Analysis: Cognitive Perspectives On Gender Development

The article we conversed about in class titled “Children’s Search for Gender Cues; Cognitive Perspectives on Gender Development,” by Carol Lynn Martian and Diane Ruble exposed us to the topic of the cognitive perspectives on gender development. In simpler terms, processes where children identify their gender and what that entails. The authors mention consequences of gender development and developmental patterns. While reading this article I was able to relate my own life experiences to the cognitive perspectives
Martin and Ruble state “Children are gender detectives who search for cues about gender- who should or should not engage in particular activity, who can play with whom and why girls and boys are different” (p.67). As a volunteer at …show more content…
Our activity was to pick out a colored construction paper and draw a picture. Laid out on the table was blue, green, pink and white colored paper. I told the kids to go ahead and pick their colored paper; the boys went right in a picked out their blue colored paper. The little girl was hesitant at first and when I asked her what was wrong she did not say anything. A couple moments later I realized she was looking at me like she was waiting for me to choose my colored paper first. When I eventually picked the pink color she said “pink because we are girls” and also picked up a pink paper. I hadn’t really thought this was anything special until I read this article. The authors mention that children “use gender cues provide by society” (p.67). It seems like I was “society” in this case. The little girl was waiting for …show more content…
They mention in the article that “ the early learning of gender categories and associated attributions (stereotypes) appear to set off a sequence of events that results in, first very rigid beliefs (that only girls and boys do something), which are followed by more flexible, realistic beliefs (that either sex can do almost anything)” (p.68). Growing up I was able to watch my mother put on makeup every day. I recall her saying when I grow up I would be able to use lipsticks and eyeshadow. Back then I believed makeup was only for women and when my cousins use to try makeup on I would say “No! That’s for when we grow up” like the first part of the quote I would say I did have a very rigid belief because of the people I saw wearing cosmetics, I also recall many commercials only showing women putting on makeup. For many years growing up I just thought makeup is specifically made for women but I soon found out I was wrong. The older I became the more open I was to the fact that makeup isn’t just for women but for males as well. I started to see YouTube stars that are male apply makeup better than some women out in the world. This validates what Ruble and Martin say about growing and involving in our process of thinking regarding gender. This quote makes me wonder if the four year old girl I worked with will eventually end up changing her thinking about pink being for