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Immigrants & New Cultures: Katharina Lefringhausen at TEDxIEUniversityMadrid

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Katharina would like to help us understand why immigrants are not the only ones who benefit from adapting to a new culture. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience.

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Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development

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Gender socialization is the process through which children learn about the social expectations, attitudes and behaviours associated with one's gender. As children attain a sense of their own gender identity (i. e., knowing whether they are a girl or a boy), they pay heightened attention to information related to gender, and especially to same-gender models. This gender awareness, in combination with an early exposure to gender from multiple sources of socialization such as parents, siblings and peers , has immediate consequences on children's attitudes and behaviours toward members of their own and other-gender group. For example, children may favour their own gender in their attitudes (having more positive feelings towards own-group members) and show gender discriminatory behaviours (preferring to interact with members of their own gender only). This gender segregation , may be supported by adults but more often is the choice of children themselves and may become problematic because children need to be able to function in gender-integrated settings (e.g., day care or school). While children develop skills to interact with members of their own gender, their abilities to relate effectively with girls and boys are more limited. Accordingly, it is important to provide young children opportunities to play in mixed-gender groups in order to help them develop positive interpersonal relationships with both boys and girls across a range of settings.
What do we know?
Gender is one of the first social categories children become aware of. By the time they are three years old, they have formed their gender identity. They also begin to learn cultural gender stereotypes: that certain behaviours, activities, toys and interests are typical for boys and girls. Although children play an active role in shaping their gender identity development, their knowledge about gender comes from many sources of socialization, including parents, peers and teachers.

Parents provide children with their first lessons about gender. Although gender-egalitarian attitudes have increased in many cultures over the past decades, parents and especially fathers typically have different expectations for their sons and daughters with regard to personality traits, abilities and activities. Parents' roles inside and outside the family also influence children's conception of gender roles. Nowadays, most women pursue jobs outside of the home, and men are increasingly involved in child care and housework. Interestingly, children who are raised by same-gender parents or who are exposed to father's child care involvement may be less likely to endorse gender stereotypes. In addition, father's participation in domestic duties and/or child care is associated with a lower likelihood of violence toward children. Finally, parents reinforce gender stereotypes when they provide their sons and daughters with different toys, or when they describe general patterns about each gender (e.g., "girls like dolls while boys like football").

Another important way in which children learn about gender is through their interactions with peers. During early childhood, children prefer to play with peers who share similar interests or who they believe share those interests, and thus are more likely to be socialized by their same gender peers. While spending time with their friends, boys and girls learn what is appropriate for one gender or the other. This gender socialization can be direct or indirect. For example, children learn about gender stereotypes through their peers' direct comments (e.g., "long hair is for girls while short hair is for boys") and/or negative reactions when failing to conform to their gender expectations. Likewise, children learn and adopt gender-stereotypical behaviours (boy-typical versus girl-typical behaviours) as they spend more time interacting with members of their own gender.
Teachers/School
In addition to parents and peers, teachers are another source of gender socialization. Similar to parents, teachers have gender expectations, model gender roles, and reinforce gender-stereotypical behaviours in their classrooms. For example, educators may reinforce gender stereotypes by labelling and organizing students in group activities or by creating different activity centres for boys and girls. This gender segregation, in turn highlights gender as a social category and reinforces children's gender stereotypes and avoidance of cross-gender playmates.

Although it is clear that parents, peers and teachers socialize children to think and act in gendered ways, boys' and girls' development is also influenced by biological factors, such as sex hormones, which influences children's preferences for activities. As such, gender's development might be best described as resulting from the interaction between gender socialization and biological factors.
What can be done?
Parents and service providers are encouraged to provide children with a wide range of toys and activities during early childhood. Likewise, it is recommended that parents and teachers create playful environments where children interact positively with both boys and girls. These interactions would help children to develop skills to interact effectively in mixed-gender groups and to gain a better understanding of gender differences and similarities. In fact, parents, educators and practitioners are highly encouraged to pay attention to the stereotypic beliefs children express regarding each gender, as some may foster negative behaviours and attitudes against the other gender. This concern can be addressed by exposing children to counter-stereotypic models (e.g., a female hockey player or a male nurse) and by teaching them that being a girl or boy is more than just looking pretty or acting tough. Indeed, it is recommended that parents and educators discuss and challenge gender stereotypes with children (e.g., 'girls can also be great soccer players'). Yet, while it is recommended to challenge children's gender stereotypes, interventions might be most effective when they make gender less salient as opposed to more salient. Finally, educational policy makers are encouraged to emphasize the importance of co-educational school environments as they promote more gender-egalitarian attitudes and behaviours than all-boys/girls schools.

1. Barker G. 2006. Presented at United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW), in Collaboration with UNICEF, Expert Group Meeting: Elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against the girl child, September 25-28. Florence, Italy: UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre (EGM/DVGC/2006/EP.3). URL: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/egm/elim-disc-viol-girlchild/ExpertPapers/EP.3%20%20%20Barker.pdf . Accessed December 11, 2013

2. Contreras M, Heilman B, Barker G, Singh A, Verma R, Bloomfield J. Bridges to adulthood: Understanding the lifelong influence of men's childhood experiences of violence. Analyzing data from the International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES). Washington, DC: International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) and Rio de Janeiro: Instituto Promundo. April 2012. URL: http://www.promundo.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Bridges-to-Adulthood.pdf . Accessed December 11, 2013

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Gender: early socialization | Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development

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Gender socialization is the process through which children learn about the social expectations, attitudes and behaviours associated with one's gender. As children attain a sense of their own gender identity (i. e., knowing whether they are a girl or a boy), they pay heightened attention to information related to gender, and especially to same-gender models.

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At Winnipeg's Churchill High School, Ronia Arab just looks like a typical student. But at home, she's been fighting with her parents over the "Canadian" way she dresses and carries herself.

"My parents don't like the way I dress," said the 16-year-old. "They want me to be like them, but I don't know anything about their culture."

While her Iraqi family wears traditional Muslim garb - her mother wears the hijab in public and her father wears suits - the Edmonton-born teen is more likely to dress in leggings, boots, T-shirts and cardigans. After numerous fights with her father, Arab left home and has been living in a group home for about a year.

Generation One: Children of immigrants

CBC's Nahlah Ayed and The National travelled to Churchill High School, Ayed's alma mater, to explore the experiences of children born to immigrant parents. Watch the TV piece, titled Generation One, tonight on The National.

Arab is a second-generation Canadian, an academic term that refers to children of families who immigrated to Canada. Like many in this growing segment of the population, she's struggling to reconcile her family's culture with life in Canada.

"In their eyes I'm really bad just because I don't follow the [Iraqi] tradition and lifestyle, but to Canadians I'm just a really nice girl," said Arab.

By 2016, foreign-born youth and Canadian-born youth from immigrant families will make up a quarter of the country's population, according to predictions by the Canadian Council on Social Development. As their numbers grow, more attention is being paid to their successes and failures.

A 'war zone, 24/7'

Research suggests that some, like Arab, face parental criticism at home, while others cope with bullying at school. Several academic papers have also sounded the alarm that many second-generation Canadians, like new immigrants, wind up joining gangs.

Dr. Audrey Kobayashi, a cultural geography professor at Queen's University, said many children of immigrants "feel torn" about their identity.

"Sometimes they express their conflict by asserting their Canadian-ness, other times they express it by talking about how they feel excluded," said Kobayashi. "Those are two sides of the same coin."

At Churchill High, located in Winnipeg's Riverview neighbourhood, the student population is diverse. Principal Michel Chartrand says he's not sure what percentage of the 500 students are the children of immigrants, but numbers are on the rise.

Student Tarek Elmayergi, 16, appears to be a quintessential Canadian student. Popular in the hallways, he became captain of the high school football team this season. But despite appearances, Elmayergi says he still doesn't feel "100 per cent Canadian."

His mother wishes he was even less so. Shirin Farag says she wants Tarek and her four other Canadian-born children to embrace more of their Egyptian, Muslim background. The topic frequently sparks arguments in the family home.

"It's a struggle," says Farag. "It's agony. It's a war zone 24/7."

What is 'Canadian'?

Farag acknowledges she doesn't understand what it's like to grow up as a Canadian teenager, but doesn't want her children to forget the family's heritage.

"I'm not going to turn my back and say 'OK, I'm an Egyptian in Egypt, but here I'm going to become Canadian,'" said Farag. "I can't do that, they can't do that."

Kobayashi says second-generation teens, like the Churchill students, are in the middle of a complex relationship with the Canadian society that features both opportunity and racism, and their parents, who offer guidance but are themselves struggling to deal with cultural change.

This period of being stuck in the middle is, in fact, a "Canadian experience" of its own, Kobayashi said. It's not relegated to those considered by some to be "non-Canadians" or "others."

But getting others to think that way is a challenge, especially in school hallways across the country where even the smallest differences can make a student stick out.

Best of both worlds

Student Sammy Farah, a Grade 8 student with gift for gab, doesn't mind a little extra attention. The Winnipeg-born Somali-Canadian is known by many students for his rapping skills.

"I rap all the time because it calms me down," the 14-year-old said. "It's probably one of my dreams."

The hard part of life, says Farah, is avoiding the "expectations" - what Kobayashi would call "stereotypes" -- that he'll end up involved in crime, drugs and even gangs. He credits his Somali mother, Marian, for keeping him going in the right direction, even though he says she's too strict sometimes.

Farah considers himself a typical student. He wants to finish high school and then go to college where he'd like to study law. Then again, he also enjoys flaunting what makes him unique.

"I also just don't want to be the average person," said Farah. "I want to stick out."

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Children of immigrants caught between 2 cultures

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As the number of youth growing up in immigrant families rises in Canada, that section of the population is coming under more scrutiny. CBC News took a look at the cultural challenges of growing up Canadian in an immigrant home.

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In Eastern cultures, individuals follow a duty based moral-code

Have to follow parental and cultural expectations

Own view are often shadowed by parents

Still, some degree of individualism exists

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It does not apply in a diverse society like Canada.

Individualism alone is impossible to follow

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How children and parents feel about gender sterotypes

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Educators are encouraged to break gender stereotypes in children

Has been very successful

Still, it is observed that girls are more interested in literature than maths or science

But again, it can be a result of socialization

More research is needed

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1. People are born with masculine and feminine career interests
2. People are socialized into adopting gender roles by observing stereotypes and role models