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Gender Socialization of Chinese Children: Empirical Evidence from School, Family, and Media




AuthorsShi Hui

Edition18th International Pragmatics Conference

Conference nameLanguage, gender and sexuality: theoretical and methodological perspectives

Publishing placeHelsinki

Publication year2023

Book title Abstract book of LangGeSex 2023

Series titleLangGeSex2023 Book of Abstracts

First page 33

Last page34

Number of pages1

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.30761.57449

Web address https://www.helsinki.fi/assets/drupal/2023-10/LangGeSex2023%20Book%20of%20Abstracts.pdf

Self-archived copy’s web addresshttps://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/181329227


Abstract

This presentation will highlight the findings of a monograph investigating Chinese children's language-mediated gender socialization. Approaching gender as a community of practice (Butler 1989; Lave & Wenger 1991; Eckert & McConnell-Ginet 1992), the study focused on three socialization agents: parents, teachers, and the media. The empirical data showed that these agents provide social and institutional platforms, ideological scripts, and linguistic resources for children’s acquisition of gender norms. The study found that the three agents employed different linguistic strategies in gender socialization. Parents transmit gender norms through lexicon and communication style, and children negotiate meanings and their acceptance of linguistic gender norms. Although kindergarten teachers generally fulfill the Ministry of Education's gender equality principles in teaching materials and school activities, they inadvertently distinguish boys and girls through their patterns of verbal interactions, speech length, and allocation of speech acts. Finally, the study analyzed a famous Chinese cartoon's descriptive lines and found that the portrayal of gender stereotypes is thought-provoking. Women's domestic functions and beauty are overemphasized, while their individual thoughts and professional skills are downplayed. In general, kindergarten teachers engage with linguistic gender norm inculcation in the least obvious way. However, the market economy calibrates standards of personal happiness, social roles, and career prospects for men and women, and it also drives and guides artistic creation in the entertainment industry. This study contributes to furthering our understanding of Chinese children's gender socialization through language and highlights the diverse roles of socialization agents in gender norm indoctrination.


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Last updated on 2024-26-11 at 22:59