LIFE: FROM START TO FINISH. How gender typing influences different cohorts. very interesting interview of little brother, mother, and grandmother. includes quotes and very credible sources.

Essay by blondncrazy817College, UndergraduateA+, October 2008

download word file, 4 pages 3.5

Downloaded 31 times

People of numerous cohorts, that is, groups of people who were educated in different historical times, exist in civilization today. It became very easy to understand the differences that exist within these cohorts after talking to my mother (age 36), my brother (age 11), and my grandmother (age 79). After interviewing and observing three diverse cohorts, it became extremely evident that each age group, though very unique, expressed several similarities.

All three interviews expressed a great deal of gender typing within gender-based toy preferences. Gender typing is the process of adopting behaviors and preferences that are associated with males or females (Poole, Warren, Nunez, 2007, p. 276). My brother, grandma, and mother were all asked what toys they play or played with when they were younger. Both females explained that they played with dolls when they stated, “I played with lots and lots of dolls. I had so many dolls I didn’t even know what to do (Grandma), and “When I was a child I played with dolls (Mom).”

When asked the same question, my little brother replied, “I liked to play with trucks and action figures when I was really little but, now I like to play with my dirt bike and basketballs,” It was interesting to depict the great amount of gender-role behavior, or behaviors consistent with cultural norms for how males and female should act, that existed when both males and females were asked what toys they played with when they were young (Poole, Warren, Nunez, 2007, p. 195). This was also displayed when my grandmother stated, “When I was three years old a car hit me and everyone who came to visit me in the hospital brought me a doll (Grandma).” People who assume that girls would rather play with dolls than trucks apparently understand gender...