At the same time, at three years old, gender is a variable characteristic. The child thinks that he can be changed. The following statement is very typical in this sense: “Okay, when I grow up, I will be a dad. When will I be a mother? By the age of 5-6, this passes: a three-year-old boy is frightened by the promise of turning him into a girl, a five-year-old laughs at this prospect, does not believe in the possibility of its implementation. It is believed that by the age of 5-6 years a child forms his sexual and gender identity at the level of experiences and role behavior. Gender self-awareness begins with awareness of your body. Our physicality is multi-level, and, therefore, the very differences in the nature and functions of male and female cells subsequently affect the psychological differences between men and women. The male cell is weak, but it is active, and the new development of man depends on it; thus, a man is doomed for life to change the world in which he lives. The female cell is tenacious, but inert. Women preserve, support and pass on traditions. Anatomical signs of sex appear in the embryo in the 5th week after conception. Before this, nature tries to hide its intention from a person: genetically and hormonally, this creature is already either a man or a woman, and anatomically it has characteristics of both sexes. This fact makes it possible for supporters of sexual freedom to declare a person’s original bisexuality, and for opponents of abortion to point out that the embryo already has basic human characteristics at the 5th week. Physical gender identity is finally formed at the age of three. The psychological result of this period is the understanding: “My body is the same as my dad’s/mom’s, therefore I…”. Gender identity is expressed by the words: “I am a woman, he is a man.” This psychological knowledge appears as early as two years old, and by the age of five, the psyche and behavior corresponding to gender have already been formed. The formation of the psychology of gender is carried out differently in men and women, but for a child of any gender, in both cases the role of the father and mother is significant. The psychological mechanism for the formation of polytypical behavior in childhood is explained by psychologist Sandra Bam in the concept of gender schema. Sexual typing is carried out thanks to the ability of children to group and process information, i.e. readiness to assimilate information about oneself in the context of the concepts of “masculinity - femininity.” A gender schema is consolidated in the child's mind, which functions as an anticipatory structure, pre-set to seek and group information: behavior, characteristics, cultural symbols are spontaneously sorted into the categories “male” - “female”. The gender scheme introduced into the structure of the child’s self-concept begins to “work” not only for the selection of information coming from outside, but also in relation to oneself. Children select from a variety of possible human characteristics only those that are defined in a given culture as acceptable for his/her own gender and are therefore suitable for organizing the varied contents of the self-concept. Thus, the self-concept of children becomes gender-typed, and the two sexes are perceived as different not so much in the degree of expression of their properties, but in their personal qualities. At the same time, children learn to evaluate their personality according to the gender scheme (this is how they are disciplined by parents and strangers), contrasting their own preferences, attitudes, behavior, and properties with the other sex. Adults very rarely notice and say: “How strong the girl has become” and “How gentle the boy is,” but they often emphasize these qualities in the opposite sex. The gender schema becomes prescriptive, dictating a standard of behavior. Thus, the foundations of gender self-awareness are formed before the age of 5: the attitude towards men and women, the attitude towards parents, the attitude towards socially given patterns of the psyche and behavior of men and women. At this time, against the background of the development of speech, thinking, and self-awareness, the child, among other things, learns to distinguish people by appearance and gender characteristics. He develops confidence in belonging to a certain gender and the immutability of this gender. After 5-6 years, it is almost impossible to change a person’s sexual identity at subsequent stages of development. Accidental or purposeful upbringing before this age that does not correspond to the child’s gender (improperly formed external genitalia, the birth of a child of a different gender than the parents expected, etc.) creates insurmountable difficulties for subsequent adaptation to the child’s gender role prescribed by physical and registered gender , for the formation of gender. By the end of preschool age, both boys and girls clearly demonstrate four types of gender-role behavior, namely masculine, feminine, androgynous and undifferentiated. In the study by L.E. Semenova presents the psychological characteristics of these gender types. Masculine children value the authority of strength and independence of behavior, are focused on high individual achievements, regardless of gender, they reject female society and, on the contrary, give preference to male authority, which, according to the author, indicates the needs of masculine children for significant men, including men -teachers. Masculine children often do not tolerate objections, defend their opinions by any means available to them, including aggressive actions, and prefer leading positions. They are characterized by an independent-competitive style of behavior and an authoritarian nature of relationships with peers. Feminine children, regardless of gender, adopt an emotionally expressive style of behavior associated with dependent, subordinate behavior, caution, refusal of their own initiative and independence, and focus on others. A particularly pronounced trend can be seen among feminine boys, for whom the strategy of consciously limiting their “research space” turned out to be significant. At the same time, such boys have an internal need for social expectations associated with belief in their strengths and capabilities, which can serve as evidence of the problematic nature of their gender-role development. Feminine children, as a rule, are followers in joint activities, their initiative is minimal, and in the case of feminine boys it is completely absent. The behavior of the latter is characterized by social limitations, avoidance of contacts and interactions, especially with peers of the same sex, as well as masculine girls, among whom they feel insecure and are afraid to demonstrate their inadequacy. Expectations of critical comments from peers create difficulties for feminine boys in communicating with other children. Feminine girls in social contacts remain successful. Androgynous children are relatively free from strict gender typing, recognize the right to understand various types of activities without attachment to traditional norms, and are characterized by a focus on really comprehending the situation and independently overcoming difficulties. They are characterized by high social activity. Their modes of behavior and contacts turned out to be the most numerous and varied. These children actively interact with adults and peers, regardless of gender, and more often than others become organizers of joint activities, while being popular with children of all gender-role groups. Androgynous children truly combine and demonstrate traditionally masculine and feminine traits in their behavior, taking on masculine and feminine roles. Their masculine qualities are constructive (protection, help). They are characterized by persistence, independence in decision-making, and a high level of real achievements, which can serve as confirmation of their personal well-being. Undifferentiated children reject both strong masculine and feminine styles of behavior and are characterized by the absence of any gender-role guidelines, as well as emotional rejection of all types of activities. Passivity, low real achievements, lack of social acceptance among peers and retaliatory avoidance of contacts - these are the main characteristics of such schoolchildren. According to L.E. Semenova, in general, an androgynous culture of behavior dominates in the preschool environment, which essentially reflects some trends in the modern social situation, where, along with the preservation of traditional gender stereotypes, there is a rejection of rigid gender typing; At the same time, there are children who experience difficulties in accepting any standards of gender-role behavior, and therefore need targeted psychological and pedagogical assistance in forming in them meaningful ideas about the psychosocial characteristics of various types of gender-role behavior, male and female standards of interaction . The gender characteristics of junior schoolchildren were studied by A. Chekalina as follows. She identified certain groups of children according to manifestations of gender self-awareness and identification with their biological sex, that is, she determined the type of psychological sex of the child. The first group received the conventional name “adequate” (39% of the total number of respondents). In their answers to questions, preschoolers and junior schoolchildren in this group express satisfaction with their own gender, demonstrate a sense of pride in their gender, and an awareness of its irreversibility. Children categorically refuse to “change” their gender identity, they are aware of the possibilities of their gender (“I want to be a boy, because I will protect...”, “... because boys are stronger,” “... because I want to serve in the army,” “... because all girls love”, etc.). Conscious gender preferences and orientations of “adequate” children towards representatives of their own sex stood out: boys and girls express affection specifically for people of their own sex, demonstrate a readiness for emotional empathy and joint activities with them; clearly understand intra-family and intra-group relationships from the point of view of the gender of parents and peers. To clarify questions like “why?” (“…do you want to help your mother?”, “… study from a male teacher?”, etc.), the child appealed precisely to the fact that he belonged to the same sex as the named object. Gender preferences are also manifested in the choice of games, toys, and tools that correspond to the child’s gender; It is also interesting that in the game “Family” children of this group prefer to play the role of a parent of their own gender. The overwhelming majority of children in this group are characterized by confident, good knowledge of the characteristics of their gender, ideas about the images of a boy’s self or a girl’s self, respectively, and knowledge of primary interests, games, and toys. “Adequate” children use behavioral and emotional stereotypes known to them that characterize the qualities of men and women; imagine their future family and social roles, for example, they are able to imagine their future family, the number and gender of children, name the future profession corresponding to their gender, etc.
Let us give a brief psychological portrait of a typical “adequate” child.
Murilav G. (7 years old, Makhachkala) is the second child in a family of three children. The boy helps his mother in everything, and especially loves to work with his younger sister; believes that willingness to help is a masculine trait. Murilove said that when he grows up, he will become a geologist, get married and have children - two girls and a boy, just like in his parents’ family. His drawing of the family depicts all family members (you can easily guess the gender of the character based on clothes, figure, hairstyles and other signs). By the arrangement of the figures one can judge the importance for the boy of fulfilling functions and roles in the family: mother, father, older sister, Murilav, younger sister. Most “adequate” boys and girls have sufficient information about the behavioral characteristics, interests, self-image of the opposite sex, are able to imagine themselves as a representative of the other sex and describe their behavior, games, toys in this case, they are called stereotypical qualities of the other sex. Children in this group are united by a friendly attitude towards their peers and a desire to cooperate with them. Yulia M. (8 years old, Moscow) is the only child in the family; She spoke clearly and in detail about the games, toys, and attributes of Boys, and with humor and imagination she presented herself as a boy. Julia explained that then it would no longer be her, but “a strong, smart, kind boy, Julian.” The girl said that what she likes most is to play “mother and daughter” with her friends. They gladly accept boys into their company. According to Yulia, it is best to be on duty in the classroom with boys, because “they are stronger and can push back chairs.” In the picture of Yulia's family, the researcher can feel the authority of her father and her emotional closeness to her mother. The second group of children was called “ambivalent” (22% of the total number of respondents). Children in this group express satisfaction with their own gender and its possibilities, and do not show a desire to change gender to the opposite. However, unlike boys and girls of the first group, in answers to questions that reveal gender-role preferences and orientation towards their gender, children show some duality and ambivalence. Referring to mother and father, girls and boys, men and women, “ambivalents” appealed more to a person’s personal qualities, rather than to gender, as expected. Anya A. (7 years old, Makhachkala) is the eldest daughter in a family that also has a younger girl. The father, who was waiting for the birth of his son, often plays “manly” games with her; their favorite pastime is wrestling. When listing games for boys and girls, Anya named mostly neutral games. The girl wants to be like her father; when choosing qualities that characterize the male and female sex, she said that she wanted to be strong. At the same time, Anya prefers to help her mother and play with the girls. She chooses the profession of a women's hairdresser, loves to comb her friends' hair and decorate their hair. Her projective drawing depicts a harmonious family with balanced relationships with both mother and father (on closer examination, a tendency to imitate the mother can be seen). Anton F. (7 years old, Moscow) - wants to be like his mother, believes that the most handsome boy in the class is a boy, not a girl. Anton doesn’t want to be a girl, “because they don’t play war,” there’s also “no need to be friends with them,” he couldn’t list girls’ games. Anton would prefer a male teacher, and female teachers, in his opinion, are stricter. When analyzing the results of children's answers and statements, another type of psychological gender emerged - “indifferent” (in 24% of children from the total number of respondents). What distinguishes them is that the attitude towards their own gender has not yet been determined, awareness and understanding of gender characteristics and capabilities have not been revealed, these children have not felt the conviction of the need to be a representative of their own sex, and not the opposite. Such children can relatively easily agree to an imaginary “change” of gender, and if they do not agree, then their motives are often not realized, focused on external, unimportant factors: “I don’t want to be a girl, my mother already has daughters,” “...everyone offends girls " The majority of “indifferent” children expressed an indifferent attitude towards their future family and social role, towards their future profession. When listing the games of their own and the opposite sex, most of them call them neutral and refuse to play “Family.” Murad (7 years old, Makhachkala) is the eldest child in a family with a younger son. He is very attached to his mother: for him she is the most beautiful, the main one in the family, he prefers to play only with his mother, help her, grow up like her. Murad could not name girls' games, imagine himself as a girl and tell how he would behave in this role. He didn’t want to be a girl, but he couldn’t explain why. Nor did he explain what it meant to be a boy. Murad knows the prospects for his future (he will become an uncle, a father); wants to be strong, plays and wants to be friends only with boys. Questions that revealed orientation in family relationships from the point of view of his gender caused Murad difficulties. His picture of the family shows emotional closeness with his mother, with the undoubted authority and importance of his father (whose bright figure is greater than all the others) for him. The next group of children is united under the code name “Inadequate” (15% of the total number of respondents). This group received its name because of the discovered negative attitude of children towards their gender. Boys and girls did not demonstrate a sense of pride in their gender; their statements rather conveyed embarrassment for belonging to this particular gender. Children in this group often express a desire to change gender to the opposite. It is quite difficult to trace the etiology of such statements: most children are guided in their answers by the attractiveness of external attributes, what seem to them to be more diverse opportunities, and the privileges of the other sex. Having agreed to reincarnation (“If a wizard turns you into a boy/girl, what will you do?”), such children animatedly and emotionally talk about the possibilities, characteristics of behavior, self-image, and external manifestations of representatives of the opposite sex. It is interesting that the majority of children who do not know whether their name is male or female are precisely in the “inadequate” group. Dima K. (7 years old, Moscow) is the eldest child in a family that also has a younger daughter. The mother, while carrying Dima, was expecting a girl during her pregnancy. The boy shows great interest in the characteristics, attributes, and details of the appearance of girls; he admitted that he is “generally attracted to the female gender” and would like to be a girl. I couldn't explain why. In answers to questions, he did not demonstrate a conscious orientation towards representatives of his sex; he said that he wanted to be like his mother. His orientation in intragroup relations from the point of view of belonging to the gender of his peers was also not revealed. While completing the task of “drawing a person,” Dima drew a girl. In their answers, older preschoolers and younger schoolchildren in this group demonstrate varying degrees of emotional and cognitive identification with representatives of their gender. These children demonstrate a small amount of knowledge about the behavioral characteristics, attributes, and games of their gender. Discussion of this topic does not evoke emotional revival or enthusiasm in them. “Inadequate” people are more willing to discuss issues of the opposite sex, demonstrating a large amount of information. Karina T. (8 years old, Makhachkala) - lives in a family with an older brother. She readily agreed to the psychologist’s suggestion that she fantasize and “turn” into a boy and told in detail what kind of boy she would be. Doesn’t play “Family”, prefers to play with boys and “boyish” games, at home - with dad and older brother. Favorite clothes are trousers. The girl did not name the beautiful people in her family and her group from the point of view of generally accepted stereotypes. Based on the projective picture of Karina’s family, one can assume a strong emotional connection between the girl and her father and a desire to imitate him. When asked to draw a person, Karina portrayed an “uncle” (man). It is interesting that in the “Family” game, boys in this group are most often the “children” of their own or the opposite sex, while girls more often play the role of the parent of the opposite sex. According to their personal characteristics, such girls strive for leadership; boys, on the contrary, are more passive. One can also note the generally indifferent attitude of the “inadequate” to their future family and social role; Most often, children find it difficult to choose a future profession. Thus, A. Chekalina’s research showed that the formation of psychological gender by primary school age has a wide range of characteristics in both boys and girls. This is due, first of all, to the degree of clarity and depth of the child’s awareness of his gender. The adequate, ambivalent, indifferent and inadequate levels of gender identity formation identified in the study can quite fully demonstrate the characteristics of the psychological gender of children of this age period. Gender identity presupposes, in turn, a certain attitude towards the opposite sex. The study identified a group of children of both sexes who expressed rejection of their gender, a negative attitude towards it, and a conscious desire to change their gender to the opposite. Adequate formation of psychological gender is favorable for the child’s assimilation of cultural norms, models transmitted by adults, for the full development of the child’s system of interpersonal relationships, taking into account his gender, establishing his status in the peer group, the development of communication skills, normal adaptation and socialization of the child. It is premature to characterize an “inadequate” type of psychological gender formation as pathological, without systematically considering the dynamics of psychosexual development disorders in children of the selected group, including biological, social, as well as individual characterological aspects. However, it should be noted that the behavioral manifestations of an inadequate attitude towards one’s own gender largely coincide with the clinical picture of pathologies of gender-role behavior, which usually manifest themselves in childhood and primary school age. It is also pertinent to note here that boys who demonstrate feminine traits are at greater risk of experiencing sexual identity conflict in adolescence. The stage of establishing gender-role behavior lasts up to 12-13 years. Based on innate characteristics and under the influence of family and social environment, the child involuntarily chooses a manner of behavior that most fully meets his needs and at the same time does not contradict social norms. Is it worth talking here once again about the example of parents, whose pattern of relationships their children accept or reject. At the beginning of this stage (usually in the 1st-2nd grades of school), children, as a rule, are clearly divided by gender, which forces them to emphasize their gender and accelerates the development of sexuality. It was at this time that the first conscious questions of a sexual nature appeared as part of general questions “about life” and as based on observations of elders. The next stage is the formation of psychosexual orientation (12-26 years old) - the determination of sexual behavior. Changes in a teenager’s body, the appearance of secondary sexual characteristics and erotic experiences contribute to the formation of an adult’s gender identity, in which compliance with generally accepted patterns of masculinity and femininity plays a leading role. Polytyped adolescents are more likely to imitate stereotypical models of masculinity/femininity, choosing models more often from media heroes. In girls, the passionate desire to correspond to the modern model of femininity - “perfect harmony” - can take on hypertrophied forms and result in a disease such as anorexia nervosa. Young men, trying to identify with an exaggerated masculine idol, often demonstrate forms of behavior that are unacceptable from a social point of view: aggressive actions, alcohol and drug use, and unreasonably risky behavior. In older adolescence, gender problems become particularly relevant during the period of graduation, when high school students are faced with the choice of their future life path and sphere of professional activity. This is the age at which sexual activity begins, and the circumstances of this step change with the passing of generations. There was a period when a relationship before marriage was considered acceptable, but only if there were feelings or plans for a future marriage. Over time, the concept of these feelings became more and more smoothed out, as a result of which in most European countries the early onset of sexual activity (in the vast majority of cases, shortly before marriage) became a pattern. At the same time, there is a shift in the age-related sexual indicators of women. If, in terms of their sexual experience, girls of the 30s “laged behind” boys by 3-4 years, then in the 60s they almost caught up with them, and now they are ahead of them (data from 2004). Thus, the age of onset of sexual activity for girls in our country is now about 16.5 years, and for boys - 18.5. Clarification of the motives for the beginning of sexual activity showed that at least 80% of young men began it “of their own free will,” obeying sexual desire, a “hormonal storm.” Almost 70% of girls had their first sexual intercourse under the influence of circumstances. The girls’ explanations on this matter are very indicative: “Everyone does this, but what’s worse about me...”, “am I some kind of freak...”, “the boy was very persistent...”, “the girls said it was time...”, “a lot we drank, I don’t remember how it happened...", "I needed the money urgently...", "I don’t understand how it happened...". The gender characteristics of middle-aged representatives were studied from the perspective of experiencing conflicts. At this age, contradictions between the individual needs of personal development and normative ideas embodied in gender stereotypes most often manifest themselves as intrapersonal conflicts. Intrapersonal conflicts are contradictions that arise between incompatible (or at least difficult to compatible) interests, needs, ideas, and roles. A person perceives and experiences a situation of internal conflict as a psychological problem that requires resolution. The most striking manifestation of the clash between traditional normative requirements for the role behavior of women and the real situation of their life is the phenomenon that is described in the socio-psychological literature as “role conflict of a working woman.” This intrapersonal conflict between roles occurs more often among women who are family-oriented but forced to work outside the home. The role conflict of a working woman is considered as a complex of subjective negative experiences that arise in a woman when she assesses how she copes with combining roles in the professional and family spheres. The most pronounced destructive indicator of role conflict is the feeling of guilt, which is born from a woman’s model of perceiving her roles. The feeling of guilt is characterized by high stability and many areas of manifestation, this is a woman’s attitude towards children, spouse, work, and herself. The second type of gender intrapersonal conflict is the conflict of fear of success. The phenomenon of “fear of success” was identified and described by psychologist Martina Horner. Success causes anxiety in a woman, as it is associated with undesirable consequences - loss of femininity, loss of significant relationships and social rejection. Following M. Horner, many foreign researchers considered fear of success to be a trait inherent in female nature. Research in the field of gender psychology allows us to consider the phenomenon of fear (or avoidance) of success as a specific psychological state, accompanied by an internal conflict, which arises in certain social conditions and life situations and which can be overcome. In the period of late adulthood, situations of conflict between gender stereotypes and life situations can also be distinguished. An existential crisis situation affects the foundations of human existence and turns him to the problem of his relationship with the world, the search for and finding the meaning of his existence. Existential conflict can be caused by events or external circumstances that unexpectedly bring a person face to face with fundamental issues of his life, for example, making important irreversible decisions, the destruction of some fundamental meaning-making patterns of behavior or ways of interacting with other people. The existential conflict affects the most important, vital values and needs of a person, becomes the dominant of a person’s inner life and is accompanied by strong emotional experiences. Thus, polotypical men who perceive professional activities and careers as the only and most important purpose of their life find themselves in a situation of existential conflict in case of loss of work or retirement. The “shock of the resignation” associated with the loss of a significant place in society, the breakdown of relations with the reference group, the loss of a significant social role, in the minds of such men is reflected as “loss of the main meaning of life”, and at the emotional level is marked by all signs of an acute stress disorder. Patriotic women, realizing the “truly female destiny to be the mother and keeper of the hearth,” often experience the existential crisis during the period of the mature children from the family. In the psychological literature, this phenomenon is described as the "Empty nest syndrome." An empty nest is a period in the family cycle that occurs after the youngest of the children leaves the parental house. If earlier the whole life of a woman was saturated with emotional and household care for children, now that the familiar course of life is violated, there is a feeling of emptiness, unnecessaryness, meaninglessness of life. Existential conflict, disorganizing or even making ordinary life, requires a person to rethink his life goals, relationships with others, and lifestyle.
Questions to reinforce the topic:
1) At what age does the process of gender identification occur?
2) When does gender identity begin to form? 3) What are the stages of formation of gender identity? 4) What is the essence of S. Bem’s concept of gender schema. 5) What types of gender-role behavior are identified by L. Semenova? Describe them. 6) How the gender characteristics of junior schoolchildren were studied by A. Chekalina. 7) What happens to the formation of gender identity in adolescence and adolescence. What gender intrapersonal conflicts are observed in “adult life”? 9) What is the essence of the “empty nest syndrome”.
Gender education of preschool children
Awareness of one’s gender and identification with it arises between 2 and 3 years of age. Gradually, the child understands that gender is always constant and does not change over time. The approach to the sexual development of children is based on differences in external characteristics and the need to take into account socio-biological characteristics. The upbringing of preschool children in kindergarten and family involves a special organization of educational work. This is due to differences in the structure of the brain and its activity, as well as differences in the temperaments of girls and boys. In young female representatives, the left hemisphere develops earlier, so they begin to speak faster, and up to a certain age, rational and logical thinking is closer to them. Boys are subject to violent manifestations of emotions, their mood often changes. Girls prefer classes in small groups, and little men like competitions, joint, and active games.
Issues for discussion:
1. Sandra Bam's concept of gender schema. Formation of sexual identity in children of different ages. 2. Characteristics of feminine, masculine, androgynous, undifferentiated children, features of their behavior. 3. Psychological portraits of “adequate” and “ambivalent” children. 4. Gender characteristics of middle-aged representatives from the perspective of experiencing conflicts.
Practical tasks. 1. Select your own everyday or literary illustrations for the types of child behavior discussed in this section. 2. Watch children of different sexes play. What is the nature of games for children of different genders, what roles do they choose in them?
Gender differences in the upbringing and education of preschool children
Olga Fedulova
Gender differences in the upbringing and education of preschool children
Gender differences in the upbringing and education of preschool children.
Gender education is the formation in children of ideas about real men and women, and this is necessary for the normal and effective socialization of the individual. Targeted gender education provided to a girl or boy in preschool age will significantly affect the child’s development. And will allow girls and boys to develop those personality traits that will allow them to be successful in modern society
Analysis of mass practice shows that currently in the preschool education system there are serious problems regarding gender education . First of all, this is due to the fact that gender characteristics of preschool educational institutions in Russia . As a result of this, the content of upbringing and education is focused on the age and psychological characteristics of children, and not on boys and girls of a particular age.
The period of preschool childhood is the period during which pedagogy parents must understand the child and help him discover the unique opportunities that are given to him by his gender, if we want to raise men and women , and not asexual beings who have lost the advantages of their gender. During the most critical period in the formation of gender stability, girls and boys spend a long time in a preschool educational institution (8-12 hours)
are subject to exclusively female influence.
Observations show that at present, the address of educators is limited to the word “children”
, which does not contribute to the identification of the child’s self-image with a certain social role.
Therefore, the first priority is to introduce in preschool educational institutions in situations where this is appropriate.
Teaching strategy , forms and methods of working with children used in kindergarten are most often designed for girls. At the same time, raised by women: at home - by mother or grandmother, and in kindergarten - by female teachers . As a result, for many boys, gender stability is developed without the participation of men. But women, according to scientists, cannot raise boys for only one simple reason: they have a different type of brain and a different type of thinking. In addition, a female teacher, naturally, does not have childhood experience of the experiences that preschool when communicating with adults and children. Therefore, when communicating with boys, many educators are guided only by the idea that if he is a boy, then, therefore, he is the embodiment of will, strength, and endurance. to traumatic influences from teachers For example, when a teacher asks children a question during a lesson, the girls are always the first to raise their hands. When answering a question, they try to make sure their answer is complete, look the teacher in the eyes, etc. Boys are in no hurry to answer because they think about it more carefully. Boys' speech is less developed than girls', so they are forced to spend more time finding the right words and expressing them. As a result of all this, in the eyes of the teacher , girls look more knowledgeable and capable and receive more positive assessments and praise. And against this background, boys develop low self-esteem, they lose confidence in themselves and their capabilities. In this regard, the primary task is to train educators to implement a differentiated approach to girls and boys, both when communicating with them and when organizing and leading various activities in the classroom and in everyday life.
Differences between the two social sexes begin in childhood, but these differences must be educated , and correctly. This upbringing is called gender socialization .
Gender socialization is the education of girls and boys to fulfill prescribed male and female social roles.
Gender socialization begins in childhood and spans a person’s entire life.
From childhood, girls learn to set the table, swaddle a child, etc. And boys learn types of cars, traffic rules, types of professions.
Boys are taught to be brave, strong, businesslike, girls are taught to be gentle, economical, caring. Boys are rewarded for being energetic and competitive, while girls are rewarded for being obedient and caring.
A differentiated approach to teaching girls and boys is associated with the following features:
1. Differences in brain function and structure
The brains of boys and girls develop at different times, in different sequences, and even at different rates.
In girls, the left hemisphere of the brain, which is responsible for rational and logical thinking and speech, is formed earlier. In boys, the left hemisphere of the brain develops more slowly, so the figurative-sensual sphere dominates until a certain age.
2. Different temperaments
Boys tend to have more volatile moods and are more difficult to calm down. Girls tend to be more emotionally stable.
Boys are characterized by mobility, they grow more resilient, and show negative emotions more clearly. Girls are more susceptible to the emotional state of others, speech appears earlier.
Boys love to play together, and they also like to compete with each other and start fights. Girls tend, especially after 2 years, to play in small groups; intimacy of the setting, alienation, and cooperation are important for them.
Mechanisms for taking into account the characteristics of boys and girls when organizing their activities
Anatomy - physiological features
Girls
Girls are born more mature (they are 3-4 weeks ahead of boys in development, they are more sensitive to noise, they are more irritated by bodily discomfort, they are more responsive to touch. Girls in preschool and primary school age are often physically stronger than boys, they are older in biological age.
The areas of the left hemisphere of the brain responsible for speech and rational and logical thinking develop earlier.
Boys
They are born larger, begin to walk 2-3 months later, and have higher hearing acuity up to 8 years of age. Boys are younger than girls of the same biological age. Later, the frontal areas of the brain develop, which are responsible for planning activities and controlling one’s behavior.
Psychological picture
From an early age, the focus of a girl’s attention is on man and the sphere of his immediate existence: relationships between people, consumer goods (clothing, utensils)
. Girls are more often attracted to household chores. The space of interest to girls is small, but it is carefully worked out to the smallest detail and reflected in the mind.
Boys' areas of interest are associated with their high motor and cognitive activity and the need for transformative activities. For boys, the perception of space in which objects of interest to them are located is practically unlimited. It covers both horizontal and vertical relationships. The child is interested in space flights, travel, and adventures. At the same time, many details from the immediate environment elude the boy’s attention and are not sufficiently reflected in his consciousness, so he is helpless in everyday life.
Boys in general show less interest in household chores and are less able to learn self-care
The girl is more inclined to take care of her: to look after, nurse, show concern, teach, instruct, criticize her younger brothers or peers, sometimes losing her sense of proportion
Boys
Boys, as a rule, do not have the inclination to look after, teach and mentor younger ones, especially sisters and girls in general.
Girls
Girls’ games are more often based on near vision: children lay out “riches”
- dolls, decorations - and play in a limited space, in a corner.
Boys
They are less interested in the internal structure of toys, more interested in their purpose, they usually use them for their intended purpose. In preschool age, they willingly master various social roles ; the role of mother is very attractive to them.
Boys' games are more often based on distant vision: they run after each other, throw objects at the target, using all the space provided to them. Boys require more space for full mental development than girls. If the horizontal plane is not enough, they master the vertical one: they climb ladders, climb trees and other objects. When a boy plays with a doll, he makes the toy jump and march, do various tricks, puts it as a passenger in a cart or car, rides on toy animals, etc. - and soon throws it away. Only in exceptional cases is touching caring courtship observed in the game
Girls
The girl better feels and understands the purpose of a thing, its benefits in everyday life, which emphasizes the focus of interests on a person.
Boys
Boys have a clearly expressed tendency towards transformative and constructive activities. Hence the interest in tools, tools, various mechanisms and devices. The girl simply throws the broken toy aside as a worthless thing. Girls, as a rule, use toys for their intended purpose, making mistakes in use only out of ignorance
Boys
Boys understand better and are more interested in how things work. The very acquaintance of a child with a toy often begins (and often ends)
because he tries to see how it works, without having tried it in action.
Boys can adapt a toy for various purposes , use it for other purposes, deliberately finding unexpected uses for it
Girls
In constructive games, girls more often act according to a model: they build not cities, castles or train stations, but a house - but with furniture, household items, and various decorations . With girls, a pattern or plan is in most cases a desirable limitation on their creative freedom; getting as close to the sample as possible seems like a worthy goal.
Boys
Boys show more creativity in constructive games. They build cities and railways, paying attention mainly to the structures themselves. Boys are more likely to have various free designs and projects
Girls
Girls' moral concepts are formed somewhat earlier. Girls are more conformist, adapt better to circumstances, quickly find their place during various changes , and fit into a new environment more easily. They are more sensitive to interpersonal relationships and more sensitive to the norms of their social group. Girls are very proud and touchy, more sensitive to criticism than boys. They more often have an increased interest in their own appearance and a strong reaction to its assessment by other people, which can result in various false ideas about their physical inferiority
Boys
Boys are less inclined to adhere to established frameworks and boundaries, and more often cross them, not out of a conscious desire to break a ban or disrespect for elders or any rules, but because of the tendency for active, transformative activities characteristic of male representatives. In conditions of strict regulation, these features can lead to children violating routines and norms of behavior
Girls
Girls are more likely to appeal to adults and complain about boys. The complaining party is involuntarily perceived as the victim
Boys
Boys appeal to elders less often and complain less often
Girls
Girls tend to trust authorities and rely on authority in difficult situations. They are more diligent, often it is enough to simply convince them that “this is how it should be”
Boys
Boys are less likely to bow to authority. They must convince themselves that certain actions are necessary.
Girls
The period of involvement in activities in the classroom is shorter for girls than for boys. The teacher sees this by the eyes turned to him and, as a rule, immediately explains all the main methods of action. Girls raise their hands less often, although they answer correctly. When answering in kindergarten classes, the girl looks into the teacher’s , waiting for confirmation of the correctness of the answer, and after a nod from the adult
Boys
The boys are "swinging"
longer, they rarely look at the teacher.
By the time they reach the peak of their performance, the main tasks have already been given, and therefore the boys who missed all the explanations begin to ask questions to both the teacher and the children .
Boys are more active and restless, and behave more boldly in class. They raise their hand more often and are not afraid to make mistakes. When answering, the boy looks to the side and, if he knows the answer, speaks confidently. Experts note that the time required to get into a lesson—the period of learning—for children depends on gender. Girls usually quickly gain an optimal level of performance after starting classes. Teachers see this in the eyes turned to them and structure the lesson in such a way that the most difficult part of the material comes at the peak of performance. But they are guided by girls. The boys sway for a long time and rarely look at the teacher. But now they have reached their peak performance. The girls, on the contrary, were already starting to get tired. The teacher immediately noticed this, because his contact with the girls is well established - he always sees their faces turned towards him. He begins to relieve the load, the lesson moves into another phase. And right now the boys should be given the key material for the lesson. But the most important thing has already been given, and they missed it or did not understand it, because at the right moment, their level of performance and ability to master difficult knowledge were low. The lesson is over. But was it designed for boys, for the characteristics of their physiological and psychological functions? Unfortunately no.
Gender education is manifested in any process in kindergarten.
Educational process
During the learning process, it is important to take into account that girls and boys perceive information differently. If auditory perception , then for boys it is preferable to use visual means based on visual perception .
When teaching children, it is important for the teacher to take into account that girls need stimuli that are more based on auditory perception . Boys do not perceive the teacher’s explanation aurally and it is preferable for them to use visual means based on visual perception .
Visual arts classes should be conducted in such a way that every child, regardless of gender, can express what is emotionally significant or interesting to him. When studying modeling , applique or drawing, you should remember that the movements of the hand of boys in their development lag behind the hand of girls by 1.5 years.
When assessing the results of children’s activities and their behavior, it should be remembered that intonation and the form of its assessment are important for girls. Positive evaluation in the presence of other children or parents is very meaningful for girls. At the same time, it is important for boys to evaluate that he has achieved a result. Every new skill or result that the boy managed to achieve has a positive effect on his personal growth, allows him to be proud of himself and try to achieve new goals.
However, it is common for boys to improve this skill when they achieve a certain result, which leads to drawing or designing the same thing. This requires understanding on the part of the teacher.
Play activity
It has been noticed that the styles and content of games for boys and girls differ from each other. Boys are characterized by active, noisy games, while girls are characterized by quieter ones, on family and everyday topics. For educators , the second type of games is closer, since it is not associated with the likelihood of increased injuries and noise. As a result, future men are deprived of truly boyish games, and this has a negative impact on their development as individuals.
for the teacher to organize children’s play activities in such a way that children, during joint games, have the opportunity to act together, in accordance with gender characteristics . In this case, boys take on male roles, girls - female ones. Theatrical activities also help with this.
Music classes
Various types of musical activities can be carried out taking into account the gender characteristics of children .
Musical-rhythmic movements take into account the gender approach as follows - boys learn elements of dance and movement that require agility, masculine strength (gallant soldiers, riders, girls learn softness and smoothness of movements (exercises with ribbons, balls, round dances)
.
While learning dances (quadrille, polka, waltz), boys gain the skills of a leading partner, girls learn the elegant and graceful elements of dance.
Playing musical instruments is organized differently - boys play drums and spoons, girls play bells and tambourines.
Games and songs about girls and boys help develop a child's gender understanding and positive gender acceptance.
Theatrical activities
One of the methods of gender education is manifested in theatrical activities. Men's and women's costumes, fairy tales and poems, staging performances, through the synthesis of music, artistic expression and dance, allow one to master traditional personality traits - femininity for girls and masculinity for boys. One of the manifestations of this approach is the organization of themed holidays for girls and boys.
Physical education
Boys and girls study together, but methodological techniques take into account gender characteristics :
- difference in the choice of exercises only for girls (working with bands)
or only for boys
(rope work)
- difference in the duration of the lesson (girls jump for 1 minute, boys - 1.5)
- difference in dosage (girls do the exercise 5 times, boys 10)
- differences in teaching certain motor movements (jumping rope is easier for girls, and long-distance throwing is easier for boys, this requires different methodological approaches - the choice of preparatory exercises, auxiliary equipment, a different number of approaches)
- difference in the choice of equipment (girls have lighter dumbbells, boys have heavier ones)
- orientation in space (boys are characterized by far vision. For girls - near vision, based on this, boys are allocated a larger part of the hall than girls)
- differences in the requirements for the quality of execution of exercises (boys are required to have more rhythm and clarity, girls - plasticity, grace)
- in outdoor games, the distribution of roles in a certain way (girls are bees, boys are bears)
-focusing on the fact that there are men's and women's sports.
Girls and boys cannot be raised the same . But there are certain values, norms of behavior and prohibitions that everyone, regardless of gender, must learn, which are important in any society: tolerance, respect for oneself and others, the ability to make choices, the ability to bear responsibility, mercy. The list goes on.
Tips for teachers
— It is necessary for boys to develop fine motor skills, for this use appropriate games, and for girls - large motor skills (ball games)
.
— Make all toys available for boys to experiment with them, and for girls, water and sand are better suited for carrying out possible search options and joint discussion.
- Boys need to explain the task, the problem situation, and give instructions for at least 1 minute before he takes action.
— Use different puzzles for girls more often.
- Give boys the opportunity to express their feelings and only then discuss them with them.
— Experiment with the girls with three-dimensional space; use illustrative, visual and figurative language when working with mathematical calculations and in design, this will help make mathematical representations more concrete and understandable for them.
- Praise the boys for their mobility, energy, activity, try to transfer these characteristics to work, helping other children in class, complicate problem situations.
— If there are leaders in the group - boys, be sure to pay attention to the girls, perhaps there is also a leader among them, but due to male dominance, her leadership qualities will not be revealed.
- Praise both girls and boys more often, especially for good actions, keep a camera handy and take pictures of children. This technique will help children of both sexes to be proud of their achievements and increase motivation to successfully solve problems.
A boy and a girl are two different worlds, so they cannot be raised the same way . Let's try to understand our boys and girls, because they are future men and women and must correspond to their essence, by raising real men and women, we will make life easier for our children in the future. Awareness of gender identity by preschool does not occur on its own; the child’s concept of belonging to one or another gender is formed thanks to the upbringing he receives in the family and kindergarten.
Literature
1. Michael Garien. “Boys and girls learn differently”
. Astrel, 2004.
2. Don Elium, Joan Elium. " Raising a Son "
. Peter, 1996.
3. Don Elium, Joan Elium. " Raising a Daughter "
. Peter, 1997.
4. Kyle Robert. "Secrets of the child's psyche"
. Prime Eurosign, 2002
5. V. Eremeeva, T. Khrizman. “Boys and girls are two different worlds”
. Tuscarora, 2003.
6. N. N. Krygina. Fundamentals of gender psychology. Magnitogorsk 2005.
7. Galina Shepemeteva. Love your daughter and admire your son.
8. V. D. Eremeeva and T. P. Khrizman. Psychological characteristics of boys and girls.
9. J. Nicolosi, L. E. Nicolosi. Preventing homosexuality. Guide for parents.
Gender education for kindergarten teachers
Work with children in preschool institutions should be based on gender differences. Thus, in the educational process it is necessary to take into account the different perception of information in boys and girls. For the former, it is preferable to rely on visual means, and for the latter, on auditory ones. When doing creative work, you need to remember that boys’ hand movements lag behind babies by a year and a half. Small men need to be given easier work or an individual approach. When a teacher evaluates children’s activities, gender differences are taken into account in this case as well. For example, the intonation of speech, the form of assessment, the presence of people are most important for girls. For a boy, this is an assessment of the result itself, and not the method of achievement. He is also able to improve his work. Gender education for preschool children is not complete without play. Boys are characterized by active, noisy activities, and girls are characterized by quiet ones, most often role-playing on family and everyday topics. Of course, educators feel more comfortable when children engage in sedentary games, but this limits the development of the personality of little men. A good way to spend your time would be gender role-playing activities or theater games.
