Learning and Doing Gender

Lesson 4


Gender roles is a schema about gender. A few examples of this are that girls don't punch people, boys are good at math, and girls drink tea instead of coffee. In this picture a boy is shown swinging a baseball bat. The schema says, sports are for boys, not girls.


Gender role socialization is the lifelong process of learning to be masculine or feminine. We are socialized by our families, schools, peer groups, and the media. In this photo, a young girl is learning to do her makeup from her older sister, which is a feminine trait.



Peer influence is an important aspect of our gender roles in socialization. During the teen years of a boy or girl they are socially influences by those around them, especially other teens. These peers almost act as significant others to each other. This photo shows a girl trying to peer pressure her friend into drinking alcohol with her.


The adult occupational roles of a family describe how the women and men interact together to create a working family. The men tend to be socialized as the primary earners of the family. In this picture, a dad is giving money to his his children out of his wallet.


Popular culture is a definite source of schemas about gender. The way they depict men and women on television shows or in magazines shows the various stereotypes about gender. In this photo, Ryan Gosling from the movie Drive, is drifting his car sideways during a car chase. This is not something you would typically see a woman doing, therefore making it gendered towards men.