as the inner voice of conscience dictates.
We wish you to always remain yourself and be happy!
Gender roles are roles determined by the differentiation of people in society based on gender. Gender role- differentiation of activities, statuses, rights and responsibilities of individuals depending on their gender; refers to the type of social roles, is normative, expresses certain social expectations (expectations), and manifests itself in behavior. At the cultural level, they exist in the context of a certain system of gender symbolism and stereotypes of masculinity and femininity. Gender “roles are always associated with a certain normative system, which the individual assimilates and refracts in his consciousness and behavior.”
Thus, gender roles can be viewed as external manifestations of patterns of behavior and attitudes that allow other people to judge whether an individual is male or female. In other words, it is a social manifestation of an individual's gender identity.
Gender roles refer to the type of prescribed roles. The status of a future man or future woman is acquired by a child at birth, and then, in the process of gender socialization, the child learns to perform one or another gender role. Gender stereotypes existing in society have a great influence on the process of socialization of children, largely determining its direction. Under gender stereotypes understand standardized ideas about behavior patterns and character traits that correspond to the concepts of “masculine” and “feminine.”
The gender stereotype, which concerns the consolidation of family and professional roles in accordance with gender, is one of the most common stereotypes that prescribe standard models of role behavior for men and women. In accordance with this stereotype, for women the main social roles are considered to be family roles (mother, housewife), for men - professional roles (employee, worker, breadwinner, breadwinner). It is customary to evaluate men by their professional success, and women by the presence of a family and children. Conventional wisdom says that a "normal" woman wants to get married and have children and that all other interests they may have are secondary to these family roles. To fulfill the traditional role of a housewife, a woman must be sensitive, compassionate and caring. While men are expected to be achievement-oriented, women are expected to be people-oriented and to strive for close interpersonal relationships.
One of the grounds for the formation of traditional gender roles is the division of labor based on gender. The main criterion in this division is the biological ability of women to bear children. In modern societies, the social need for the division of labor based on women’s reproductive ability, which existed in archaic societies, has long disappeared. Most women work in the manufacturing sector outside the home, and men have long ceased to be only “warriors and hunters” who protect and feed their families. And yet, stereotypes about traditional gender roles are very stable: women are required to concentrate on the private (domestic) sphere of activity, and men - in the professional, public sphere.
An important role in the affirmation of the gender stereotype about the consolidation of social roles in accordance with gender was played by the concept of “natural” complementarity of the sexes by Talcott Parsons and Robert Bales, who considered the differentiation of male and female roles in structural and functional terms. According to their point of view, in a modern family, spouses must fulfill two different roles. The instrumental role is to maintain communication between the family and the outside world - this is a professional activity that brings material income and social status; The expressive role primarily involves caring for children and regulating relationships within the family. How are responsibilities distributed between spouses based on these two roles? Parsons and Bales believe that a wife’s ability to bear children and care for children uniquely determines her expressive role, and a husband who cannot perform these biological functions becomes a performer of an instrumental role.
This theory contributed to the integration of socio-anthropological and psychological data into a single scheme. However, feminist criticism has shown that the basis of the dichotomy between instrumentality and expressiveness - for all its empirical and everyday persuasiveness - lies not so much in natural sexual differences as in social norms, the adherence to which constrains the individual self-development and self-expression of women and men.
Traditional gender roles hinder personal development and the realization of existing potential. This idea was the impetus for the development of Sandra Bem androgyny concept, according to which a person, regardless of his biological sex, can have both masculinity and femininity traits, combining both traditionally feminine and traditionally masculine qualities. This allows us to distinguish masculine, feminine, androgynous models of gender roles. This idea was developed further, and J. Plec in his works began to talk about the splitting, or fragmentation, of gender roles. There is no single male or female role. Each person performs a number of different roles (wives, mothers, businesswomen, etc.), often these roles may not be combined, which leads to intrapersonal role conflict.
Gender roles can be studied at three different levels. At the macrosocial level, we are talking about the differentiation of social functions by gender and the corresponding cultural norms. To describe the “female role” at this level means to reveal the specifics of a woman’s social position (typical activities, social status, mass ideas about women) by correlating it with the position of a man within a given society, system.
At the level of interpersonal relationships, the gender role is derived not only from general social norms and conditions, but also from the specific system of joint activity being studied. The role of a mother or wife always depends on how exactly responsibilities are distributed in a given family, how the roles of father, husband, children, etc. are defined in it.
At the intra-individual level, the internalized gender role is derived from the characteristics of a particular personality: the individual builds his behavior as a husband or father, taking into account his ideas about what, in his opinion, a man should be, based on all his conscious and unconscious attitudes and life experience.
And separate gender roles. When meeting someone and forming a first impression, many are mistaken, beginning to attribute to their interlocutor those qualities that are customary, without delving into whether he possesses them. Everything is based solely on conventional wisdom. By paying attention to nested stereotypes, we can control them so as not to allow them to influence our lives and perception of the world. One of the most common clichés is the idea of typical female and male behavior. Gender role - they are formed in the presence of which, in turn, are fundamental differences in the female and male psyche and activities of people. The culture of society plays a big role in this.
Cultural stereotypes
Ordinary consciousness has an integral part in its structure - cultural stereotypes. In other words, using collective experience, an individual throughout his life receives a certain suggestion during training and communication, through which he later navigates life and shapes his behavior in society.
It is worth noting that gender roles in society in different cultures and social groups differ from each other, sometimes radically. All these clichés arise on the basis of roles and that is, through these stereotypes, a norm arises for women and men, exactly how they should behave in a particular society. And when we see this or that manifestation of a person’s character, we automatically compare it with our idea of a person’s gender role.
and children
It is believed that, depending on the gender of the child, adults perceive him differently. In other words, the same manifestations of a child’s behavior will be perceived differently by adults, depending on whether the person in front of them is a boy or a girl. And accordingly, certain behavior and reactions are expected from the child depending on his gender. Because of this, the child is indoctrinated into what he should be and false, stereotypical thinking is imposed. That is, a gender role is stereotypical thinking instilled in a child during upbringing and socialization.
Gender identity
This term expresses the social characteristics of a person that characterize him from a certain point of view and demonstrate his belonging to a group of men or women. The most important thing here is how a person evaluates himself and how his socialization occurs in a particular culture. Psychological, social, cultural and behavioral characteristics collectively constitute psychological gender. When interacting with other people and while observing them, a person develops his own ideas about which group he fits best into.
And based on his conclusions, he begins to choose for himself the behavior and hobbies of the group that is closer to him. This is how gender social roles are distributed. Moreover, the manifestation of stereotypes occurs at all stages of development. Even at early preschool age, children are already instilled with the perception of a clear division of gender characteristics. Thus, communication between boys and girls occurs much less often than children of the same sex spending time together; interests are also shared, some should be interested in one thing, others in another. Therefore, we often underestimate the role in the formation of personality and worldview. When, at a more mature age, men and women strive to communicate, they do not understand each other, their interests diverge.
Social Behavior Styles
When observing the diversity of communication between representatives of different genders in society, one can notice different relationships between people. In other words, depending on the purpose of communication between representatives of different sexes, the behavior of both will be strikingly different. Previously, men were credited with such mandatory qualities as activity, aggressiveness, efficiency, and the ability to solve problems.
Women were supposed to be emotional, passive, the main thing that interested them was relationships, not affairs. Scientists have found that there are no differences in behavioral style between infants, but they arise with age. Moreover, the older the person, the more clearly they appear. The gender role of a woman or a man is based solely on the requirements of society, but at the same time a person evaluates himself taking into account these needs, and if he does not fit into the template, he begins to consider himself worse than others. That is, the first signs of such gender differences appear only when the child learns about the need for their presence. And by manifesting them, he simply carries out the given program. But at the same time, boys may well show signs of girls, and vice versa. Overall, socialization has been shown to be a major factor influencing gender differences.
Subjecting people to gender norms
According to Sean Byrne's research, there are three types of human conformity to social norms. The first is compliance, it manifests itself as a person’s approval of social norms that are unacceptable to him, and adjustment to them in order to avoid condemnation, punishment and in the hope of approval of his behavior by society.
Next comes approval, that is, the person’s complete agreement with the presented gender norms. The third type is identification, a person behaves in full accordance with the role model of behavior presented to him in society.
Departure from stereotypes
Modern society is not at all like the stereotypical structure. Therefore, modern gender role is a vague concept. Many women find their purpose in obviously male occupations, that is, in business, science, and so on. And some men run the household, take care of children, creativity and other activities that are, by definition, feminine.
It is accepted in society that men and women differ not only in their character, but also in their psychology. If the stereotypical perception is violated, then the person is subjected to condemnation and misunderstanding from loved ones, which undoubtedly negatively affects the development of the individual.
Negative effect of stereotypes
Many modern psychologists believe that emphasizing gender differences is incorrect. Gender role is primarily the imposition of the needs of society without taking into account the desires and goals of the individual. In other words, they are exaggerated; society’s view of the situation is not subjective. Thus, considering the same act, a woman and a man will be treated differently. And this is incorrect, since stereotypical ideas do not correspond to the actual development of the individual, her character and behavior. In addition, they influence the development of certain qualities, and by distinguishing the gender roles of men and women, one character trait is developed more, while another is inhibited and suppressed.
For example, if you force a boy to hide his emotions, with age he may forget how to perceive them and begin to deny their presence in other people, not understanding their manifestations. It is worth understanding that each person is individual, regardless of their gender. This will allow you to normalize your psychological state, do your work more productively and be harmonious. Unfortunately, despite the flexibility of modern stereotypes, many people still struggle within themselves, not only with social stereotypes, but also with their own perceptions.
Before the advent of the 21st century it seemed, that in the world of the future only technology will evolve, but with its transformation into the world of the present, it became clear that it is still far from ideal. Even after seeing the sixth iPhone, we still continue to dress boys in blue and girls in pink, and when they grow up, expect “masculine” and “feminine” actions from them. Nevertheless, the slow but sure process of revising existing standards and connections has entered a new stage in society - it turned out that following it is no less interesting than the adventures of the Higgs boson. We talk a lot about the perception of physicality, with ourselves, and how important it is to our overall comfort and love for the diversity and uniqueness of people in a multicultural global reality. However, this process is impossible without understanding how existing patterns of relationships have developed, how ideas about “correct” or “traditional” have become entrenched in our minds, and why change is inevitable. We are starting a big conversation about gender roles - the social perception of gender - and what is happening in the modern world with the concepts of “man” and “woman”.
Text: Alisa Taiga
Photos: Vera Mishurina
Walk in my shoes:
How gender roles work
To understand how strongly our behavior is dictated by gender roles, it is enough to analyze a day in the life of a modern person. Unless, of course, you live as a hermit, then those around you, guided by the understandable and learned experience of thousands of years of patriarchy, most likely expect you to be included in the generally accepted system of values and concepts. A determined son and an attentive daughter, a disciplined husband and a calm wife, an authoritative father and an affectionate mother, an initiative subordinate and an understanding boss - we unconsciously integrate into this coordinate system so as not to be strangers among our own.
The dramaturgy of comedy and tragedy is built on gender roles. Remember episode“Friends” is about a male nanny: everyone becomes more comfortable when the nanny is a girl, and not the sentimental and often crying guy Sandy with an ideal education and amazing characteristics. Or remember what happens to Betty Draper in Mad Men, when a single mother arrives in a peaceful village of housewives who divorced her husband, works a lot and raises children on her own.
Behind our backs, we call unbalanced men “hysterical” and determined girls with principles “chicks with balls”; we compete in our sense of humor, using gender stereotypes, and laugh deafeningly at the same jokes Barney Stinson or Michael Scott. In our speech, we constantly choose emotionally charged and far from gender neutral descriptions of ourselves, the people and phenomena around us, and it is these descriptions that demonstrate and reinforce the perception of one gender or another.
Who Benefits from Shifting Gender Roles?
Can gender role
be a free choice
At the end of the 19th century, Great Britain, the main and strongest empire, and behind it the whole of Europe, canonized the role of women in Coventry Patmore’s poem “An Angel in the House,” which he dedicated to his virtuous wife, and John Everett Millais painted her idealized portrait. Around the same time and in this city, Jack the Ripper will brutally kill a huge number of London prostitutes, who had been humiliated and raped by the police for a decade before for forced tests for sexually transmitted diseases, and Oscar Wilde will undermine his health in prison, serving on charges of sodomy. Reactionary laws and private stories show that even now female images in culture are masked, but do not change the state of affairs. Two world wars and three waves of feminism were not enough for the system to stop reproducing itself: gender stereotypes in 2014 make it difficult not only to take your wife’s surname after marriage, but also to calculate your strengths in your career and earnings when meeting the “glass ceiling.”
Are gender stereotypes still alive?
If the power and influence of gender stereotypes seems to have weakened over time, try an experiment. Open Dahl's dictionary of proverbs, collected by the mid-19th century, and then read reader comments on popular materials on your favorite website. “My husband is only as big as a fist, but I don’t sit behind my husband’s head like an orphan.” “Don’t beat your wife and don’t be nice.” “A woman is dear - from the stove to the threshold.” “The hair is long, but the mind is short.” “A dog is smarter than a woman: it doesn’t bark at its owner.” “A chicken is not a bird, and a woman is not a person.” “Wherever the devil dares, he’ll send a woman there.” We no longer use most of them, but their meaning is firmly entrenched in the collective unconscious and comes to light at every opportunity.
Dialogues between men and women on pressing issues on forums or in comments are most often built on the basis of repeatedly played gender roles. These scenarios were exposed by John Money and Robert Stoller, and John Gray tried to popularize and explain them in “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.” The theme of gender constantly appears in contemporary art and news, but most often the news, even on problematic sites like Jezebel or PolicyMic, is calculated to spread viral content, reproduce ready-made meanings and rarely open their eyes to the other side of the problem.
Why gender is last
and the most persistent bastion of tradition
The problem of gender is included in the spectrum of modern existential and economic problems in which our unstable, over-consuming and competitive society is immersed. Ethnically mixed marriages and migration are changing the demographic composition of seemingly stable communities: whether Hong Kong can be called European and Marseille Asian and whether it is generally correct to use the terms Europe and Asia in the 21st century remains a question. Alternative sources of income and the modern economy with contract work and bitcoins are changing labor relations. But books on success and life hacks continue to be bestsellers, only now Dale Carnegie’s advice is being replaced by instructive biographies of tech tycoons.
At the same time, both the ideal of a communist future and the American dream seem equally unattainable as a strategy for the global community. One has discredited itself with ineffective regimes with double standards, the other is creating destructive competition and objectively cannot stop the next economic crisis. And if with political ideologies or professional choices people can still take risks by presenting these systems to the outside, then gender - one of the most basic, intimate and constant constants - seems to be the last link of this man and this woman with the idea of a person in general.
Prejudice against women in careers exists regardless of the gender of the person evaluating them.
“It happened historically” is one of the easiest ways to justify and connect a person here and now with a million long-dead anonymous people, to whom stretches from us the thread of repeatedly rewritten history from textbooks, confused traces of genealogy and global cultural monuments that cannot be ignored, be it pyramids, Bible or Hollywood.
The experiment on the labor characteristics of transgender people reveals a lot about the verdicts that most of us have prepared in advance regarding both sexes and their acceptable behavior. A biological woman, having undergone sex reassignment surgery, finds herself in a comfortable and practically invulnerable position. But a “man” who “becomes” a woman immediately raises doubts about his professionalism and receives several derogatory comments about his work. Other research shows that bias against women in careers exists regardless of the gender of the person evaluating them. Comments addressed to men contain a lot of constructive criticism and positive remarks about the need to work on oneself; comments to women always have an emotional and harsh evaluative overtones with a personal touch.
Gender scientist Londa Schiebinger talks about the general tendency of young children to make choices based on the reactions of their environment:
In children, according to her impressions, parents still encourage different qualities and inclinations. Her books partially explain the division into male and female professions and answer, among other things, the question “why were there no great women scientists” or even one of the most frequently asked questions “why are there no great women artists”, which at one time was answered so Linda Nochlin answered well. This, however, does not negate the fact that in some societies the issue of gender roles is obviously not so acute (for example, Scandinavia) and the existence of women in power and men in the family, as well as a wide range of LGBTI relations, does not require additional argumentation there .
Can the modern family free us from the trap of gender roles?
As Time both frightens and reassures us, there is no such thing as a typical family anymore. Indeed, if the number of divorced parents with shared custody, separated spouses and same-sex couples raising children reaches significant percentages, it is strange and illogical to be programmed into gender roles that cannot be realized in life. Most likely, a man in a sling and a woman working on maternity leave are not the main and certainly not the last result of changing social roles. But, considering how late different forms of life in the family and society receive their names (some appeared in the language a couple of decades ago), one can only be convinced that the most leisurely mutations occur with gender roles. A complete abandonment of them is as distant as the construction of a new economic system or a hyper-intense global cataclysm: now not a single expert will take on the responsibility of predicting the exact expiration date of the current state of affairs.
In addition, having abandoned the usual gender roles, we have to rebuild our attitude towards daily habits, friends and relatives, change very funny sexist jokes to some others no worse, come up with a new cinema without the usual genres, heroes and plots, voluntarily abandon the majority gender-specific products and boycott jobs that pay us unequally. We will have to forget about visits to psychoanalysts who revere Freud's theories, and accept the possibility that hormone therapy and body experimentation will become common practice after years of public resistance. Utopian consciousness is completing a scenario that is not similar to modern times, in which gender can be changed almost as often as a hairstyle, professions - like hobbies, partners - like books at the headboard, and these books themselves at the headboard will have to write about something else and on another language to be interesting to us in our not yet invented new roles.
Question 1. Who is called a person? What is socialization?
Personality is a concept developed to reflect the social nature of a person, consider him as a subject of sociocultural life, define him as a bearer of an individual principle, self-revealing in the context of social relations, communication and objective activity. “Personality” can be understood either as a human individual as a subject of relationships and conscious activity (“person” in the broad sense of the word), or a stable system of socially significant traits that characterize the individual as a member of a particular society or community.
Socialization is the process of assimilation by a human individual of patterns of behavior, psychological attitudes, social norms and values, knowledge, and skills that allow him to function successfully in society.
Question 2. What does the position of a high school student oblige him to? What hinders mutual understanding between teenagers and their parents?
Students have the right:
To express one's own views, beliefs and opinions.
Freedom to receive information.
Be listened to.
To freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
To respect human dignity.
To receive free education in accordance with state educational standards; to develop your personality, your talents, mental and physical abilities.
For home education (for medical reasons) and for family education within the framework of the state educational standard.
For additional teacher assistance in individual and group lessons provided for by the school schedule.
To receive additional paid educational services in accordance with the Charter and License of the school.
For an open assessment of the student’s knowledge and skills, obtaining a grade in each subject solely in accordance with their knowledge and skills.
For advance notification of the timing and scope of control work in accordance with the schedule
Be aware of the marks assigned to him in both oral and written subjects.
On a request to reschedule tests after absences due to illness, confirmed by medical documents.
The amount of time spent on homework should not exceed 50% of the classroom load in the subject.
For relaxation between classes and during vacations.
To participate in the cultural life of the school and events organized there that are appropriate to the student’s age.
To participate in the management of an educational institution in the manner determined by the school’s Charter (School Student Council).
To openly express one’s opinion, make proposals for changes in educational activities at the school’s Student Council.
For transfer to another educational institution implementing an educational program of the appropriate level.
Question 3. Compare the status of wife and mother-in-law: which is ascribed and which is achieved?
Achieved status: wife. Prescribed: mother-in-law.
Question 4. What determines a person’s status?
Social status is the position that a person (or social group) occupies in society.
Each person is a member of various social groups and, accordingly, has many different statuses. The entire set of human statuses is called a status set. The status that the person himself or those around him consider to be the main one is called the main status. This is usually professional or family status or status in the group where the person has achieved the greatest success.
Question 5: How does a prescribed status differ from an achieved status?
Sociologists distinguish between ascribed (prescribed) and achieved statuses. The first status belongs to a person from birth, the second is the result of efforts made. Achieved status is what a person acquires through his own efforts: education, financial status, political influence, business connections, qualifications, etc.
Sometimes status is divided into innate and ascribed. Natural-born can be considered gender, age (although this is a variable, but biologically determined aspect of status), ethnicity, race. The ascribed status is also acquired from birth (or will necessarily be recognized by society), but is not biological in nature. Thus, a member of the royal family acquires certain titles from birth.
Question 6. What are the features of the status position of young people in society?
Typically, the transition from childhood to adulthood is divided into two stages: adolescence and adolescence (early youth).
In adolescence, as psychologists note, the need for communication, primarily with peers, manifests itself especially clearly. At the same time, at first, teenagers prefer to communicate with peers of the same sex, and at an older age, friendly groups, as a rule, already include both boys and girls.
Such communication plays an important role in human development: social norms, ways of interacting with other people, gender roles (determined by established traditions, norms of sexual behavior patterns) are mastered. Another characteristic of adolescents is the desire to quickly transition to the status of an adult. For some guys, a symbol of adulthood is a cigarette, a bottle of beer, or even vodka. They think that smoking and drinking alcohol make them more independent, relaxed, and sexy. A deep misconception for which you have to pay with your own health. Adulthood is, first of all, responsibility for yourself and your loved ones, the willingness and ability to constantly solve complex life problems. Most people begin to understand this in adolescence. And many are no longer in a hurry to grow up.
Young people experiment, “try on” various adult roles, and test themselves in a variety of activities. At this age they often say: “I decided to try... (get into the car business, work in a computer company, create a musical group, go to college, etc.), let’s see what happens.” Youth as a period of searching for oneself and one’s place in life is perceived and accepted by society as a normal phenomenon.
Question 7. What is included in the concept of “social role”?
A person’s social status gives him certain rights, imposes responsibilities and presupposes appropriate behavior. The behavior expected from a person of a given social status is called a social role.
A social role is a pattern of human behavior that society recognizes as appropriate for the holder of this status.
A social role is a model of behavior focused on a certain status. It is also called the dynamic side of status. If status indicates the position of an individual within a group, then role indicates the behavior inherent in this status.
Question 8. What is gender?
Gender is a social sex that determines a person's behavior in society and how that behavior is perceived. This is the gender-role behavior that determines relationships with other people: friends, colleagues, classmates, parents, random passers-by, etc.
Question 9. How are gender roles reinforced?
Gender education begins in infancy. Parents communicate differently with girls and boys, even if they do not always realize it. The first toys and clothes are chosen taking into account gender. Children realize quite early that they belong to a certain gender and acquire a characteristic type of behavior. Thus, a boy who fell while playing and was hit hard tries to hold back his tears, because “only girls cry.” Under the influence of family, immediate environment, and television programs, children develop certain personal qualities and behavior patterns that will help them fulfill gender roles.
To a certain extent, school reinforces models of gender behavior. For example, technology lessons are different for girls and boys.
The place where gender roles manifest themselves most often and very clearly is the home. Women and men usually do different jobs around the house. Women take care of children, clean the home, cook, do laundry, etc. Men repair cars, household appliances, and in rural areas they work in the yard. In general, the bulk of household chores falls on the woman.
At work, gender roles also remain important. The number of working women has increased worldwide. However, professional restrictions related to belonging to a certain gender remain. This is partly due to the physical characteristics of the sexes, but to a lesser extent also with prevailing ideas and prejudices in society. There are professions that are predominantly male (pilot, steelmaker, plumber, etc.) and female (kindergarten teacher, seamstress, etc.). Women are less likely to occupy leadership positions and often receive lower salaries for the same work as men.
Modern post-industrial society is characterized by changes in gender role attitudes. Women are increasingly mastering new roles for themselves - managers of large enterprises, politicians, judges, prosecutors, etc. The role range of men is also expanding, so many of them strive to spend more time with their families, are actively involved in raising children, and take on part of the worries around the house.
Question 10. Express your opinion whether the statement is true: “The higher the status, the greater the role freedom.”
This statement is true because people with low status are not valued in society; they have a more difficult role to play, because respect for them is much less than for those with a higher status.
Question 11. According to one psychologist, from a biological point of view, the beginning of adolescence can be considered the loss of the last milk tooth, and the end is the appearance of the first gray hair. What, in your opinion, are the social boundaries of this age stage?
The beginning of adolescence is, naturally, a change of mood. During adolescence this happens quite often, so it is not difficult to notice. The end is already the acquisition of some experience, wisdom.
Question 12. “And how vast adolescence is, everyone knows... These years constitute a part in our life that surpasses the whole,” wrote B. L. Pasternak. Explain how you understand the writer’s words.
These lines indicate that in childhood we are formed faster and to a greater extent than at other ages, for example, at the beginning of life, a person’s moral positions, his attitude to the world around him, his knowledge base (which will later determine success) are laid down.
