According to a new study published in the journal Science, by the age of 6, girls believe that boys are better suited for “really, really smart” activities- over their own gender. While at age 5 girls see themselves as being just as capable as their male counterparts, by age 6 they begin “perceiving their own gender differently”.
In one test, researchers told the children a story about a person who was “really, really smart”:
  • Leaving out clues about gender, at age 5, boys and girls picked out characters of their own gender but at 6 though boys still picked boys, girls picked boys as well.
For another test, children were assigned an activity labeled as being for “really, really smart kids”:
  • At age 5, both the boys and girls enjoyed the activities equally but by 6 and 7, the girls had lost interest.
Though the blame can be laid at the feet of multiple sources (media, peers, teachers and parents), Madeleine Portwood, a child psychologist in the UK, believes it’s also due to developmental difference at that age. She said, “Gender stereotyping is evident at age 6. … Boys are more likely prone to telling everyone ‘I am smart’ or ‘I am strong’ and constantly require reassurance. Girls are more conciliatory and look at someone else’s point of view. This study raises awareness not to be complacent that we’re raising equality.”

It seems social stereotypes are absorbed so early on that by the time girls become young women and need to make a decision about their future, their minds are made up. Clearly, for their sake, more needs to be done. But exactly how teachers and parents can help will require more research.
In the immediate future, parents and teachers need to remind students of the importance of hard work and effort.

 

Source: CNN