Learning about Gender Norms through Enculturation

Definition of Enculturation

• Enculturation is "the process by which people learn the necessary and appropriate skills and norms in the context of their culture."
• Infants are not born with a culture; they develop cultural understanding through interactions with gatekeepers and peers.
• Enculturation is a lifelong process that reinforces cultural identity.

Processes Involved in Enculturation

• Direct Tuition: Parents directly instructing children on appropriate behavior.
• Observational Learning: Learning by observing others.
• Reward/Punishment: Reinforcement of behaviors through rewards or punishments.
• Conditioning
• Socialisation
• Social Identity

Study 1: Fagot (1978) - Naturalistic Observations

• Sample: 24 families, each with one child (20-24 months old), all white families.
• Methodology: Observation of 46 child behaviors and 19 parental reactions over five 60-minute sessions.
• Findings:
  • Boys were left alone more than girls.
  • Boys received positive responses for playing with blocks; girls for playing with dolls.
  • Girls received negative responses for manipulating objects and participating in large motor activities.
  • Parents showed bias towards same-sex preferred behaviors.
  • Parents were not fully aware of their socialization methods.
• Link to Enculturation: Reinforcement of traditional gender-stereotypical behaviors through direct tuition and parental reinforcement.
• Study Evaluation:
  • High ecological validity due to naturalistic setting.
  • High inter-rater reliability with two observers.
  • Small sample size, all white Americans, potential demand characteristics.

Study 2: Kimball (1986) - Natural Experiment

• Objective: Examine impact of television introduction on gender stereotyping in a Canadian community.
• Sample: 536 children from different communities with varying levels of television exposure.
• Findings:
  • Pre-television, Notel children had more egalitarian gender attitudes.
  • Post-television, increased gender stereotyping in Notel boys and girls.
• Link to Enculturation: Strengthening of gender stereotypes through observational learning from television.
• Study Evaluation:
  • High ecological validity; conducted in natural school settings.
  • Low internal validity due to lack of random allocation and control over variables.
  • Low generalizability as it was conducted in Canada.

Theory Evaluation: Enculturation

Limitations

• Neglect of Individual Agency: Overemphasis on cultural influence, ignoring personal experiences and identity.
• Oversimplification of Culture: Treats culture as a singular concept, ignoring subcultures and globalization.
• Neglect of Power Dynamics: Does not address power dynamics and inequalities within cultural norms.
• Focus on Western Cultures: Limited understanding of non-western and marginalized cultures.

Strengths

• Acknowledgement of Change: Recognizes enculturation as a lifelong, adaptive process.
• Holistic Approach: Considers various cultural norms and structures in socialization.
• Application Across Cultures: Explains behavior trends and navigation of cultural environments.
• Practical in Education: Helps educators create culturally inclusive environments.
• Consideration of Cultural Evolution: Acknowledges the influence of intercultural interactions on societal behavior.