Gender Identity
Gender identity goes through a developmental period between the ages of 2-5 in which the child experiences and explores his or her first awareness experiences. The first curious questions about gender differences begin to come to parents in this age range. The first efforts to make sense of the gender issue and the first gender-specific behaviors also occur in this interval. For example; Gender discrimination behaviors, which can manifest themselves as choosing same-sex friends, begin at the age of 2 in girls and 3 in boys. Or differences in toy selection also manifest themselves at this age. Generally, while boys engage in more rough and demanding games, girls can show more sharing and nurturing play behaviors. Of course, we should not forget that the guidance of the child's environment has a great impact on this. And it is also worth noting that each child can choose toys according to their interests and curiosity, rather than following gender-specific patterns. Child development researchers explain these differences with various approaches. These can be listed as social learning theory, role models, reinforcements, Piaget's developmental theory and culture.
Social Learning Concept:
According to this understanding, children learn by observing other individuals and imitating them. Seeing that behaving in a certain way is rewarded and behaving in a certain way is not rewarded or punished gives the child clues about what behavior to exhibit. Children between the ages of two and five learn “how” to behave not only from their parents, but also from their siblings, peers, other adults, television, and the media and books they are exposed to. For example, children with same-sex older siblings or older brothers are more stereotyped in their gender-specific behaviors than children with opposite-sex older siblings or older brothers.
According to the "constructivist" approach based on Piaget's developmental stages, children also establish mental schemas to process gender-related information. Thanks to these “gender schemas”, they classify the behavior or objects they observe as “boy things” or “girl things”. In this way gender meat perception develops. They also perceive their own gender identity within the framework of this classification.
Culture itself directs and shapes the child's perspective on the distribution of gender roles and what behaviors and expressions can be expected from which gender. In fact, media contents, videos and advertisements, which have become a part of the culture we live in, occupy a very important area in shaping children's gender-specific role expectations.
Ethnic Identity
Child development researchers call the process of giving messages and preparing the child about his/her ethnicity as "ethnic socialization". Two types of socialization are mentioned regarding the development of ethnic identity: "cultural socialization" and "preparation for prejudice." In cultural socialization, ethnic heritage and pride in it are transferred to the child. In preparation for prejudice, the child is provided with narratives about the prejudices he or she may encounter and is prepared to deal with these prejudices. Studies have found that a sense of belonging to an ethnic identity and a rich cultural environment positively affects the child's cognitive development.
Personal Identity
By the average age of four, children can tell stories and narrate their own experiences. This personal storytelling skill, called “autobiographical memory,” develops over time. The ability to develop one's own experience is a process acquired over time and in which the help of parents or an adult is very decisive. For example, children younger than four years old hear from their parents by asking questions about what they experienced and what happened that day. This is how they learn and internalize the first narratives about their own experiences. In these storytelling experiences, the child's actions, feelings and approaches are discussed. Sometimes these stories are interspersed with life lessons and advice. This process is largely shaped between the parents and the child.
At this stage of development, the child does not define a subjective identity for himself. When you ask the child to describe himself, he will come up with definitions such as "black eyes" and "long hair". Definitions such as "I'm smart" or "I'm naughty" are more will come later. Such subjective definitions continue to develop largely through stories created between the parents, the immediate environment, and the child about the child's experiences.
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