Introduction
A theory is a way of accounting for, predicting and explaining relationships. They help us to predict behaviour changes. There are three categories of gender development theories. These include; biological, interpersonal and cultural theories. This paper will examine the interpersonal theory of gender development which is the most valid in life development. It will also illustrate its real life application by reviewing some of my early personal experiences.
Interpersonal Theory
The Interpersonal theory of gender development comprises of the psychological theory (social learning theory, imitation, experimentation and observation, and role modelling of caregivers and other individuals) and cognitive development theory. It assumes that associations are key or core to human development. The initial interaction which is important is the relationship between the infant and caregiver. This type of interaction determines how an infant will define identity in future. Psychological theory explains why people behave the way they do. According to behavioural theories, all characters are achieved or acquired via conditioning. On the other hand, cognitive theories revolve around the functioning of the brain. This can be explained through activities such as decision-making, attention, motivation, problem solving and thinking (Wood, 2010, p. 160).
For instance, the interpersonal theory (psychological theory) is useful in explaining how young children develop different character traits as they grow. It also explains how individuals acquire different gender roles at an early age. During the early stages of development, internalizing other people’s views form the primary structure of psyche. In cases where the caregivers or mothers do not show affection towards their children during their early stages of growth, the children may feel unloved and unworthy. Consequently, such children are likely to develop unpleasant characters such as pessimism, irritability and lack of self confidence later in life. At the very early stages of growth and development, mothers are known to spend more time with their children as compared to the fathers. For that reason, they end up having more influence on the development of their children in most cases. However, in most cases they tend to behave differently when it comes to the boy and girl child producing different results. When a mother relates more closely with her daughter, providing more care and showing tenderness, the daughter is likely to identify with her and can easily open up to her when in a crisis. On the other hand, mothers tend to encourage more independence for the boy child. This is because; they hardly address emotional issues when relating to them. This helps the boy child to differentiate himself from the girl child and mother. Therefore, boys are likely to detach themselves from their mothers at an early age and become more autonomous. As children mature, they carry on with these traits depending on the identity created during their first interaction with caregivers.
Children can also learn through observing others and adopting their behaviours. Parents as well as caregivers should act as good role models as they are likely to influence their children’s behaviour either positively or negatively. They should also cultivate good behaviour and discourage undesirable behaviour. This can be achieved through giving incentives for the desired behaviour and punishing bad behaviour. This type of interpersonal theory, where individuals learn innovative behaviour through observational learning, punishment or reinforcement of the communal factors within their surroundings, is referred to as social learning theory. For instance, when a student performs well in school, she or he is given a reward that encourages him or her to work even harder. On the hand, destructive behaviour such as burying or fighting others can be punished by way of withdrawing some favours (Hale, 1993).
The influence of rewards and punishments equip the children with unique material in the social anticipations regarding their gender while instilling good values. Therefore, when a girl child performs a feminine deed such as washing the utensils, she is likely to receive splendid support and applause from the mother. The same happens to a boy child. When a boy executes some work perceived to be masculine, he is likely to receive a lot of support, interest and praise from the father.
For example when I was young, we always used to spend more time with my mother than she used to spend with my brothers. In addition, she told me that as a girl I needed to be always clean and dressed smartly in order to be physically attractive. She encouraged me to perform duties perceived to be more feminine. These included; cooking, washing utensils sweeping the compound, hair plaiting among others. On the other hand, my brothers used to spend most of their time with my father than I did. Moreover, they learned that as a masculine figure one needed to be independent and caring since they could see my father working hard in order to provide for the family. My father supported and praised any activities which seemed masculine that my brothers were involved in such as making toys and pretending to buy goods for their family members. This encouraged my brothers to work very hard in school. Both of them are now graduates in civil and mechanical engineering respectively. They are also very responsible fathers who work very hard to provide for their families.
In today’s society, social learning theory (interpersonal theory) has been implemented in movies as well as in the television rating system. This rating system is created for all parents to understand what programs their children are exposed to. The ratings are grounded on age-correct material to assist parents in choosing a particular content which is suitable for their children. However, some material could be destructive to children without cognitive capability to process particular content, since they tend to emulate the characters observed on television. Therefore, parents should be very careful on what their children watch on the television sets and in the movies. They should only encourage them to watch movies and programmes which are relevant and valuable to their general well being (Sullivan, 2003).
Cognitive Theory
Cognitive theories are in the category of interpersonal theories of gender development. They focus on the mental processes such as how people perceive, think, remember and learn. The major interest of cognitive theories is on how individuals perceive information, process and stores it. There are several practical implementations for cognitive psychology. This includes; ways of improving accuracy during decision making, ways of advancing memory and designing educational programs to improve learning. For instance, children play an active responsibility in establishing gender identity. The cognitive approach of the Interpersonal theory helps one to select the appropriate method to apply when teaching children on issues regarding to competence in feminine and masculine behaviour (Sullivan, 2003).
During development, children go through many phases in developing gender identity. From the time of birth to when they attain 30 months of age, children largely depend on communication with their caregivers for their needs to be met. When they attain three years of age, they become more aware of their sexuality. Therefore, as they mature, they seek for role models with whom they can identify with especially from the same sex. For example, boys learn that being aggressive is masculine. On the other hand, girls learn that being calm, soft, dependent, physically attractive and organized is feminine. However, children who are brought up in an environment where they experience violence or any other negative behaviour might adopt that.. Thus, the behaviour of a child according to this theory is not only determined by psychological factors but also by the environment in which an individual is exposed to (Sullivan, 2003).
To a great extent, this aspect of interpersonal theory is applicable in our day to day lives. For instance, in several adverts, celebrities are used to entice a specific group of individuals to buy certain commodities. Since many people identify with such icons, they are easily influenced into buying these commodities regardless of their quality. This way, the social cognitive theory is applied to influence people’s way of thinking and behaviour. For example, I once attended a HIV/AIDS campaign where different ladies were expressing how an individual should conduct herself in order to avoid contracting the disease (HIV/AIDS). Here, I learned several prevention measures that can be used in order to live a quality life. As a young girl, I should always open up and share with my mother on any emotional issues affecting me. I also learned that it is unwise for ladies to walk unescorted at night, as this can contribute to rape cases. Therefore, by selecting the appropriate age, gender and ethnicity, the utilization of cognitive theory would assist in making sure that an HIV/AIDS campaign succeeds by rendering the right information to the teenagers. The information should help them to identify themselves with an identifiable group, possess a better aspect of self-efficacy and later emulate the practices so as to take appropriate measures for a better society. Therefore, children learn more about gender stereotypes via their mental ability to plan or organize their social globe.
Conclusion
In conclusion, theories are practical and those concerning gender and sex impart on our thoughts and behaviours. They explain how we perceive ourselves and what we later become in life. What’s more, interpersonal theory is valid in the process of gender development since it encompasses all areas of human development including behaviour and mental development.
References
Hale, R. (1993). The Application of Learning Theory to Serial Murder. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 17 (2): 37-45.
Sullivan, S. (2003). The Interpersonal Theory of Psychiatry. Web.
Wood, J. (2010).Gendered Lives: Communication, Gender, and Culture, 9th edition. Boston: Wadsworth Publishing. Gender Theories