Agents of Gender

Socialization

• Family • School

• Media
 Roots of Gender Socialization
1. Family
Gender begins the moment a child is born.
Child-Rearing

Dressing girl babies

in pink and boy
babies in blue.
The process of
Verbal appellation …
telling children what they are and what
is expected of them.
Verbal Appellations
Examples:
 “brave boys” and “pretty girls”;
 “boys don’t cry” and “girls don’t climb
trees”
Gender Socialization
Feminine Masculine
 Submissive  Dominant
 Gentle  Aggressive
 Emotional  Adventurer
 Talkative  Not
 Passive emotional
 Assertive
Roots of Gender Socialization
The process of CANALIZATION …

people direct children’s attention

to gender appropriate objects.
Canalization
People direct children’s attention to the gender-appropriate objects
as in the case of choice of toys for girls and boys.

Boys are given like cars and machines while girls are given dolls and
toy kitchen utensils.
Canalization cont.
The girls are encouraged to play house
and mimic domestic chores of their
mothers.
The association with different kinds of
toys teaches the children their prescribed
roles in life in the future.
 Roots of Gender Socialization
The process of MANIPULATION …
people handle girls and boys differently even as
infants.
 Agents of Gender Socialization
2. School
 Gendered lessons
 Unequal treatment of teachers to female and male
students
 Agents of Gender Socialization
3. Media
TV, Prints and Cyberspace
Influence of pornography
Media and Societal violence
What is Gender Discrimination?
Gender Discrimination means to give differential
treatment to individuals on the grounds of their gender.

Gender Subordination
Secondary status of women in society, because of
this they have less access to and control over
resources for development and its benefits.
 Gender Issues
Economic Marginalization of Women

Marginalization. . .
Women are considered to be non-essential force in the
economy despite their crucial role in production.
Society does not give much recognition and value to
women’s contribution to the economy and pays scant
attention to their need for loans, as consumers and as
workers.
 Gender Issues
 Political Subordination of Women
Subordination refers to …
 the secondary position of women compared to men in the
society.
 submission, sometimes due to force or violence, or being under
the authority of one sex.
 It often results in women having no control over available
resources and
having no personal autonomy.
Gender Stereotyping...
 biased perception of women as the weaker sex
and their roles, functions and abilities are primarily
tied to the home.
 society’s perceptions and value systems that instill
an image of women as weak and dependent
 men are strong, independent, powerful, dominant,
decisive and logical.
Multiple Burden
Doing unpaid work in the home, paid work as members of
the workforce, volunteer work in the community, and all other
works necessary for the survival of the family.

Double/ Multiple Burden

A situation referring to the heavy workload of women and the
many, overlapping tasks involved, which
if computed in terms of hours would total more than 24
hours.
Longer hours of work and greater responsibility at home, in
the community and at the workplace.