African American Girlhood Test Questions

Paper instructions:

Please rephrase answers using your own words and proper citations and references.


Course Objectives:
Gender roles, Socialization, Father-daughter relationships, Cross-cultural Gender experiences.

1. Why is gender a vital component of family organization and child development?
Gender is used to organize family responsibilities (Hill, 2002) and child socialization (Hooks, 1992).
2. How and when do children learn gender?
From birth throughout lifespan, gender identity is being developed (Carter, 1991; Lytton & Romney, 1991; Pleck, 1992; Whiting & Edwards, 1998). Children learn gendered behaviors by observing marital roles and through social interactions and gender-typing in families ( Bem, 1983; Brock, 1983; Deutsch & Saxon, 1998; Ex & Janssens, Slavin & Stright, 2000).
3. What are some structural obstacles that prevent African American makes from assuming masculine roles in their families?
Low wages and unemployment contribute tho the difficulties faced by African American men and their inability tho assume masculine roles in their families (Cf. Bluke & Darling, 1994; Gibbs, 1988, Hunter & Davis, 1992).


4. How does societal structures like the economy shape gender roles in the African American community? How does this affect African American mothers and the expectations for their daughters? How does this translate African American feminity?
Due to limited economic and occupational opportunities, shared responsibilities by the mother and father for financial support of the children was often necessary, particularly in low income communities ( Collins, 1997; Green, 1994; Harris, 1996; Reid, 1994). As a result, many African American mothers promoted less traditional goals for their daughters in the workforce such as encouraging educational achievement and financial independence. (Collins, 1997; Green, 1994; Harris, 1996; Reid, 1994). However, some African American mothers from a lower SES espoused traditional gender roles in the family as the ideal, while continuing to encourage less traditional career aspirations. Less traditional aspirations and gender characteristics in the workforce combined with a more traditional role in the family (Hill, 2002). This results in African American femininity in which women may be more likely to submit to subordinate roles in heterosexual relationships in order to avoid confirming the emasculating Black woman stereotype that stems from their occupational independence (Green, 2000).
5. What impact does positive father-daughter relationships have on self image and sexual behavior?
Positive father-daughter relationships were associated with more positive body image satisfaction and lower image acculturation (Hedgepeth, 2008). Accordingly, a survey taken by Dixon, Gill, and Adair (2003) about eating habits and diet beliefs, revealed a positive association between the father's belief in the importance of physical attractiveness and their daughters dieting behavior.
In terms of asexual behavior, girls tend to initiate asexual activity at a later age when fathers communicate disapproval of sexual activity (Dittus, Jaccard, & Gordon, 1997). Father disapproval of premarital sec was also correlated with current asexual activity. In addition, girls who lived in the households with their fathers were less likely to have initiated sex than those who did not live with their fathers (Belgrave, 2009).
6. Explain what influences African American mothers to socialize their daughters to covet heterosexual relationships with traditional gender roles (Wilson, 1986)?
African American religious institutions have espoused the patriarchal ideal of the male headed household in which women allow men to make all major decisions concerning the relationship and family (Cole and Guyshefttall, 2003). African American women incorporate these messages into their own worldview - which Influence's the socialization of their daughters ( Wilson, 1986).
7.Contrast the gendered experience cross-culturally.
Gender expectations and experiences are different across cultures. White college age women are encouraged to may to find happiness, while their African American cohort is expected to focus on occupational status to find success in life ( Collins, 2000; Higginbotham, 1981; Higginbotham & Weber, 1992) thus being socialized toward independence and employment (Hale-Benson, 1986).
8. Does promoting Androgynous gender role beliefs enhance African American girls' sense of positive self?
Androgyny is associated with positive self-esteem and psychological well-being ( Mokgatlhe & Schoemen, 1998; Molloy & Herzberger, 1998; Salminen, 1994; Sharpe & Heppner, 1991). Also associated was life satisfaction ( Mokgatlhe & Schoemen, 1998), positi body image ( Molloy & Herzberger, 2002); and academic achievement (Robison-Awana, Kehle, Bray, Jensen, Clack, & Lawless, 2001).

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