英文摘要 |
This study aims to understand young children’s gender-role concepts and the influence of parents on these concepts. It includes understanding children’s own gender-role concepts, analyzing the differences between the boys’ and girls’ gender-role concepts, and trying to discover the relationship between parents’ and children’s gender-role concepts. This study involves 14 kindergarten children (7 boys, 7 girls) and 9 parents (8 mothers, 1 father). Regarding the process of this research, 14 children were interviewed with pictures in the beginning. The contents of pictures contain four aspects: outward appearance, characteristic, toy and occupation. In addition, 9 of 14 (4 boys and 5 girls) children were interviewed again with the method of focus group (boys group/girls group). Finally, parents of the 9 children were interviewed. The results of this study are listed as follows:Most of the children think that short hair cut, braveness, truck driver, police, robot, knife and gun are descriptions for boy, and long hair, neatness, nurse, babysitter, doll and family role play are descriptions for girl. Children’s gender-role concepts still have the tendency toward the traditional stereotype of gender-role.Comparing the boys’ to the girls’ gender-role concepts, they are almost the same. All of them use similar standards to distinguish boys from girls. They also think only boys can be truck driver and workman and only girls can be nurse; strength and braveness are boys’ characteristics, while beauty-loving is girls’; dolls and cosmetics are only used by girls. Differently girls specially mention that hair-tying belongs only to girls’ manner of dressing, while boys think girls get hurt easily.Parents do have influence on their children’s gender-role concepts. However, siblings and life experience are also factors influencing children’s gender-role concepts.Children think there are certain behaviors and characteristics that belong only to male or female. Children have negative comments on non-traditional gender-role behaviors. For example, they feel disgusting when boys do something traditionally done by girls. And they think that girls don’t have the ability to do things that normally boys do. These perspectives may limit children to do cross-gender behaviors.Base on the results, the research suggest that teaching professionals use teaching resources without gender stereotype and transmit concepts of gender equality about outward appearance, occupation, characteristic and toy to children. Parents should learn the concept of gender equality and respect their children’s thoughts on gender role. |