Gender roles

Why do boys and girls play with different types of toys? Why do girls do better in school, and why are most people working in the health sector women?

Accessibility icon Gender roles

What are gender roles?

Have you ever wondered why boys and girls get different toys, why girls often do better at school than boys or why mostly women work in the health sector? These are questions many researchers also ask themselves.

Gutt med rosa t-skjorte

Biological and social gender

When we talk about gender, we can distinguish between “biological” and “social” gender. Biological means that our bodies are different. Social gender means the expectations we have by society. In English, we differentiate gender with the terms “sex” (biological) and “gender” (identity). The view of gender roles can vary from culture to culture, and has also varied a lot in the past 40 years.

En ung jente blir opplært av en faglært
En ung jente blir opplært av en faglært

Born into or molded into roles?

Some gender roles can be claimed to be biological, while others are created by norms and expectations from the society in which you live.

Biological differences show that men are physically stronger and more aggressive than women. Therefore, it often comes naturally to a strong man with long arms to carry the heaviest boxes, rather than his wife who is fifteen centimeters shorter. When it comes to choosing a partner, studies show that older men prefer younger women. The explanation here relies on evolutionary theory: how to pass the genes on and survive.

From a socio-cultural perspective, some studies point out that there is an expected behavior in boys and girls when it comes to interests, colors, professions and manners. These claims are often based on studies of how children are socialized.

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Et par som pakker ned i esker
Et par som pakker ned i esker

Gender roles in kindergarten

According to a study from the University of Stavanger, some researchers have observed that kindergarten staff often expect boys to be physical and active when playing, while girls are to be smart, quiet and calm. The researchers from this study point out how language influences the  expectations of gender roles. For example, how you talk to children when they bring a new toy or clothes: you often tell girls that they are so pretty and cute, while with a boy you would normally say “oh, what a cool guy”.

Another observation from the study also pointed out what kind of toys, clothes or books the children get from the staff, and what the staff thought as “boys’ and girls’ toys”.

“One example of this was when a girl in kindergarten who usually wore typical “boys’ clothes”, suddenly came in a pink dress. Then she got comments from the staff about how cute and pretty she looked in the dress.” (Stand, 2017)

It is this form of expectations for  children that helps to shape their identity.

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Et barn som har te selskap med lekene hennes
Et barn som har te selskap med lekene hennes

Why do boys and girls choose so differently?

Did you know that 7 out of 10 girls choose university/college preparation at upper secondary school, or that 6 out of 10 students at universities and colleges are girls? In Norway, very few choose non-traditional gender jobs. There are many possible reasons for this. Some researchers point to the socialization and expectations we get from family, school and the media. Another claim is that girls mature faster than boys and are more prepared for theoretical education.

Gender roles and gender differences in society can have many explanations, but there is still discussion if the reason for the roles is biological or social. 

What do you think?

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Brannmenn på jobb
Brannmenn på jobb

Sources:

  • Teigen, Karl Halvor; Svartdal, Frode: kjønnsrolle i Store norske leksikon på snl.no.
    Hentet 24. august 2020 fra https://snl.no/kjonnsrolle

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