A study into differential reactions to men and women's gender role transgressions (Essay Sample)

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A study into differential reactions to men and women’s gender role transgressions
Introduction
In many societies when an individual violates social norms such as transgressing gender roles, they are likely to be punished. The male gender transgressor is considered to be of a lower social status as compared to the female gender transgressor. It has been established that the norms relation to gender roles are among the most powerful social norms which individuals can violate, and these are internalized when people practice socialization through gender roles. Usually, the social norms are what determine the various roles and habits that individual of either sex adopt and then enact; if anyone fails to act according to the gender roles, which they are perceived to, they will be considered to be acting negatively. This paper critically evaluates if the male gender transgressor will be punished more than the female transgressor.
Purpose of the study
This study was seeking to explain if an adult male individual, who is described to bear female traits will be considered to have a lower social status, has higher chances of being homosexual, and have values that are dissimilar to a female individual who is said to have traits that are considered masculine. It was also meant to explain if the male individual who has been observed to have feminine characteristics will be considered to have a lower social class, has a higher probability of being homosexual, and be of less value than a female individual who is described to have more masculine behavior. This simply means that a female with male traits will be considered homosexual just like the male counterpart with female traits is, but to a much less extent.
Hypothesis testing
The main hypothesis tested here is if an adult male individual to be used in the study and whose traits will be feminine will be considered to have lower social status, be more likely to be homosexual, and be considered to have a value higher or lower than that of a female individual who has masculine traits. The study will also test the hypothesis that the male who is described to have feminine traits will be considered to be of lower social status, have more chances of being homosexual, and be having more or less value to a female individual who has behavior considered masculine.
Structure of the study
The independent variables are gender and traits; dependant variables are homosexuality and social status. Qualitative research method is used because the parameters involved cannot be measured.
This study included 59 students as participants from a North American college. The students involved were taking a developmental psychology course and included 29 men and 30 women. Most of them are white and participated by completing research material in small groups.
Personal perception paradigm is employed in this study. Each of the participants was to rate two hypothetical target persons (TPs). Of the TPs one is described through personalities described by gender and is labeled (TP1), while the other was described through behaviors attached to the sex of an individual, and this individual was labeled (TP2). TP1 are masculine typed and are obtained from the agency and the female typed subscales of the PAQ. PAQ were chosen because they are qualities for either sex but are considered more masculine or more feminine.
TP1 had completely masculine descriptions while TP2 had purely masculine traits descriptions on it. The descriptions on the behavior labeled in TP2 were a combination of various dominant and submissive traits that are borrowed from earlier on research that was carried out on gender based nature of these traits. Just like in the PAQ, the behavior is either submissive or dominant for both males and females, just as shown in the corresponding scores on social desirability scores; however, they are closely associated with dominant behaviors common in men or to submissive behaviors which are attached to women.
The masculine typed TP, which was dominant, is typed with men traits including contributing positively to group discussions, settling disputes successfully, encouraging other people to express their feelings and air their opinions, being strong willed, refusing to take in other people’s ideas, embarrassing other people publicly, arguing with security guards in an attempt to get through, making sexual advances to the spouse, not refusing when needed. The other one is typed with female traits including avoiding conversations unless invited, avoiding conversations at parties, protecting self form verbal abuse, avoiding statements and things that anger others, taking opinions from parents and friends, going out with others, and letting the partner choose where to hang out.
The study has been based on the argument that men who are described in gender-based ways are said to be higher in social status than women who are gender-typed, and that individuals of either sex who are gender typed are likely to be heterosexual. This implies that the major aim of this study is to compare the perceptions that people have on individuals who transgress gender and not to make comparisons of the perceptions on gender transgressors.
The participants are male and females who are assigned to make a reading on the way that two either male or female participants were described. The descriptions based on traits are always presented first. A provisional adjustment is to balance the number of either sex to 15. The participants are then asked read the underlying scenario and make a response to questions, which were inquiring about the type of person they though the person described could.
Statistical methods used in the analysis
The Perceived Social Status (PSS) test in TP1 and TP2 social status is measured using socio-metric variables that had been applied in earlier studies. The participants are to rate four items, which measured the importance, competence, and general regard of the individuals who participated.
The Perceived Homosexuality (PH), which was measured using three, items which have been successfully used earlier on in related studies. The participants rate how they think each of the traits on the TP is relevant to homosexuality, the extent each TP was close to homosexuality and the probability that the TP was homosexual. The first two were rated on a Likert scale with ten points where the magnitude increased as one moved towards ten. The third one is rated on a percentage scale and then transformed into Z scores (Sirin, 2010).
Perceived value Dissimilarity (PVD) that is measured using the short version of Schwartz’s values Survey.
Haddock et al. (19930 outlined eleven value types to be used in this 22nd measure and they include benevolence, stimulation, self-direction, universalism, conformity, achievement tradition, hedonism, spirituality, power and security.
Statistical analysis
The Perceived Social Status indicated that there is considerable effect or whether the participant was male or female. More males than females perceived TP1 negatively regardless whom it targeted. The male gender transgressor is attributed a lower social status than the female counterpart. He is also perceived more negatively. When the individual targeted is described it terms of behavior, there is a significant effect for just the sex of the individual transgressing the role of gender. A man with submissive behaviors is judged more negatively than a woman with dominant behaviors.
Perceived Sexual Orientation indicated no significant effect for the participant’s sex in the trait based TP. However, there is some effect on the transgressors sex. Females with male traits are less considered homosexual than men with female traits.
Percei...