The Socialisation Process of Gender Identity in Adolescence Bec Stegman .
Boundless defines the process of Gender socialisation as "the process by which males and females are informed about the norms and behaviours; associated with their biological sex (Boundless, 2015)." One's sex is defined as either male or female, where an individual's gender is categorised as masculine and feminine and this process isn't just biological identification but a conditioning process starting at birth (Stoller, 1968). It can be stated that the agents of socialisation have major effect on the construction of masculine and feminine gender roles in Australia because of the psychological power of conformity and the need for approval among adolescence. The first agent that plays that biggest part in the socialisation process of infants is the family, in particular parents, and this is referred to the primary agent of socialisation. Secondary groups that influence an individual include; educational institutes, peers, and the media and these are called the secondary agents of socialisation (Study.com, 2015). Sociologists have been curious as to the effects and the way these agents develop a sense of self-identity. Sandra Bem, Nancy Chodorow, and Raewyn Connell are three-sociologist theorists who have developed theories, aiding to the understanding of gender. To support these theorists' theories, a survey was conducted on 26 adolescent male and females, asking them to answer questions about certain aspects about gender identity. Overall, gender is more then just biological and the path to discovering a gender identity for a child is influenced by many factors. .
4.1 – The Family .
The family is the primary agent of socialisation and the first port of contact for a child to learn cultural norms, behaviours and customs and this includes the reinforcement of gendered expectations. From the moment a child is born, parents begin to treat the child in a way that seems appropriate to their gender, from the toys they are given to the colour of their room.
