WK4K

 Gender Development    

Gender roles are the combination of attitudes, behaviors, and personality characteristics that a culture considers appropriate for an individual’s anatomical sex.  Psychologists have proposed a number of theories to explain gender typing (LeFrancois, 2012).   

For this discussion, you will choose and analyze two of the four scenarios in the videos below, and explain how each scenario relates to the theories that explain gender typing.

1. Boy Meets Girl (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
2. Free to Be, You and Me – Ladies First (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
3. Free to Be You and Me – Princess Atalantis (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
4. Free to Be You and Me – William Wants a Doll (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

What do you think influenced the children in each video?  Next, explain how your own gender identity may have been influenced by gender stereotypes.  Finally, what are some strategies you can use in an early childhood educational setting to avoid gender stereotyping?