Unit 6 | Behaving the way we do 2.2. You have found the following texts for an essay with the title Discuss differences in gender roles in different cultures. a Skim both texts to identify the main points relevant to the essay title. b Make brief notes so that you can report back to your partner what you have read. Text 2 Gender development [Social scientists including sociologists, anthropologists, and psychologists have also / examined gender roles across cultures (Best, 2001; Best & Williams, 1997; Gibbons, 2000; Williams, Satterwhite, & Best, 1999). Although all cultures make distinctions between male and female roles, the particular content of what is assigned to men and women can vary from culture to culture (Wade & Tavris, 1999). For example, in some cultures women may do the marketing or weaving, whereas men do so in other cultures. Cultures vary in how much emotion men and women are expected to show, whether women in particular are expected to remain sexually chaste before marriage, and how much contact men and women can have on a daily basis, Cultures also vary in the extent to which the genders are expected to be different at all. Wade and Tavris (1999) give the example of Tahiti as one of the least gender- differentiated cultures; there are few differential expectations for the behaviors of men and ‘women. Even their language lacks gender pronouns, and most names are used for either males or females. Idauses are often similar. Williams and Best and their colleagues (Williams & Best, 1990; Williams et al,, 1999) have studied university students’ attitudes about gender-related personality tzaits in 25 countries from all over the world, They have found a remarkable degree of consistency in the traits assigned to males and females in these 25 countries. For example, in these various countries, males were consistently seen as active, adventurous, aggressive, independent, strong, logical, and unemotional. Women, on the other hand, were consistently seen as affectionate, emotional, fearful, submissive, talkative, timid, weak, and whiny. ‘There is also cross-cultural similarity among the genders in aspects of production tasks. In many societies men are more likely to hunt large animals, do metalworking, and do lumbering, whereas women are mate often found carrying water, cooking, laundering, and gathering vegetables (Eagly et al., 2000; Wood & Eagly, 2002). These differences seem to arise, in part, from women’s reproductive roles and men’s greater physical strength. Of course, one of the most consistent differences between males and females cross-culturally is ‘that women participate in mote childcare (Geary, 2000; Kenrick & Luce, 2000). There are also cross-cultural similarities in gender roles related to dating and mating, with men choosing younger women, less powerful partners, and more partners than women (Buss, 2000; Kenrick & Luce, 2000); and in interpersonal violence in that men engage in more violence against other males than females do against other females, and partner violence is typically related to males’ attempts to control their female partners (Smuts, 1995; Wilson & Daly, 1996). In childhood, there is a great deal of cross-cultural consistency in rough and tumble play, | with boys doing more, and in the phenomenon of gender segregation in which children play predominantly with children of their own sex (Best & Williams, 1997; Geary & Bjorklund, 2000). In these groups, boys are more concerned with dominance and social status, whereas ' girls are more intimate and communal. In addition, across many cultures, but not all, boys | are also more aggressive than girls, and girls are more likely to care for younger children (Best, 2001; Edwards, 2000; Muntoe, Hulefeld, Rodgers, Tomeo, & Yamazaki, 2000). 2 Although certain aspects of gender roles vary greatly from culture to culture, other aspects | (> participate in; verb/ adjective + proposition (nen Blakemore, J ., Bemedaum, S.A. and Linen, LS. (2008) ‘Gender Development. Psychology Press. Taylor and FrancsUnit 6 | Behaving the way we do Text 2 Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Gender-Role Development 3 |Gender-role socialization varies depending on one’s cultural background. Differences in roles between men and women are exaggerated in some cultures and diminished in others. 2 |Traditionally, Asian American families are patriarchal, with status and power determined by age, generation, and gender (Balgopal, 2008, p. 156;Lu, 2008). Huang and Ying (1998) describe the values associated with a Chinese heritage: [z]Gender and birth positions were ... associated with certain duties and | privileges. Sons were more highly valued than daughters; family lineage was passed through the male, while females were absorbed into the families of their husbands The first-born son, the most valued child, received preferential treatment as well as.more familial responsibilities. The prescriptive roles for | daughters were less rewarding; females often did nat come into positions of authority oF respect until they assumed the role of mother-in-law. (p.38) A son's primary responsibility is to be a“good son’ throughout life, including caring for aging parents (Balgopal, 2008, p. 156; Lu, 2008). This does not apply to daughters. Although gender roles are changing somewhat for Mexican Americans, as they are for Americans in general, traditional Mexican American families adhere to strict separation of gender roles; men are to be heads of the household and women should submit themselves to their husbands, devoting their attention to caring for the family (Longres & Aisenberg, 2008; McCammon & Knox, 2007). Ramirez (1998) describes the gender-role socialization of many Mexican Americans: [5] Differences in sex-role socialization are clearly evident in this culture and ~ become especially prominent at adolescence. The adolescent female is likely to remain much closer to the home thaathe male and to be protected and {guarcied in her contacts with others beyond the family, so as to preserve her | femininity and innocence. The adolescent male, following the model of his father.is given much more freedom to come and go as he chooses and is encouraged to gain worldly knowledge outside the home in preparation for the time when he will assume the role of husband and father. (p. 220) [@]African Americans, on the other hand, are often taught to assume more egalitarian roles | (Moore, 2008). Hines and Boyd-Franklin (1996) describe the gender roles characterizing many | African American women: “African American women, who are often more actively religious | than their mates, tend to be regarded as all sacrificing’ and the’strength of the family: Their Historical; vewwoint) | identity often is tied to their role as mothers. ... Historically, they have worked outside the adjectives home, sometimes as the sole wage earners, particularly in times of high unemployment" (p.69). (cam 3, p93 | Zestrow, C, and KrstAshman, KK. (2010). Understanding Human Behovlar and the S Environment (&th ed). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Congago Leami 2.3 Scan the texts and identify the text and section where you can find the following examples. ‘Summarise the information you find in a brief note. 1 Asociety where genderrole differences are relatively limited Text 1, section 1 ~ Taniti: few differences in expected behaviour men vs women Gender-elated characteristics found to be similar across societies The effects of physical differences on gender roles How boys and girls play differently in same-sex groups AA society where men take responsibility for their ageing parents A society where traditionally a woman becomes part of the husband's family when she marries