Gender Social Conditioning Essays

Gender Social Conditioning Essays Gender Social Conditioning Essay Gender Social Conditioning Essay The Influence Of Education On Gender Socialization The common misconception about gender nowadays is that it has the same meaning as sex, something innate and natural. However, since 1970s, increasingly more anthropologists like Margaret Mead agree that gender is something that can be conditioned and is prone to socialization. Since a young age, possibly around two to three years old when an infant begins to develop higher cognitive functions, society bombards them with different signals that slowly condition them into a specific gender role: male or female. By gender role, I am referring to a set of attitudes or behaviors that is encouraged or at least expected of a person based on his or her gender. This also means that gender is malleable and a product of socio-cultural and historical contingencies – a social construct. Normal traits that we associate with a specific gender like aggressiveness with men and gentility with women are not as natural as they seem. In fact, these seemingly normative behaviors have been slowly fortifying our own perspectives about gender roles but also help shape people into a gendered being. Therefore, boys are raised to conform to male gender role and girls are brought up to fit the female gender role. In a ‘Western Society’ for example the US or Europe, education becomes an integral part of a child’s livelihood from a very young age. The influences from education that condition children into specific gendered beings cannot be ignored as school time accounts for most of a child or teenager’s life. : I am highlighting that this is common in ‘the West’ because family expectations or religious traditions might be the bigger factor or influence for gender socialization in communitarian or other types of societies. I would like to start with an observation I made about this particular issue while looking through an English language textbook for beginners. In a chapter about occupations, I noted that most jobs associated with the public sphere usually carry male connotations with them, for example, fireman or policeman. Furthermore, the pictures depicting people in these public sphere jobs usually have male models. On the other hand, jobs related to servitude or obedience such as waitresses or nurses usually has female models portraying the jobs. This is where I first encountered an example of the issue of gender socialization in the education field. This particular example shows us that children from a young age have been conditioned to relate male with the public realm and also as dominant providers; whereas females are linked to obedience and serving others. This fits in with Sack’s argument that women are discouraged to work in the public realm where their work could be properly evaluated and valued. These subliminal signals from school along with their family’s structure and parents’ roles or occupations could reinforce the children’s expectations for genders. This in turn would affect the children’s preference of jobs where they choose something that conforms to their genders’ characteristics and thus, the cycle of gender conditioning begins again. Another very important gender socialization process that occurs during a child’s educational years is self-socialization. I first noted this phenomenon when I saw a teenage girl being ridiculed for wanting to play basketball with the boys and thought of another situation when my male friend was mocked for participating in a drama production. The common trend I have noticed is that when an individual does not behave or conform to his or her own gender’s expectations, society often reacts in a disapproving or negative manner. Thus the ‘deviant’ individual through external pressure or other mechanisms like shame or punishment would hope to correct his or her own behavior so that it is more in tune with their gender expectations. From an early age, boys and girls would have started self-correcting their own behaviors so that they received less negative feedback from the external reality. This, however, reinforces the differences seen by children between male and female and ultimately leading to the conclusion that you can only behave like one or the other. The duality of gender actually limits opportunities and potential an individual can have because if that specific skill or quality is not within a gender’s characteristics, it might be self-corrected and discarded through self-socialization. We can even see an example or offshoot of this issue in the homosexuality debate occurring right now, men who are acting in a supposingly ‘devious manner’ are being discriminated against not because of any biological reasons but because of socio-cultural pressure to conform to normative gender expectations. This process of self-socialization starts from a relatively early age to shape us into what our society constitutes as male or female genders. Lastly, another aspect of education that has long-lasting effect on forming gendered beings is the way a classroom is ran and methods of teaching. There seems to be an emerging trend of a new style of teaching which uses a more open and interactive system, we see this in new schools such as ‘School Without Walls’. However, the majority of public or private schools in the US, or even around the world in this case, still follows a strict guideline on how students should behave in a classroom. Desired qualities in an ideal student from a teacher’s perspective would be obedience, quietness, maturity, passiveness and patience. In a system where examinations and tests account for the majority of the grading criteria, a student behaving according to these qualities would do better than a student who is more active, ‘rebellious’ or passionate. One might notice that the characteristics that would allow a student to succeed in school are relatively feminine. Especially considering that girls are thought to develop at a faster pace than boys and reach full cognitive maturity sooner. The female gender might have an intrinsic advantage at doing better in our education system over male students who are often described as more energetic, easily distracted and physical. The ways the education system functions and evaluates allow more matured female students to focus and excel in studies while more physical male students would start to lose interest in education all together. This is a trend we have started to notice in the US where the dropout rate for male students is 50% higher than female students in a specific state; the significant gap shows that the education system clearly has different effects on male and female. To sum up how our way of teaching in classrooms can form gendered beings, one can say that boys are ‘discouraged’ from education or demotivated due to the education system’s inadaptability with intrinsic characteristics usually associated with male children such as aggressiveness and spirited. This in turn would lead male children to focus more on their own physical aspect while female children who have better chances at completing school, would have less external pressure and could focus on their own mental capabilities and schoolwork. Thus, this social process successfully highlighted the gender differences and strengthens notions about how genders are formed socially. This particular process could later on lead to selecting careers that are clearly relegated to a specific gender. The reinforcement of ideas about the duality of gender into our children’s minds would help them form their own concepts about gender roles and potential. From a children’s textbook to how a class is ran, it seems that our society is crammed with subliminal or direct signals that slowly shape us into our gender roles or to become a ‘gendered being’. According to Margaret Mead, gender is something that varies from culture to culture and the gender roles we have established here might not be the norm for another society. Her work shows that gender roles or expectations are complex products of socio-cultural, economical and historical contingencies and not just something innate in our biological differences between male and female. Following her idea, I realized that in our society, a lot of these gender socialization processes have been institutionalized and even the smallest things could help form us into the gendered beings we are today. Hence, I started at an early stage of cognitive development where the mind is the most ‘absorbent’ so to speak. In conclusion, I’ve found out that not only is the education system itself very much reinforcing these gendered ideas but as the children progress in this system, they also increasingly bolster these ideas in their peers through self-socialization, somewhat similar to a mutual exchange of ideas. Therefore, one can understand that the influence and effect of the educational system cannot be overlooked on how gendered ideas and eventually gendered beings are formed as these ideas carry themselves into the ‘real’ and ‘adult’ society where these gender expectations are then passed on again to the next generation like a cycle. Bibliography: Abu-Lughod, Lila. Veiled Sentiments: Honor and Poetry in a Bedouin Society. Berkeley: University of California, 1986. Print. Mack, Julie. A Closer Look At The Gender Gap In High School Dropout. The Kalamazoo Gazette. N. p. , Apr. 2012. Web. 20 Feb. 2013. Mead, Margaret. Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies. New York: HarperCollins, 2001. Print. [ 1 ]. Mack, Julie. A Closer Look At The Gender Gap In High School Dropout. The Kalamazoo Gazette. N. p. , Apr. 2012. Web. 20 Feb. 2013.

Communication Skills Essays

Communication Skills Essays Communication Skills Essay Communication Skills Essay Communication skills Communication skills are very vital for healthcare providers. In their practice, mangers in health provision centers deal with both professionals and nonprofessionals who may include patients and family of patients. Others encountered may be financiers to the health centers. These communication skills involve both verbal and nonverbal skills. Verbal skills involve the ability to express oneself in a language clearly understood by the audience while non-verbal skills is the ability to pass on a message without the use of words. This may be through body language, facial expressions and gestures. In their interaction with their fellow health providers, managers must have the ability to motivate the doctors and nurses to dedicate themselves to the work that they do as patients lives depend on the attitude of the health providers. These skills will enable the colleagues and workers under the particular manager to learn from each and create a learning environment for them. Some of the ethical issues solved by good communication skills are that by motivation of the employers they will be able to provide the best kind of services to the patients hence leading to mare saved lives, which will fill the ethical obligation of the employees and the manager. Communication leads to prevention of risky medical errors that occur when information fails to be passed to co-workers or due to miscommunication between employees having a disagreement. Such miscommunications could easily turn into a disaster for the patients. Financial implications that could arise from lack of proper communication by the manager could be withdrawal of financiers if they management does not put effort in their search of funds. Yet another financial problem would be the hospitals going into debt due to accrued hospital bills affecting its ability to deliver quality services. Legal implications would include the hospital being sued for negligence if a medical error occurs due to miscommunic ation.

Graduate Reflection Paper 2(b) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Graduate Reflection Paper 2(b) - Essay Example Psychology plays a part in every aspect of leadership, especially when it is applied to employees and customers To keep employees and customers happy, psychology is usually employed. Psychology is also employed when companies go to a global clientele and they are working with people of different cultures. Another area where psychology is important is in the hiring of new employees. Dynamic leaders must understand what the company needs are and then find ways to screen candidates in order to find the best talent for all positions. Some companies rely on psychological concepts and testing to help them define whether the potential employee has the characteristics needed for the position. There are many concepts that use psychology as a base. As an example, Naisbitt and Aburdene (1990) spoke about the fact that most organizations need to capitalize on the benefits of diversity. The reason they must do this is because the way that diverse groups are able to work together will directly impact the productivity that can be expected from the employees. Psychological models will be important to use beaus they reinforce work with others and place building relationships as the most important aspect of dynamic leadership. As an example, Goethals (2005) understood that the model of psychodynamics used by Freud, was useful in studying leadership. In using Freuds theory, he learned that when someone is able to blindly obey a leader, it is because they had an "instinct to submit to authority" (Goethals, 2005, p. 99) and the leader had to assert their authority for it to happen. Another model that is important is the social-cognitive model. This model emphasizes the concepts of social identity and its interaction with a group. Many people find their social identity through interaction with their own groups or teams. This model emphasizes two specific processes that people go through to find their social identity" a0

Timber Industry in Canada Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Timber Industry in Canada - Research Paper Example The US creates the world’s most number of wood panels, sawn wood, paper, paperboard and wood pulp, accounting for 25 to 30% of worldwide manufacture. As a result, the mutual production of the two countries accounts for 40% of the world’s manufacturing round wood and above one-third of all processed wood goods together with approximately half the world’s paper pulp. Canada has easily filled the gap by exporting 80 percent of its logged timber to United States destinations for utilization in the creation of US newspapers along with various other paper and wood products. This state of dealings has made Canada the world’s most important exporter of the main wood products. The area of North America should not be seen only as timber storehouses. In both America and Canada, forests give a broad rage of recreational profits, several of which have important financial rates in their own right. â€Å"As the old British mercantile system was dismembered in the 1840â €™s, Canada was thrown into a crisis. The square timber trade had folded up with the removal of British preferences† (Levitt 49). In the book ‘The Myth of the North American City: Continentalism Challenged’ by Michael Arthur Goldberg, John Mercer reveals that there are mostly four generally cited characteristics of the Canadian and US political structure that have been used to show the relationship among these systems. It is examined that both Canada and America are long recognized and constant democracies. He also says that the Canadian financial system has obtained its resource-based nature since earlier times. Demands for raw materials created in European urban markets guided the export of lumber fish and fur. In the early days, the Atlantic fishery was the foundation for financial... The Canadian economy is dependent on the service sector mainly, however, the timber industry, which belongs to the primary sector, happens to be one among the most popular industries that prove to be fruitful for the country. For the purpose of this research, it is not possible to obtain reliable information from primary source, therefore, in this research process the secondary method of collecting information has been adopted. Thus, secondary and qualitative research methods lead this research to vital conclusions. Along with this, the literature review is also taken into consideration. This report makes a conclusion that there exists a tough competition between Canada and the US regarding trade, so it is the responsibility of both the governments to see to it that the competition does not create any personal problems among the people of the two nations and that globalization becomes more developed and ultimately, both the countries benefit. Both countries are interdependent on each other and, thus, the rules and regulations with respect to mobility of labor, trade, free movement of goods and services should be in favor of both. The government of the two countries should work together in order to achieve a harmonious relationship between the two countries and develop the global trade as well as the mutual bond among them. In this way, it is possible that the government of Canada will be able to promote the production as well as the trade of timber.

Cross-cultural communication Essay Example for Free

Cross-cultural communication Essay Cross-cultural communication is an art which cannot be practiced without verbal and non-verbal communication. Interacting with people of the same culture requires certain skills so interacting across different cultures is a task ahead. Every culture doesn’t only have its own language but also has a unique set of codes and customs; this makes verbal and non-verbal communication both important. With over 3000 languages and many dialects spoken in the world today, it is impossible for everybody to learn all of them. This humungous variety that is available creates problems for the cross-cultural communication. Apart from this the way words are uttered; the accents used add to the problem. In this case, the standard language makes cross-cultural communication easier. For instance one form of Arabic language is most common so it is widely used; Modern Standard Arabic. The same way an official language is given preference when interacting with people of different cultures. A country having many provinces synchronizes on a national language. Every province may have a different language but there is one language which is common to all. The same way the standard language for communicating across countries and continents is English. It is the most widely spoken language in the world and helps to overcome many ethnic differences. The reason that English is proved helpful in breaking barriers is that it is derived from other languages so many cultures can easily relate to it. Language is especially important when the interaction is not on face to face basis. In this type of interaction one cannot get the aid of body language and communication is solely dependent on words. Etiquettes over here emphasize the importance of verbal communication. People should take care of their words; they shouldn’t offend others while speaking. A word which means something good in one language might mean something totally appalling in the other. Care must be taken while selecting words for cross-cultural communication. Slang language especially should be avoided. While the importance of verbal communication is obvious and can be easily seen, the importance of non-verbal communication comes through experience and knowledge. The value of non-verbal communication is in fact greater than that of verbal communication across cultures. When the verbal communication is weak, non-verbal communication is relied upon. Gestures, eye contact, physical appearance, touch, expressions, silence and behavior speak a lot when we fall short of words. Majority of French people don’t understand English language and only communicate in their own language. When tourists visit their homeland it gets difficult for them to communicate. This is where non-verbal communication becomes very important. Actions help in communicating and letting people of different cultures interact without language. Some gestures are world widely same, others may show one thing in one culture and another in another culture. (Reisinger, 2009). Personal space or physical proximity is also an important non-verbal communication element. In some cultures, people dislike standing too close and maintain some distance between them while in others people stand pretty close while talking and consider it rude to stand apart. To make cross-cultural communication easier people are learning more languages but it is also very important to research other cultures and understand their non-verbal communication. Even if language skills are not appropriate, messages can be conveyed if body language is used correctly. It is said that non-verbal communication makes the first impression because even before a person opens the mouth to utter a word, an impression is made. (LeBaron, 2003). Non-verbal interaction is important during face-to-face communication. It can occur through the sensory channels- sight, sound, smell, touch or taste. Listeners process the non-verbal communication apart from the verbal one. Charles Darwin was the first man to conduct a study of non-verbal communication. His book â€Å"The Expressions of the Emotions of Man and Animals was published in 1872. In this writing he argued that animals show emotions on their faces so they communicate a lot without speaking (Davis, 1999). It is said that verbal communication is more important in public speaking and non-verbal communication is very important in interpersonal relationships. Also it is considered more polite is ideas are conveyed by non-verbal cues rather than verbal, especially in embarrassing situations. There are five primary functions of nonverbal bodily behavior in human communication: †¢ Express emotions †¢ Express interpersonal attitudes †¢ To accompany speech in managing the cues of interaction between speakers and listeners †¢ Self-presentation of one’s personality †¢ Rituals (greetings) Another important thing is that during non-verbal communication it is easier to catch someone who is not speaking the truth. Facial expressions and hand movements tell a lot. This also helps the interviewers when people go abroad in search of jobs. An interesting point of view of non-verbal communication is that it is rich in beauty. Cultural dance competitions are held and different cultures perform their own dances. Without speaking a whole story is formed and the message is conveyed. This is the beauty of non-verbal communication (Storti, 1994). It is important to address issues of both verbal and non-verbal communication. It is because in this competitive age those who have an edge over others and are good at everything are successful. References: Storti, C. , 1994, â€Å"Cross-Cultural Dialogues†, Available at http://www. kwintessential. co. uk/cross-cultural/book/crosscultural-dialogues. html [ Accessed May 12, 2010] Davis, L. ,1999, â€Å"Doing Culture: Cross-Cultural Communication in Action†, Available at http://www. kwintessential. co. uk/cross-cultural/book/communication-action. html[ Accessed May 12, 2010] LeBaron, M. ,2003, â€Å"Cross-Cultural Communication, Available at http://www. beyondintractability. org/essay/cross-cultural_communication/ [ Accessed May 12, 2010]

Caring for Children :: Anne Bradstreet

â€Å"No cost nor labour did I spare† is a phrase every mother lives by. It shows that a mother loves her children so much that she will give anything up just so her children can reach success in life. The way this is written suggests that there was no thought involved in making this decision, the mother did not even think about it for a second, she knew immediately that she would not spare any cost or labor for her child. Anne Bradstreet is the author who wrote this, suggesting that the most important thing in her entire life is her kid’s success in life. In the poem â€Å"In Reference to Her Children,† author Anne Bradstreet demonstrates her love for her children by raising her children with pain and care, watching concernedly her children grow up, and wanting to be with them in the afterlife. Anne Bradstreet loves her children so much because she raised them all with pain and care. Bradstreet often talks about her children loving people, and people loving them, â€Å"And with her mate flew out of sight† (14) and out of her reach so she can not watch over them. Bradstreet’s strong Puritan heritage gives her unquestionable belief that God is watching over her children for her, and her children are watching for God. With this relationship between her and God, Anne Bradstreet accepts the departure of her children. In this poem Anne Bradstreet talks about success, â€Å"Coupled with mate loving and true† (23) this is Bradstreet’s idea of success for her children in this poem. Anne Bradstreet’s idea of success is so much more than just this line, in the fact that she wants her children to be educated, and live good productive Christian lives. All of these things are implied in the poem as simple as finding a mate and â€Å"flying† off. A devoted mother, Anne Bradstreet is concerned with her children as she watches them grow up. â€Å"Or lest by Lime-twigs they be foil'd, or by some greedy hawks be spoil'd† Anne Bradstreet uses to describe her fear for her children. Not wanting to see her children suffer, Anne Bradstreet turns to God to help her children. Bradstreet imagines her bird’s being stuck on a branch and a hawk eating them, a grim image of all of her sacrifice being lost in a single moment. â€Å"No cost nor labour did I spare† describes how much Anne loves her children.

Defining Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

In order to move forward clinically or in research to address the problem of emotional and behavior disorders one must first have a solid definitive grasp on the nature of the problem and what it ultimately is, definitionally. Unfortunately, there’s no universally accepted definition for emotional and behavioral disorders. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) defines the disorder as followers: â€Å"a condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree, which adversely affects educational performance: An inability to learn which cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors. An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers. Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances. A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression. A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems† (Council for exceptional, 2011). The federal definition also includes those children who have been diagnosed with schizophrenia, but excludes children who are socially maladjusted unless they are seriously emotionally disturbed (Ibid). Gargiulo points out that although research continue to argue over a concrete definition of emotional and behavioral disorders, there are some common denominator/factors in the various definitions. He indicates four key factors that an individual must exhibit that will contribute to diagnosis of emotional and behavioral disorder. 1. There must be a high frequency (or rate) at which the behavior occurs. 2. The high intensity of the behavior. 3. The length or duration of the behavior. And 4. The age appropriateness of the behavior (Gargiulo, 2006). The terms emotional and behavioral disorders, mental disorders, emotional disturbance, behavioral disorders, and mental illness are all umbrella terms that are often used interchangeably in the field and in the literature. Beneath these terms, there is a wide range of specific conditions all different from one another in their characteristics and in their treatment (National dissemination center, 2010). Some examples of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders are, adjustment disorder, anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, selective mutism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, anorexia nervosa disorder, bipolar/manic depressive disorder, major depressive disorder, and anxiety disorder.