Changing Female Identity

Research shows girls no longer conform to the norms of feminine identity that dominate British culture 30 years ago

Evidence suggests woman in 2017 are more likely to see themselves equal to men rather than subordinate

Chamber came up with normative feminity which is seen as pretty, cleaning the house and passive and traditional culturally dominant version focused on motherhood

Froyum said there is an assertive femintiy who are not afraid to challenge gender identity

Phallic woman are the head of the family and successful such as Margret Thatcher

McRobbie came up with gender quake also known as girl power who challenged tradition

Goes against expectations

Aggressive, competitive and challenges the culture of patriarchy

Jackson (2006) found girls would challenge male behaviour known as ladettes so would spend time smoking, drinking and swearing

These two studies led to Denscombei (2007) looked at an increase in female risk-taking behaviour

Young woman wants to be anything but the stereotype of a woman such as smoking

Gender Identity Socialisation

Education

STEM subjects applied mainly to boys, but textiles associated with girls

Fosh et al. (2002)

Found boys valued academic success and committed to work were more feminine

Those who were antisocial and anti-educational were more traditional hegemonic males

Media

Shows us of what men and woman look like and be like

Exposed from early age reinforce what family learnt

Gauntlett (2002)

Argues that magazines give advice about how to be attractive to people in relation to gender

Television, music, books and magazines provides opportunities for now to learn how they should dress, behave and interact such as Thin blonde women vs muscular man such as David Beckham

Celebrities provide role models

Workplace

Men are seen to have hands and jobs

Woman have desk jobs

Number of part time, temporal and causal jobs in labour market has risen and traditional heavy industries such as Coal and Steel

Woman have become more economically active and financially independent

Religion

Patriarchy

Woman have more rules as men are in charge

Coventry and Bradford (1992) was keen to move beyond expected role and Asian woman as pursuing further and higher education and getting careers so challenging culture

Peer groups

Derogatory Language

Girls and boys stay away from each other

Lees (1986) said males can control females by their use of derogatory language so insulting or disrespectable comments

Family

Big agent of socialisation as parents as parents decide how their child is raised such as clothes, nicknames and toys

Language used by parents such as little girls and big boy

Accepted behaviour so after 12 girls are 4 times more likely to cry than boys

Toys were Bratz for girls and bob the builder for boys

Clothes and accessories, they were dresses for girls and superhero capes for boys

Ann Oakley (1918)

Feminist who argued that gender roles are socially constructed through socialisation

Patriarch starts at home with family and taught to children at a young age

  • Manipulation so encouraging/discouraging behaviour it was based on their sex so culturally and stereotyping acceptable
  • Canalisation so channel child’s interest in toys and clothes which are the norm for their sex such as football for boys
  • Verbal appellations so giving children different nicknames which reinforce gender expectation but using gendered language
  • Different activities so imitate parents and encourage to participant in domestic activities which are suitable for their gender so reinforce gender stereotype

Critics of Gender Role Socialisation

Ignores varying experiences of men and woman such as ethnicity, area, class and age

Assumes we passively accept the gender identity imposed on them

Neglects choice

Neglects changing nature of postmodern society