Compare the difference in gender roles and socialization processes in relation to the Smith family

The purpose of this assignment is to compare the difference in sexual practice roles and socialization processes in relation to the Smith family. It breed out give a brief explanation of sexual activity roles and socialization and depart take into account the situation of Jane and David and it will also look at the thoughts of Janes eighteen-year-old daughter Katherine. Gender roles are said to originate from birth with the classification of sex. As in all systems of ascription, change surface though most citizenry believe that sex role behaviour flows naturally, from biological or inbred differences, societies do not leave that development to choice or possibility.Instead, from the earliest years, before they can deduct a word, infants are told what their sexual identity is, and are praised for all behavioural evidence of appropriate activity. Adults will describe an infant as having ideal female person traits, if told its a girl (sweet, cute, charming) and as having idea l male traits if told its a boy (strong, destructive, rebellious). What begins in infancy continues through the years. For generations girls take over been praised for their maternal behaviour with dolls, and boys were told they were sissies if they showed the same behaviour.The family, sec edition, page 75). According to Connell in introduction to sociology Talcott Parsons argues that the biological incidents of sex and reproduction limit the sex sex roles available to males and females. In other words females social roles are principally to produce and bring up children while males are to provide the main resources of survival. Connell disagrees and believes that sexuality as well as sexual practice is make by social influences and personal choice. (Introduction to sociology, page 187).Ann Oakley argues that gender roles are cultural rather than biological domain learn the behaviour that is evaluate of males and females within their society. (Sociology themes and perspec tives page 589) Gender behaviour is original learnt through immemorial or basic socialization within the family and is reinforced later in almost e truly coun estimate of social life for example, at school and at work. Socialization refers to the various ways in which a child learns to act in a way acceptable to a given society.Oakley argues that as a young baby grows, they are socialized into their different gender roles through their contact with different people and institutions. By the age of sixteen the majority of young men and women have been socialized into a persuasion of male dominance, even though the forces of disagreement to this attitude are stronger than they were and patterns of socialization based on gender equality occur much frequently. (Introduction to sociology page 184-194) Socialization is the process by which human behaviour is make through experiences in social situations.Through socialization the individual learns the values, norms and thinking of a g iven society. Cooley (1864-1929) august two types of socialization first-string and secondary. The two forms of socialization are defined partly in terms of the fussy groups or agencies in which they take place. Primary groups are small they entail face-to-face consanguinity and allow the individual to express the whole self the family, peer groups and close friends are all primary groups. Within these groups the individual learns, by personal experiences the primary values such as love, loyalty, justice, and sharing.Freud emphasised that the first few years of a person life, those commonly spent among primary groups are the most earthshaking in forming the structure of his or her behaviour. Secondary groups are large, more important, more properly structured, and exist for particular purposes. Secondary socialization involves learning how to organise and conduct oneself in formal contexts and how to behave towards people who have different degrees of position or authority. (I ntroduction to sociology page 3)Thompson, N (2001) states that the pressure to match to sex-appropriate roles within the patriarchal family is both(prenominal) a major part of the culture process and a significant aspect of sexism. Patriarchal beliefs get along the traditional model of the family, with the male bread achiever being the main provider, head of the home and defender of his territory, the wife and nonplus as nurturer and carer and their dependent children whom they socialise into following in the footsteps of the appropriate role model, boys care daddy and girls like mummy.Anti loaded practice page 42) Jane qualitys that she is responsible for looking after her father. Pilcher (1995) cites Finchs evidence that women provide the ample majority of personal care to relatives and that the parent to child relationship is the most important source of subscribe after the spouse relationship. Children, mainly daughters, are a major source of support for elderly parent s. (Age and genesis in Modern Britain page123).These feelings Jane is experiencing are possibly due to the behaviour she learned through her accept socialisation within her family, For example, Jane believes that her mother would have expected her to look after her father, therefore she would live up to her mothers expectations if she takes on the responsibility of carer to her father and secondly, her experience of growing up as a female was that women were responsible for household and domestic tasks.Ann Oakley believes that males and females are exposed to different activities through out childhood for example girls are mainly encouraged to become involved in domestic tasks. (Sociology themes and perspectives page 590) This would explain Janes behaviour in her own house as she does most of the household chores, even though Jane and her husband equally work full-of-the-moon time. David thinks that his father should go and live with him and his partner, he hasnt asked his partner yet how she feels about this.David may feel through his own socialization that it is his duty as the son in the family to take control of the situation. David is hoping that his wife will be willing to give up her part time moving in to look after his father, Women in this society are generally the hands-on caregivers, (typically the eldest daughter or daughter-in-law) (AARP Magazine) David hasnt mentioned giving up his job, this could be Patriarchal gender through socialisation, David thinking he is the man of the house and the main bread winner and has authority over his wifes say.His wife works part time and she is probably on low pay, to David her job may not be important as it is a second wage, maybe financially it would be better for her to give up her job, but he isnt thinking how his wife would feel about doing this. (Anti discriminatory practice page 42-43). Janes eighteen-year-old daughter Katherine has concerns about her mother. This could be down to changes and differe nt expectation through generations.The fact that, Katherine is in higher education suggest that her prospects and opportunities are higher than that of her mothers. Women are beginning to change their attitudes in the direction of greater approval of more equal gender behaviour, and as a result a more equal sharing of housework. In addition, as a clear indication of the future, younger women, women with more education and wifes with better educated husbands were more likely to move towards independent gender attitudes.The family 133-135) In conclusion, the criminality Jane is experiencing and Davids thoughts in deciding how to care for his farther is common and is a product of societies expectations. David and Jane havent really giving any thought to the situation or consequences of their father. They are both acting on what they think would be expected of them by their mother and through their socialisation, that is to look after their father.Neither of them has taking the thought s of their father into consideration, although Michael is getting very forgetful, he still has right to choice, maybe Michael wont motivation to live with them or wont want them to look after him, Michael if possible, might want to stay in his own home. Jane and David cant and shouldnt really try to make any decisions without firstly getting an assessment done on their father, this should happen once they get in contact with the social worker, and secondly they should also both speak to their family to find out how they feel about the situation, after all what decisions are made involves them as well.