Introduction
Family is an important social part in the society. The basic concept of family is that a group of people directly linked by kin connections, the adult members of which take care of children (Giddens, 2013). This kinship ties through marriage, through the lines of descent that connect blood relatives. In this essay, it will focus on gender roles in the nuclear family, which is family unit connected through marriage: “two adults and their own or adopted children” (Giddens, 2013). In our society, fathers are expected to offer a strong male role model to sons, act as disciplinarian for trouble-prone children. While mothers teach their children about communication, the feeling of being is connected to others. In the following part, the essay defines the gender socialization and primary socialization and it will also discuss the different gender roles in primary socialization.
Definition of gender socialization and primary socialization
They way we think or behave are the final product of socialization. Socialization is the process, through which the child becomes an individual respecting his or her environment laws, norms and customs (Epstein & Ward, 2011). It is said that the importance part of learning socialization is to define gender roles. The essence of Gender socialization is to learn behaviors and attitudes considered appropriate for a given sex, which means that the girls learn to be girls and boys learn to be boys. This “learning” happens by way of many different agents of socialization (Bem, 1993). In nuclear family, it is necessary to reinforce the gender roles by parents during the primary period of socialization.
When it is related to gender roles, parents should aware their important influence in a child’s early socialization, because they are present in a child’s life from the beginning (Epstein & Ward, 2011). This period is called as primary socialization, which is very important for children, because it sets the ground work for all future socialization. During this period, children learn the actions, values and attitudes appropriate to individuals as members of a particular culture, which are mainly influenced by their parents. Therefore, we can realize the importance of gender socialization and primary socialization for children. In the following part, the essay will discuss the parents’ roles in primary socialization of their children.
Mothers’ roles in primary socialization
It is said that there is no role in life more essential and more eternal than that of motherhood, which indicates the importance of a mother in primary socialization in a family. In this part, the essay will mainly discuss three important roles of mothers influencing their children in the primary socialization. It mentioned that mothers teach their children about communication, the feeling of being is connected to others (Giddens, 2013).
Mothers should build active relationships between their children to help the children to improve their communicating ability in the future, which is an important skill in their future life. In addition, mothers are more likely to talk to their children with words, eye-contact and other body languages, which can help the children to improve their ability to observe others through body languages. Finally, mothers can affect children’s gender consciousness. Girls will learn from their mother’s behaviors and boys become to know what a woman is (Gleitman & Fridlundm, 2000). These are some of the mothers’ roles in a family for children’s primary socialization and gender socialization.
Fathers’ roles in primary socialization
In the early century, it is believed that man is the ‘male breadwinner’ and in the labor market defined the position of women in the family (Crompton, 2006). This indicates that fathers have a little time to communicate and educate their children by themselves. However, fathers are still playing an important role in affecting their children and expected to offer a strong male role model to sons, act as disciplinarian for trouble-prone children (Giddens, 2013).
For example, when the father is working, this behavior can teach his children the importance of working of their life. What’s more, disciplining children is an important role of a father. In a family, a daughter can realize from her father what a man is and what to look for a husband (Gleitman & Fridlundm, 2000). In addition, a son can learn from their father how to be a man and how to treat women. These are the special roles which fathers can delivery to their children.
Above has analyzed the gender roles of fathers and mothers in a family, which cannot be replaced by each other at any time in the process of in their primary socialization and gender socialization. Therefore, as parents, they should aware their gender roles in a family, which can help them to influence their children in an active and proper way. These also are the responsibilities for mothers and fathers to play their role well for their children.
Conclusion
As a person, one will become a father or a mother in some day of their future life. It is necessary for him or her to know their roles in a family for their marriage, children and something else. As a family is an important social institution which is one the keys to ensure social stability. Therefore, it is vital to aware the parents’ roles to affect their children the primary socialization. This essay has discussed about the definition and importance of gender and primary socialization for children. During this period, parents’ gender roles play a significant role in children’s primary socialization. In the above part, the essay mentioned several different gender roles of fathers and mothers in a family, which is meaningful for some parents to aware their influence on their children.
