How do boys and girls learn gender difference and gender inequality? At what age, and how, does our society treat young boys and girls differently?

Question

If boys or girls join the opposite sex on the playground, what is each sex called, and which sex is more likely to be accepted and why? Illustrate your essay with examples.
What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Gender Socialization. Starting in infancy adults treat boys and girls differently. Girls are held closer, spoken to in softer voice, called pretty; boys held at arms length, spoken to louder, called strong. Adults told that an infant dressed in blue or pink was a boy or girl gave stereotyped toys (hammer, doll) to the child. Adults shown videotape of infant's reaction to various toys interpreted reactions as anger if they had been told it was a boy, and reactions as fear if they had been told it was a girl. Children are treated differently by teachers, who may call on boys more or expect them to be better in math or science. Boys who join girls on the playground may be called "sissies," and girls may be called "tomboys." Girls joining boys are more likely to be accepted but boys joining girls may be shunned, because girls are moving up in the hierarchy and boys are moving down.