ANDROGYNY AND CHILD-REARING

Question: "What are the implications of androgyny for child-rearing practices?"

"Psychological androgyny" is a term introduced by Sandra Begin 1974, taken from the Greek combining forms for masculine ("andro-") and female ("-gyn"), to define a condition under which humans free themselves from the injunction to adhere rigidly to the role characteristics of their sex. The traditional belief that men are physically, but not verbally, more aggressive than women (Buss, 1963; Maccoby & Jacklin, i974) has been effectively disputed in recent years (Frodi, Macaulay & Theme, 1977; Frodi, 1978). A need remained, however, to document precisely what sex-role differences, if any, exist in expression style.

Rue (1985) found no significant differences between paired husbands and wives surveyed (N=23 couples) on the Anger Self Report, and was therefore unable to correlate any such differences to significant differences which did exist on the Personal Attributes Questionnaire in relation to gender-specific traits similar to those measured on the Bem Sex Role Inventory. While it may be that anger expression is not related to gender role, this explanation does not fit the androgyny model. More likely, Rue's small sample size (N=23 couples), combined with their high level of education (graduate counseling students), skewed the results. FUrther research in this area is warranted.

Anger expression style, as it impacts on discipline and other aspects of family relations, is one important child-rearing consideration for parents of either gender; however, certainly not the only one. Rather than creating a third set of sex or gender role expectations With which psychologically healthy people "should" comply, androgyny is a concept which explicitly involves a flexibility or eclecticism in such roles, as is situationally appropriate. This remains as appropriate to child-rearing as to any other. aspect of life.

REFERENCES

Bem, S.L. (1974). The measurement of psychological androgyny. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 37, 1047-1054.

Buss, A.H. (1963). Instrumentality of aggression, feedback and frustration as determinants of physical aggression. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 3, 153-162.

Frodi, A., Macaulay, J. & Thome, P.R. (1977). Are women always less aggressive than men? A review of the experimental literature. Psychological Bulletin, 84, 4, 634-660.

Frodi, A. (1978). Experimental and physiological responses associated with anger and aggression in women and men. Journal of Research in Personality, 12, 3, 335-339.

Maccoby, E.E. & Jacklin, C.N. (1974). The Psychology of Sex Differences, Stanford, California: Stanford University Press.

Rue, T.S. (1985). Gender Differences in Levels of Androgyny as Reflected in Styles of Expression of Anger in Marital Relationships, unpublished masters thesis, Lawrenceville, New Jersey: Rider College, Graduate Division of Counselor Education.

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Thomas S. Rue, MA, NCC
December 30, 1991

Psychological and Quantitative Foundations 7P:109
The University of Iowa - College of Education
Socialization of the School Age Child - Assignment #6

Thomas Rue 1991-1993.
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