Gender Roles Identity

GENDER ROLES IDENTITY

EXPLORING THE DEVELOPMENT OF GENDER ROLES IN SINGLE PARENT AND TWO PARENT FAMILIES

By: Denise L. Keller

PSY3311 - DR. JEFF SANDOZ

Author Note

Denise L. Keller, Department of Psychology, Troy University

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Denise L. Keller, Department of Psychology, Troy University, Brunswick, GA 31520.

GENDER ROLES IDENTITY

Exploring the Development of Gender Roles in Single Parent and Two Parent Families

Gender identity refers to "one's sense of oneself as male, female, or transgender". When one's gender identity and biological sex are not congruent, the individual may identify as transsexual or as another transgender category. (American Psychological Association, 2006) The purpose of this study is to understand how gender roles are influenced in single parent household's versus two parent households. Psychologist John Bowlby was the first attachment theorist, describing attachment as a "lasting psychological connectedness between human beings" (Bowlby, 1969, p. 194). Bowlby believed that the earliest bonds formed by children with their caregivers have a tremendous impact that continues throughout life. Gender schema theory proposes that the phenomenon of sex typing derives, in part, from gender based schematic processing, from a generalized readiness to process information on the basis of the sex-linked associations that constitute the gender schema. (Bem, 1975) Parents are important models of gender schema. One of the main functions of parents and family is to serve as a socialization system. Parents socialize children by modeling gender-appropriate behaviors and attitudes. (Chodorow, 1978) The interactions between family type and the difference between personal and ideal gender roles suggests that the gender roles of individuals raised in one parent families differ from the gender roles they value, whereas the gender roles of individuals in two parent families are the same as the roles they value.

REFERENCES

American Psychological Association. (2006). Retrieved February 5, 2011, from Answers to your questions about transgender individuals and gender identity: http://www.apa.org/topics/sexuality/transgender.aspx

Amato, A. B. (1994). Parental gender role nontraditionalism and offspring outcomes. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 865-877.

Bem, S. L.