Gender Communication: Definitional

In gender communication, there are seven psychological theories that can explain the differences between gender development. The first theory is the Freudian identification theory which originates in Freud's psychoanalytical theory. He believed that the type of identification experienced by a child would determine if it was a male or female. Male development was controlled by defensive identification which is fear of retaliation from a powerful figure. And female development was a result from a fear of a loss of love or anaclitic identification. When a child associated with the same sex parent, that is how they acquired the appropriate behavior for their gender. Freud notes that "sex differences in behavior were seen as the direct irreversible consequence or perceived and actual anatomical differences" (Stewart). This theory has been criticized saying that women are biologically inferior to men. Frieze and his associates have concluded that this theory has a masculine bias because women are seen as inferior to men. Many psychological theorists reject this theory and believe that our gender is structured through interactions in society.

This leads to the second theory which is the social interaction theory. Socialization is the process by which children acquire the values and behaviors seen as appropriate to their behavior. This theory has been examined by the psychologist Bandura who believed that sex role distinction occurs right after birth when the baby has been named and then when the baby has been adorned with sex-appropriate clothes, hair styles and activities. The systematic attempts to influence behaviors of males and females begins at birth. The two major theories that attempt to explain gender from the perspective that the impact of socialization on gender. They are social learning theory and cognitive development theory.

The social learning theory has has information provided by both same-sex models, both at home and in the media, along with reinforcement for gender appropriate behaviors from significant others. This theory shows that what the female duties are (i.e. housework, cooking, cleaning etc.) and what the male duties are (i.e. yard work, fixing the car, going to work etc.). Children adopt gendered behaviors when they are rewarded for doing culturally fitting behaviors and punished when they do not.

The cognitive development theory claims that a child's concept of gender doesn't fully develop until they are about five or six years old. They don't know yet that a persons gender is a permanent thing and it doesn't change. At the stage of being five or six, they begin to seek out gender constancy because they have developed a sense of understanding that gender does not change. Little girls want to be like their mothers and little boys want to do everything that their father does. Cognitive development theorists believe that children play an active role in their own development because they seek out information that they think will help them improve their interaction with the world.

The social roles theory is gender identity in terms of role related behavior rather than the learning of individual or secret behaviors. Social roles are sets of behavior patterns that define the expected behavior for individuals in a given position or status. So to be a teacher, you must have students and to be a parent, you must have a child. The process of gender development for girls is identifying with their mother and the same for boys except with their father. Symbolic interaction suggests that individuals develop their view of self from their perceptions of their expectations of significant others. Social theory suggests that the development of gender is the result of reinforcement or encouragement of appropriate behaviors.

The moral voices theory is that early social environment is experienced differently by male and female children and this experience leads to different personality development. Females attach to their mothers and develop a strong bond with them whereas males develop a strong bond with them as well, but have to break away from them in order to develop a sense of masculinity. Masculinity is defined by separation while femininity is defined by attachment. This is why males have difficulty with relationships while females have problems with individuation.

The aspect theory is the last psychological theory defined in gender communication. As stated by this theory, problems arise when a person is faced by "psychological incongruity of having to operate with conflicting values" (Stewart). Basically this theory is a rejection that all women and men have the same inner self and can be empowered by the same decisions. Divergence may be avoided recognizing that females and males may show caring or rights-oriented feelings and behaviors depending on the situation.