Differences in Gender Socialization Between Hispanic and American Families Gender socialization is learning the social expectations and attitudes associated with the gender of the individual. Gender socialization explains why males and females behave in different ways and why they learn different social roles. The biological sex will determine how the individual will be treated (Raffaelli & Ontai, 2004). Parents engage in differential socialization regarding the expectations on males and females (Raffaelli & Ontai, 2004). However, males and females will take part in certain social roles which are contingent upon the culture they are raised in. Some cultures and backgrounds have a stronger emphasize in gender socialization as compared
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The women responded to the recruitment materials and were randomly selected based on certain criteria. All women had to have been raised in a Spanish-speaking homes and lived in the United States for a minimum of 8 years. Twenty-two women fell into that category and were included in the analysis. The interview consisted of open-ended and structured questions. All of the questions were either related to sexual socialization in the origin of the families, romantic and sexual experiences, or sexuality-related beliefs. These questions helped form the basis of the analysis. All women were asked the same questions but in a different order. The interview lasted between 60-90 minutes and were all audiotaped. The results showed that there most definitely was a difference in treatment between girls and boys. Feminine behaviors and etiquette were forced upon girls, and activities were restricted for girls outside the home while the boys had more freedom and were encouraged to seek activities outside the …show more content…
American families are described as non-traditional due to the sharing of responsibilities, while Hispanic families are described as traditional because of the gender specific roles that girls and boys are taught and expected to perform in. However, these studies also show that gender socialization is not conclusively cultural specific but it is based on the parenting styles and family need. In the world we live in today, maintaining a traditional gender household is not always possible, gender roles are based on the types of jobs the mothers and fathers have and the need the child fills in that household. Gender socialization is also formed by what the child views has gender specific roles. If the parents have more gender traditional jobs and roles, they will guide the children to do the same. If they don’t, like the father is a chef and cooks in the household while the mother is a paralegal and works in a male dominated field. The child’s view of gender specific role will be distorted. One thing is certain though, every father, every mother and every child serves as purpose and fills a need in a household. Whether they be traditional or non-traditional, the key to any family is finding that happy medium and making things function properly in the
The women responded to the recruitment materials and were randomly selected based on certain criteria. All women had to have been raised in a Spanish-speaking homes and lived in the United States for a minimum of 8 years. Twenty-two women fell into that category and were included in the analysis. The interview consisted of open-ended and structured questions. All of the questions were either related to sexual socialization in the origin of the families, romantic and sexual experiences, or sexuality-related beliefs. These questions helped form the basis of the analysis. All women were asked the same questions but in a different order. The interview lasted between 60-90 minutes and were all audiotaped. The results showed that there most definitely was a difference in treatment between girls and boys. Feminine behaviors and etiquette were forced upon girls, and activities were restricted for girls outside the home while the boys had more freedom and were encouraged to seek activities outside the …show more content…
American families are described as non-traditional due to the sharing of responsibilities, while Hispanic families are described as traditional because of the gender specific roles that girls and boys are taught and expected to perform in. However, these studies also show that gender socialization is not conclusively cultural specific but it is based on the parenting styles and family need. In the world we live in today, maintaining a traditional gender household is not always possible, gender roles are based on the types of jobs the mothers and fathers have and the need the child fills in that household. Gender socialization is also formed by what the child views has gender specific roles. If the parents have more gender traditional jobs and roles, they will guide the children to do the same. If they don’t, like the father is a chef and cooks in the household while the mother is a paralegal and works in a male dominated field. The child’s view of gender specific role will be distorted. One thing is certain though, every father, every mother and every child serves as purpose and fills a need in a household. Whether they be traditional or non-traditional, the key to any family is finding that happy medium and making things function properly in the