The document discusses how family communication shapes children's understanding of gender. It notes that family is usually the first source of information about gender roles and one of the most influential. The "nuclear family" model of two opposite-gender parents and their biological children is examined, along with common gender stereotypes of women as homemakers and men as breadwinners. The document also looks at how other social institutions can reinforce these roles and how children observe and model their parents' behaviors from a young age.
2. Family is a social institution
“Many of one’s most intense interpersonal
exchanges occur within one’s family.” The
communication hat goes on in one’s family settings
greatly influence one’s understanding of gender
and family.
3. Why so important?
“Family is usually the first source of information
about gender and one of the most influential.”
The way a family communicates constructs gender.
Even if values aren’t pushed upon one, they
become used to seeing things done a certain way
which becomes the norm in their eyes.
4. The Nuclear Family
The Nuclear family is the traditional idea of two
parents (one male, one female), and biological
children. In the nuclear family the male is the
primary bread winner and the female is Susie home
maker.
8. It is important to understand how family interlocks
with other institutions. For example if there is a
gender/sex division at school or work, it will likely
appear in the family.
Other institutions:
-Extended family
-Friends
-Work
-Religion
-Schools
-Social Services
-Media
-Law
9. Politics and law enforce the idea of the nuclear
family by frequently using the slogan “family
values”, representing the idea of the nuclear family.
10. Imbalance in the division of housework is the
clearest indicator of the nuclear family norm and
different gender roles. Studies show the amount of
hours of housework men do has increased. Despite
this, women still spend 5-13.2 more hours a week.
11. Identity Crisis
Children begin acquiring a gender identity between
the young age ages of 2 and 3.When they begin to
develop this identity they choose activities they feel
fitting. Parents may provide children with gender
specific toys, such as Barbie’s for females and
trucks for males. Children then choose toys once
they have been socialized to desire them.
12. Observant
Children are usually closest to parents physically
and emotionally for a long period of time. Children
observe their parents behaviors and they are likely
to model them if they admire their parents. Most of
this observing is done with little thought.
“Children tend to learn the gendered lesson they
observe, not what they are told.”
13. Rewards &
Encouragement
Mothers and fathers tend to reward daughters for
being sweet and polite. Sons are rewarded for
demonstrating physical or verbal aggression.
14. Relationships
The cultural assumption is that everyone is
heterosexual and wants to be married. Children see
this early on in fairy tales. These fairy tales
generally portray a strong male and a beautiful
female who live happily ever after. I know I was
raised to view this as the norm. Now I realize there
are many different kind of relationships and
marriages and I accept them all. Most of my
generation does as we are surrounded by
differences, in comparison to older generations who
only knew the heterosexual marriage and nuclear
family.
15. Emancipatory Families
A variety of family forms can provide a safe, loving,
and accepting home for people to grow to their
fullest potential.
16. Parents: take notice
Kyle Kostelecky believes: “we spend more time as
parents trying to create clear gender roles which are
actually destructive rather than trying to create more
flexible gender roles that are liberatory and
responsive to each person’s individuality and lived
experience.”
You should be able to be yourself around your
family without judgment or pressure to be
something your not. Parents should be aware of the
influences their actions can have on their children.
