TY - JOUR
T1 - Children's Gender-Typed Activity Choices Across Preschool Social Contexts
AU - Goble, Priscilla
AU - Martin, Carol
AU - Hanish, Laura
AU - Fabes, Richard
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2013 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2012/10
Y1 - 2012/10
N2 - Variability in children's gender-typed activity preferences was examined across several preschool social contexts-solitary play, interactions with female peers, male peers, and both, and interactions with teachers. Participants were preschool children (N = 264; 49 % girls, M age = 52 months, range 37-60) attending Head Start classes in the Southwest United States. Seventy-three percent were Mexican/Mexican-American, and 82 % of families earned less than $30,000 per year. Children's preferences for gender-typed activities varied as a function of their own gender and the identity of their interactional partners. Girls and boys preferred gender-typed activities (e. g., girls preferred feminine activities) when in solitary play but activity preferences changed across social contexts. Specifically, girls played significantly more with masculine activities when with male peers and boys played significantly more with feminine activities during interactions with teachers. Findings suggest that through social interactions with peers and teachers, children are exposed to a greater range of activities than what they experience when they play by themselves.
AB - Variability in children's gender-typed activity preferences was examined across several preschool social contexts-solitary play, interactions with female peers, male peers, and both, and interactions with teachers. Participants were preschool children (N = 264; 49 % girls, M age = 52 months, range 37-60) attending Head Start classes in the Southwest United States. Seventy-three percent were Mexican/Mexican-American, and 82 % of families earned less than $30,000 per year. Children's preferences for gender-typed activities varied as a function of their own gender and the identity of their interactional partners. Girls and boys preferred gender-typed activities (e. g., girls preferred feminine activities) when in solitary play but activity preferences changed across social contexts. Specifically, girls played significantly more with masculine activities when with male peers and boys played significantly more with feminine activities during interactions with teachers. Findings suggest that through social interactions with peers and teachers, children are exposed to a greater range of activities than what they experience when they play by themselves.
KW - Gender differences
KW - Gender-typed activities
KW - Preschool
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U2 - 10.1007/s11199-012-0176-9
DO - 10.1007/s11199-012-0176-9
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84865813142
SN - 0360-0025
VL - 67
SP - 435
EP - 451
JO - Sex Roles
JF - Sex Roles
IS - 7-8
ER -