Research in Science journal shows stereotypes kick in early

[whoputthecatout]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38717926

Stereotyping about gender "value" hits girls as early as 6 according to research in Science.

So now we know...as if we didn't already.

I'd say 3. A had a 3 year old girl in my nursery tell me exactly which colours were for boys and which for girls recently, as as for the dressing up!

That study is about something worse than just what kids wear etc. though, isn't it? The erosion of confidence - I suspect it may come from observation of adults (mum deferring to dad on matters technical maybe?), plus seeing more men than women in 'smart' jobs. And so the cycle repeats in too many cases.

The identification of gender roles at 3 is probably a prerequisite for the later change in judgement of their talents.

I wonder if it's something to do with starting school. The research shows its not there at age 5.
Perhaps school is where the socialisation really kicks in - girls being praised for sitting quietly, trying hard and boys for being clever and not penalised for being noisy/active etc. Athen nursery the ratios are higher so school is also when the children start mixing in much larger mixed sex groups and maybe even with older children.
I don't know - but the fact it changes in a year is interesting.

DD had a touch of this in the summer, aged just under 3. She refused to use her cousin's loo seat as it was red and had cars on, so it was 'for boys.' A quick reminder that red is her favourite colour and she's a girl, plus a list of half a dozen family members who are female and drive cars, put the knackers on it for the time being. I'm alert to any more of it, and prepared with a selection of 'auntie J is a doctor,' 'Sam's mummy is an engineer,' 'Ben's mummy is a scientist' and so on.

The stereotypes are so strong - it's as though they outweigh anything in the child's own experience.

DS was around 3 when he tried to argue, in all seriousness, that doctors were men and nurses were 'ladies'. Every doctor he had ever been to had been female. And his uncle is a nurse.

DS was around 3 when he tried to argue, in all seriousness, that doctors were men and nurses were 'ladies'. Every doctor he had ever been to had been female. And his uncle is a nurse.

Where did he get that idea? Picture books? TV? At 3, a child shouldn't have been exposed to so much media; it's baffling that he formed that opinion in spite of reality.

Where did he get that idea? Picture books? TV? At 3, a child shouldn't have been exposed to so much media; it's baffling that he formed that opinion in spite of reality

I wondered that as well. A 3 year old might be spending some time in a nursery or with a nanny or childminder but one would hope any decent nursery, nanny or childminder would not propagate this and otherwise surely the most influence is from the child's immediate home surroundings.

Perhaps school is where the socialisation really kicks in - girls being praised for sitting quietly, trying hard and boys for being clever and not penalised for being noisy/active etc.

Does this actually happen?

Err yes it does lass it's been observed in classrooms
time.com/3705454/teachers-biases-girls-education/
Like a lot of subconscious bias though I doubt teachers are aware they are doing it.

Not really new information really 1 of my Dds loved Thomas the tank and at 3 a little girl said you have boy wellies Thomas is for boys this was 20 yrs ago it's a shame things are not changing

I'm really baffled why a 3 year old would say that doctors were men and nurses were 'ladies'.

It cannot possibly reflect the reality of what he has seen; it doesn't reflect what is depicted in shows like Casualty or Holby City (not that a 3 year old would be watching them); there can't surely be anyone in real life who has not encountered a female doctor or a male nurse?

I'm really baffled why a 3 year old would say that doctors were men and nurses were 'ladies'.

It cannot possibly reflect the reality of what he has seen

Sometimes it only takes one strong voice to convince a young child about stereotypes.

My 3 year old DS has said similar things after spending time with one particular boy at his childminder's. This boy is aged about 6 and comes for a couple of hours a day of after-school care, and often says things like "girls can't be doctors", "cars are only for boys", etc. Unfortunately, DS hero-worships him a bit and takes everything he says as gospel, even when it contradicts his own experience. Hence, DS has told me "doctors are men" even when all the doctors he's ever seen have been female.

It's hard work deprogramming him.

I don't know why he was so adamant about it. Yes, he spent three days a week at nursery - perhaps one of the older children told him not to wear the nurse's outfit, who knows. Our aged Richard Scarry books had a female nurse and male doctor; maybe that's all it took, despite his personal experience being different.

So much is when they start school and they are surrounded by their sexes stereotype. Dd wore a wide selection of clothes, played with a wide selection of toys etc but when she started school she came home with a fixed idea about what girls wear and play with.