Argues that children have much to gain and little to lose from an increase in the number of female main characters in stories, from increased portrayal of nonstereotyped role models in stories, and from the use of female-inclusive language in reading materials. (Author/MP)

The literature on children's acquisition of sex-typed knowledge, preference, and behavior is reviewed, and a matrix of sex-typing constructs and sex-typed content areas is offered. Two major themes are discussed. The first theme concerns the importance of activities, interests, and peer associations in the early acquisition of sex-typing…

Analysis of 232 elementary school children's questions posed to nontraditional workers reveals that gender schemata are important aspects of a child's thought processes. Common characteristics of their questions are identified. Boys and girls fill part of their gender schema with like kinds of information about what is gender-appropriate behavior.…

Examined gender differences in 514 children's competence and value beliefs from first through twelfth grade, and the relation of these trends to initial differences in parents' perceptions of children's ability. Found that gender differences in competence and value beliefs related to sports and mathematics. Gender differences in competence beliefs…

Examined whether 6- and 11-year-olds' beliefs about job status and job interests are affected by gendered nature of jobs. Found that children gave higher status ratings to masculine jobs and expressed greater interest in jobs culturally associated with their own sex. Older children rated novel jobs portrayed with males as having higher status than…

This article reports a study in which a sample of 89 White and 34 Spanish-language heritage children from ages 2 1/2 to 6 1/2 from the lower- and middle-classes responded to two cognitive measures (classification skill and gender knowledge), three verbal sex-typing measures (occupations, toys, and peer behaviors), and a behavioral sex-typing…

This book seeks to explain how gender affects human development from infancy through adolescence and into adulthood. The book's introduction states the two theses of the book: first, gender differences appear primarily in group, or social, contexts; and second, gender differentiation can be understood only in a developmental context--the sexes…