Barbie the Ideal Role Model In Gender Development

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Barbie the Ideal Role Model In Gender Development.

We must first note that gender is not the same as sex. When we state the word sex we mean in biological terms a person’s maleness or femaleness.  In stating the term gender, the general definition is the role or identity, in which we decide to adhere to.  Gender role includes the attitudes or behaviours that are considered appropriate for males and female in a particular culture.

The way in which psychologist’s attempt to explain how we development a particular gender depends upon who is defining it.  Freud believed that gender development could be attributed to conflict between the child’s desires and an actual event. Whereas, cognitive psychologist, explain gender development as a concept that children’s understanding of the world depends upon their ability to understand information, to be able to make logical inferences, and to draw conclusions, these skills develop throughout childhood.  One of the main psychologist of the cognitive developmental theory is Piaget, his theories, although critically acclaimed to be limited, are still viewed, as being quite important today.

There are many different theories concerned with, explaining gender development however, the one that will be examined in this essay is the Social Learning Theory.  According to social learning theory, behaviour is acquired in two ways; through reinforcement and modelling. The process of reinforcement is based upon the principle that behaviour is modified by its consequences. Behaviour that has favourable consequences (reinforcement) is more likely to be repeated. Whereas, behaviour that is not rewarded or is punished is less likely to be performed again.  Though reinforcement has a powerful influence on shaping behaviour, social learning also occurs through the observation and imitation of others in the absence of reinforcement.  This process is known as modelling or observational learning.  (Gender Development pg76)

Children acquire a considerable amount of knowledge about the world through play. Consider this notion, and the notion of the type of toys that we believe our children like to play with. There is little doubt about, why women are perceived as they are in today’s society.

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Before a child can read or write, they hear songs and stories that highlight the roles that are favoured by the culture.  In these songs and stories girls learn traditional values as favoured by our mothers, while boys are portrayed in positive progressive roles.  These rhymes are handed down from generation to generation with little thought to the images that we are presenting to the child.

Little girls learn early that females are inadequate and never do anything right, at least, not in Little Bo Peep who loses her sheep, the Queen of hearts who has her tarts ...

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