Shaping Gender: The Role of Family in Children's Identity Construction
Abstract
The document examines how gender stereotypes influence identity construction in children aged 9 to 12. Stereotypes act as normative frameworks that shape the perception of masculine and feminine roles, which children internalize from an early age. Using gender schema theory, the study investigated how children represent these roles in activities and narratives, aiming to understand how the family serves as both a reference and an agent in socializing and forming stereotypes. To do this, family representations in idea-completion exercises and creative productions of 186 children were analyzed, providing insights into the perpetuation or questioning of these cultural norms. The results show a strong association with traditional roles in parental figures: the father as provider and protector, and the mother as caregiver, reflecting conventional stereotypes. However, modest changes are also observed, with an emerging participation of the father in domestic roles. In contrast, siblings and cousins have less rigid and more diverse roles, especially in recreational activities, suggesting a more flexible space for gender identity exploration. Grandparents and uncles, on the other hand, often appear as extensions of parental roles, reinforcing the transmission of traditional norms. This exposes the need for educational interventions that promote a more equitable view, allowing children to explore their gender identities authentically and without rigid cultural constraints.
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https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-84273-4_8
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27. Wood, W. & Eagly, A. H. (2012). Biosocial construction of sex differences and similarities in behavior. In Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, Vol. 46 (pp. 55-123). Academic Press Inc. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-394281-4.00002-7
2. Blakemore, J. E. O. & Centers, R. E. (2005). Characteristics of boys' and girls' toys. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, 53(9-10), 619–633. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-005-7729-0
3. Borairi, S. et al. (2022). Do siblings influence one another? Unpacking processes that occur during sibling conflict. Child Development, 94 (1),110-125. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13842
4. Braun, V. & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
5. Cabrera, N. J., Volling, B. L. & Barr, R. (2018). Fathers are parents, too! Widening the lens on parenting for children’s development. Child Development Perspectives, 12(3), 152–157. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12275
6. Creswell, J. & Poth, C. (2017). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Sage Publications, Inc.
7. Delfín-Ruiz, C. et al. (2021). Caracterización de los roles familiares y su impacto en las familias de México. Revista de Ciencias Sociales (Ve), 27 (3), 128-138.
8. Dette-Hagenmeyer, D. E. et al. (2014). The changing role of the father in the family. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 11 (2), 129-135. https://doi.org/10.1080/17405629.2014.883313
9. Dunn, J. (2015). Siblings. In J. E. Grusec & P. D. Hastings (Eds.), Handbook of socialization: Theory and research (pp. 182–201). The Guilford Press.
10. Galet, C. & Alzás, T. (2014). Trascendencia del rol de género en la educación familiar. Campo Abierto, 33 (2), 97-114. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/5250171.pdf
11. Gerson, K. (2009). The unfinished revolution: how a new generation is reshaping family, work, and gender in America. Oxford University Press.
12. Golshirazian, S. el al. (2015). The Effect of Peer Groups on Gender Identity and Expression, International Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Studies, 2 (10), 9-17. https://www.ijrhss.org/pdf/v2-i10/2.pdf
13. Grünwald, O. et al. (2022). The experiences of grandparents looking after their grandchildren: examining feelings of burden and obligation among non-custodial grandparents. Ageing & Society, 1–18 doi:10.1017/S0144686X22001027
14. Hakelind, C. et al. (2022). The power of aha! on stimulating and guiding students towards self-awareness and critical reflection while teaching about personality psychology and gender stereotypes. Psychology Learning & Teaching, 21(1), 57-72. DOI: 10.1177/1475725720979460 journals.sagepub.com/home/plj
15. Halim, M. L. et al. (2016). Children’s dynamic gender identities across development and the influence of cognition, context, and culture. In C. S. Tamis-LeMonda & L. Balter (Eds.), Child Psychology: A Handbook of Contemporary Issues (3rd ed.) (pp. 193-218). New York, NY: Psychology Press/Taylor & Francis. https://home.csulb.edu/~mhalim/pub/Halim%20et%20al%20Gender%20development%20-%20Tamis-LeMonda%20Balter%20Handbook%20Chapter%20(3rd%20ed%20Child%20Psych).pdf
16. Hochschild, A. R. & Machung, A. (2012). The second shift: working families and the revolution at home. Penguin Books.
17. Kramer, L. et al. (2019). Siblings. In B. H. Fiese, M. Celano, K. Deater-Deckard, E. N. Jouriles, & M. A. Whisman (Eds.), APA handbook of contemporary family psychology: Foundations, methods, and contemporary issues across the lifespan (pp. 521–538). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000099-029
18. Martin, C. L. & Halverson, C. F. (1983). The effects of sex-typing schemas on young children's memory. Child Development, 54(3), 563–574. https://doi.org/10.2307/1130043.
19. Martin, C. L. & Ruble, D. (2004). Children's search for gender cues: Cognitive perspectives on gender development. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 13(2), 67–70. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0963-7214.2004.00276.x
20. Mirza, H. et al. (2023). Ethical considerations in qualitative research: Summary guidelines for novice social science researchers. Social Studies and Research Journal, 11 (1), 441-449. file:///Users/administrador/Downloads/EthicalConsiderationsinQualitativeResearch_Su_230517_002204.pdf
21. Park, B. et al. (2010). The persistence of implicit behavioral associations for moms and dads. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 46 (5), 809-815.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2010.04.009
22. Riessman, C. K. (2008). Narrative methods for the human sciences. Sage Publications, Inc.
23. Rodríguez-Castrillón, C. M. & Amador-Baquiro, J. C. (2023) Investigación narrativa con niños y niñas: una reflexión teórico-metodológica.Revista Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Niñez y Juventud, 21 (3), 39-70.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.11600/rlcsnj.21.3.5514
24. Skinner, O. D. & McHale, S. M. (2022). Family gender socialization in childhood and adolescence. In D. P. VanderLaan & W. I. Wong (Eds.), Gender and sexuality development: Contemporary theory and research (pp. 233–253). Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-84273-4_8
25. Stamson, A. (2024). Reading Between Worlds: Gendered Narratives in Fiction. Critical Gender Studies Journal, 1 (1), 1–16. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21659/cgsj.v1n1.03
26. Viveros, E. F. (2010). Roles, patriarcado y dinámica interna familiar: reflexiones útiles para Latinoamérica. Revista virtual de la Universidad Católica del Norte, (31), 388-406. http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=194214587017
27. Wood, W. & Eagly, A. H. (2012). Biosocial construction of sex differences and similarities in behavior. In Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, Vol. 46 (pp. 55-123). Academic Press Inc. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-394281-4.00002-7
Authors
[1]
“Shaping Gender: The Role of Family in Children’s Identity Construction”, Soc. sci. humanities j., vol. 8, no. 11, pp. 5913–5922, Nov. 2024, doi: 10.18535/sshj.v8i11.1482.
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