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Gender Schema Theory

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Gender Schema theory – Martin and HalversonOutline (AO1) 8 marks
Gender Schema theory (GST) suggests that children learn about gender appropriate behaviour before gender consistency is achieved. The theory assumes that once a child has reached the gender identity stage at the age of 2-3 years. They start to accumulate knowledge about the sexes and order this information in the gender schema. Gender schemas are organised clusters of information about gender appropriate behaviours, attitudes and society’s explanations of each gender. This information is sorted so that it is relevant to their own gender, (the in group) and which is relevant for opposite gender (the out group). The children develop gender schemas by interacting with people and thus learning what toys, clothes and behaviour that are appropriate for each gender.
Gender schema theory also suggests that children evaluate their own group positively and the out group negatively. This motivates them to be more like their own group and avoid behaviours of the other group. Children then start to imitate and display behaviours appropriate for their own sex. The theory assumes, once a child has developed a gender schema, they will show preference for the same sex play mates, gender stereotypes activities and actively ignore the other gender.
GST also suggests that children ignore information that is inconsistent with their gender schema and therefore holds fixed attitudes about gender.

Outline (AO1) 8 marks
Gender Schema theory (GST) suggests that children learn about gender appropriate behaviour before gender consistency is achieved. The theory assumes that once a child has reached the gender identity stage at the age of 2-3 years. They start to accumulate knowledge about the sexes and order this information in the gender schema. Gender schemas are organised clusters of information about gender

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