Gender Differences

Running Head : GENDER DIFFERENCES

Gender Differences

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Introduction

Gender is an all encompassing term that is used to describe sexual and behavioral characteristics that develop as a result of several influences . These influences are environmental , cultural and biological Parents have been known to contribute greatly to the gender differences development in their children

Research conducted by the author using the naturalistic observation method to study gender differences in social behavior revealed that mothers who have a daughters , are more likely to

initiate s concerning their daughters ' relationships and feelings - for example the daughters ' relationships with their best friends or neighbors and feelings about their relationships or school work . On the contrary mothers , who have sons , are more likely to initiate s that concerned the boys ' activities with others - for example , games played with friends or neighbors - and their accomplishments in school and sports . This seeks to explain the gender differences using the social cognition theory . The asserts that the distinct parent to child communication patterns are instrumental in producing the gender differences that exists between male and female

Main Text

The intriguing findings from the observation were hardly surprising The mother to child interaction behavior observed is influenced by the earlier experiences of the mothers that dictated the different socialization patterns expected from male and female

The perspective of social cognitive theory best explains the mother 's inclination towards certain forms of interaction styles with their children . These can be termed as a reflection of their early impression about what is appropriate for boys and girls

While it is undeniable that other factors are at play in influencing the gender differences , the way parents guide social interactions between sons as well as daughters impact on the children 's gender type behavior Observation on gender roles and development indicate that children are socialized by the societal expectations and perceptions into their appropriate gender roles (Jessica McNaughton 2000

According to the social cognition theory , the parents existing mental blueprints are a direct product of their cultural and environmental experiences

For instance , it is common today to associate color pink with a baby girl . In some parts of the world baby boys just don 't wear pink since it is a `girlish ' color . Gender differences are therefore ingrained in children by parents and the society starting from infancy . The society expects it and the parents reinforce these socialization patterns in their children

The social cognition perspective is also clearly consistent with Block 's assertion that due to their early socialization , parents are more likely to reinforce independence and self assertion in boys while encouraging relationship based interactions in their girl children (Block 1983 Dunn , Bretherton Munn , 1987

Gender distinct inclinations are evidenced in mother to child interaction patterns where emotional expressions , feelings are emphasized in mother-daughter interactions than in mother to son interaction . There is a strong link between the mother orientation in relation to interaction and mother to child communication

Predictions on how mother-child interactions affect...