Gender identity at an early age. Gender identification. Features of the identification process
Gender identity disorder in children(previously transsexualism) is a psychosexual deviation, manifested in the child's rejection of his biological sex. The child often shows a desire to belong to opposite sex or convinced that he belongs to him. He is dissatisfied with the sex, his anatomical features and gender roles accepted in society.
The disorder develops at the age of 3-5 years, less often in the lower grades of school, but always before adolescence. It is characterized by the persistence of symptoms - that is, the child behaves like a member of the opposite sex every day for several months or years.
There are no exact statistics for this deviation, since not all parents turn to a specialist when symptoms appear. A study conducted in the Scandinavian countries found that the frequency of this deviation is 1:11,000 among boys and 1:30,000 among girls. As you can see, boys are diagnosed with this diagnosis 3 times more often than girls. However, this ratio is explained not only by the peculiarity of the male psyche, but by the loyal attitude of parents and society to the fact that the girl behaves “like a man”.
In modern psychiatry, there is debate whether gender identity disorder can be considered a mental disorder. According to medical criteria, a mental disorder causes mental suffering to the patient himself or disrupts his ability to adapt to reality. This condition does not meet these criteria. Because suffering occurs only if others try to convince the child about his beliefs regarding gender. Otherwise, his mental and physical development does not differ from other children. In this regard, in some European countries such people are called the middle sex, and their rights are enshrined at the legislative level.
Causes
The probable cause of gender identity disorder is considered to be hormonal abnormalities in the mother during pregnancy. So diseases of the adrenal glands can cause a violation of testosterone levels, which affects the development of the fetus. However, recent studies confirm that one of the leading roles is played by psychological factors.
Organic causes:
- pathology of the temporal lobes of the brain;
- deficiency or excess of testosterone;
- epilepsy;
- schizophrenia (however, in this case, other symptoms characteristic of this disease also appear: paranoia, delusions, hallucinations).
Psychological reasons:
- Child abuse. After the experience of violence, the child may develop the idea that his parents would have treated him better if he had been of the opposite sex.
- Lack of attention from parents. Cross-dressing and demonstrative behavior may be an attempt to attract attention, cause strong emotions in parents. Such a manner of drawing attention to oneself can manifest itself in self-centered demanding children.
- Education in an incomplete family. For the formation of gender identification, the child must see a model of behavior of a representative of his gender. For boys, this may be a father, grandfather, or another man from his environment. The absence of a positive example of one's gender with which a child can identify can disrupt gender identity.
- Difficult relationship between parents. For example, a child regularly witnesses family conflicts and sees how a parent of the same sex is humiliated. In this case, he may form an attitude that the opposite sex is better and stronger.
- Excessive attachment to a parent of the opposite sex. Strong love and affection makes the child want to resemble the object of adoration in everything and imitate even in small things.
- Dissatisfaction with the sex of the child. For example, this happens in families where parents wanted a boy, but a girl was born. One or both parents do not hesitate to declare this and strive to raise her as a son. They buy clothes and toys for boys, bring up masculine qualities in them.
- The indifference of parents to the manifestation of traits opposite to the given sex by the child. In some families, this behavior is even encouraged. For example, parents like that a girl grows up to be a tomboy, or perceive dressing a boy as a funny joke.
- Emphasizing in the child the features characteristic of the opposite sex. For example, parents often admire the boy's good looks, take excessive care of his appearance, and take part in children's beauty contests. Preparing for power sports, where it is necessary to show strength and endurance, is harmful for a girl.
It should be noted that due to the fact that such a disorder is rare, it is not yet well understood. Therefore, the exact cause of its development can rarely be established.
Symptoms
With gender identity disorder, the child feels that he was born in the body of the wrong sex. For example, a child feels like a girl, but everyone tells him the opposite. This causes him bewilderment, and then protest or depression.
Parents can identify the disorder by the characteristics of the child's behavior.
For boys:
- They show a strong desire to be like a girl, mother, sister. They put on women's clothing or simulate women's outfits with the help of improvised means.
- They do not accept their sexual organs, considering them disgusting. They say that with age they will disappear.
- They express regret that they were not born girls.
- They convince others of their belonging to the female sex - "when I grow up, I will be a woman."
- Prefers the company of girls and women, even if there are boys of the same age.
- They try to imitate girls, adopt their demeanor;
- They choose games that are typical for girls: daughters, mothers, princesses, witches. At the same time, typically boyish games and toys are rejected.
- The character is dominated by delicacy, sensitivity, softness.
- At school age, there is no sexual interest in the opposite sex, there is no childish love. All girls are perceived only as playmates or rivals.
For girls:
- They show a feeling of discomfort from the need to live in the body of a girl. In adolescence, they seek to avoid changes that occur with the body - they rewind the chest, lose weight so that roundness does not appear in the hips and abdomen.
- They are said to have or will have a penis and secondary male characteristics.
- They say that they are male or when they grow up they will become men.
- They show strong affection for their father, adopt his manner of behaving, try to imitate him.
- They prefer the company of boys even in the presence of girls of the same age.
- Refuses to urinate in a sitting position;
- Prefers sports and active games. They do not like to play games typical for girls.
- Dress in boys' clothes, never skirts or dresses.
- Do not show sexual interest in the opposite sex at school age.
Both girls and boys with such disorders do not suffer from their beliefs and do not perceive their condition as a disease or deviation. Problems arise only if others show a negative reaction to their behavior. Concerning more pressure experienced by boys, as girls' masculine behavior is considered more socially acceptable.
It should be noted that in preschool children, the single or occasionally appearing symptoms described above cannot indicate a disorder. Children learn gender-role behavior during the first years of their lives. During this period, they necessarily commit acts inherent in the opposite sex. While playing, children younger age often do not pay attention to gender stereotypes, as they have an inherent desire to try out new roles.
Not indicative of gender identity disorder
- The desire to belong to the opposite sex, which is associated with specific privileges. For example: “I want to be a girl, everyone pities and protects them” or “I want to be a boy, they can climb trees and walk until late.”
- The child agrees to take part in games that are characteristic of the opposite sex, imposed by peers. He strives to communicate and become part of the company.
- During the game, he can wear clothes of the opposite sex. Predilection for bright beautiful things is typical for children of both sexes. It is enough to gently explain to the child that it is not necessary to do this and offer him something in return.
Also, gender identity disorders do not include cases associated with genetic abnormalities, when the child has signs of both sexes.
Diagnostics
The diagnosis of “gender identity disorder in children” according to the ICD-10 criteria is made if a child who has not reached puberty has persistently manifested deviations in gender-role behavior for more than 6 months.
For boys:
- Discomfort caused by belonging to the male sex.
- Strong desire to be a girl.
- Frequent statements about belonging to the female sex.
- One of two symptoms:
- female model of behavior, wearing women's clothes, active participation in the games and hobbies of girls, while rejecting society, toys and games of boys;
- rejection of one's sexual organs: disgust for them, wishing they were gone, saying that despite having them, she would grow up to be a woman.
For girls:
- Discomfort caused by belonging to the female sex.
- Statements that it would be better to be born a boy (not related to the sociocultural superiority of boys).
- Claims that she is male or will become a male when she grows up.
- One of two symptoms:
- aversion to women's clothing, a strong desire to wear men's clothes and accessories;
- rejection of female sexual characteristics, unwillingness to grow breasts, menstruation, claims that she has (or will have in the future) a male penis.
Treatment
The treatment for gender identity disorder is psychotherapy. Medical treatment rarely prescribed. Hormonal drugs are not used, since in children this condition is not associated with impaired work endocrine glands. In the event that the disorder is caused by epilepsy, then anticolvulsants are prescribed.
In the EU and the US, medical standards allow prescribing hormonal treatment to children to inhibit the development of secondary sexual characteristics and form their "desired" sex. In the CIS countries, this is not practiced, since it is believed that in adolescence a significant proportion of children get rid of the disorder under the influence of hormonal changes.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy for young and middle children school age carried out with their consent. Treatment is started if the child himself shows a desire to get rid of the disorder. If he is against, then they confine themselves to explanations within the framework of rational psychotherapy.
In any case, the work of the psychiatrist and psychologist will also be aimed at solving related problems. For example, they conduct trainings to help the child achieve emotional stability, aimed at reducing feelings of depression, anxiety, developing communication skills and eliminating conflicts with peers.
- Rational psychotherapy
This direction is based on persuasion and re-education. On the individual lessons the psychotherapist in a form accessible to the child talks about the differences between the sexes and their meaning, the role of men and women in society. He pays special attention to the advantages and opportunities that the natural sex of the child gives and will give in the future. The child is taught what actions are considered right for his gender and age, and what actions should be avoided and why.
- Cognitive Psychotherapy
The work of a psychotherapist is aimed at changing the child's thoughts regarding his body and gender. The child is formed the correct concept of his own body, the importance of all his organs, the importance and privileges of his natural sex. Sexuality education provided in an accessible and interesting to the child form, has a strong influence on its identification. And the younger the child, the stronger the influence of the psychotherapist, because in preschool age beliefs determine his behavior.
- gaming psychotherapy
During the game, situations are simulated in which the child must behave according to his natural sex, while showing all the best qualities inherent in the representatives of this sex. For example, the game "Superman Saves the Planet" or "Princess in a Magic Garden".
- Family psychotherapy
At consultations, the question is decided how to behave with the child, accept his position or convince him, whether to inform others about the disorder. Parents are also taught how to cope with anxiety or rejection caused by the child's behavior. They are explained how it is necessary to adjust their behavior and the style of relationships in the family in order to change the child's attitude towards their gender.
- Hypnotherapy
Treatment of the disorder with hypnosis should be carried out by a psychotherapist who has the appropriate training. As a rule, parents are also present at the sessions. A child in a state of hypnotic sleep is given a hypnotic suggestion. It can take the form of short, understandable formulas: “I like that I am a boy. I accept my body." Suggestion can be in the form of specially composed fairy tales, the essence of which is to convince the child that he is comfortable in his body.
Psychiatrists have established a pattern that the younger the child, the more successful the treatment. In this regard, parents are advised not to ignore the signs of the disorder, but to correct the child when denying his natural sex, to actively engage in the prevention of the disorder at home. If the symptoms persist for more than 6 months, then it is necessary to contact a child psychiatrist.
Possible consequences
Children and adolescents with this disorder often have behavioral and emotional problems. They are caused by the fact that the child suffers from a discrepancy between the sex with which he was born and his ideas about himself. Problems are greatly exacerbated by peer and adult pressure, ridicule, or physical aggression.
The most common consequence is depression. In children, it can manifest itself as a refusal to eat and other activities that previously aroused interest, tearfulness, irritability, negativism, isolation, insomnia, nightmares.
Among those who have the disorder in adulthood, in 14% of cases, a tendency to homosexuality is formed.
Lack of support, constant reproaches from parents, and bullying by peers can lead to suicide attempts.
Prevention
Prevention of gender identity disorders should be dealt with by parents from the first years of a child's life. The actions of parents should be aimed at teaching the child to accept his body and his gender naturally and calmly.
- A positive example of the behavior of their gender. A boy should know how men behave. It is good if the father demonstrates such a model of behavior. Even if the parents are divorced, the mother should speak approvingly of him, set as an example his actions. In single-parent families, a role model can also be chosen among acquaintances or characters.
- Warm relationship between parents. When a child sees admiration or approval for a parent of the same sex, he forms the attitude “It's good to be a boy, like dad. Mom praises him.
- Taking care of your body. It is desirable that the example is set by a parent of the same sex as the child. Care includes not only hygiene, but also physical exercise choice of clothing, etc.
- Frank and calm conversations with the child on any topic, including the relationship between the sexes and procreation. "Forbidden" topics and the formation of false shame in matters of gender can contribute to the development of the disorder.
- Explain to the child what behavior is considered unacceptable for his gender. If parents notice behavior that does not correspond to the sex of the child, then this must be indicated: “Boys behave differently. You are a boy!"
- P switching attention child in the event that the games do not correspond to the gender role. Distraction to something interesting is much more effective than a hard ban.
- Getting to know your body. Starting from the age of two, children examine their body, including the genitals, while undressing and bathing, while asking questions. Parents should calmly and kindly answer these questions, and not shame the child. Reaction “Don't touch! Don't look! Don't ask!", especially from a parent of the opposite sex, leads to the fact that the child perceives his genitals as something disgusting, which can later lead to a gender identity disorder.
In conclusion, we want to reassure parents. A study conducted by Australian researchers in 1995 found that most children resolve this disorder on their own by adolescence or adolescence, and only a few experience its manifestations in adulthood. This is also supported by the fact that among the interviewed adult transvestites and transgenders, there are rarely those who had gender identity disorder in childhood.
The Influence of Family Composition on the Formation of Gender Identification in Preschool Children
Introduction
Chapter 1. title
1 The concept of gender identity.
2 Mental differences between boys and girls.
3 The concept of the family, types of family, the influence of the family on mental development.
Chapter 2
1 The study of masculine and feminine character traits in preschool children.
2 Comparative analysis manifestations of character traits, based on the completeness of the family.
Conclusion
Literature
Introduction
The problem of the formation of gender identity is relevant and fairly new in developmental psychology. In childhood, a person develops self-awareness, assimilates moral and social norms. Gender is the first category in which the child conceives of himself as an individual. The development of a child as a representative of the male or female sex can be complete due to his relationship with adults - parents and other people. Therefore, the sexual and social development of the child are closely interconnected. Awareness and acceptance by the child of a pile of gender occurs in accordance with his own definitions of masculinity and femininity. This leads to the formation of gender identity. An important component of gender identity is the child's assimilation and acceptance of his gender role. Role expectations of parents have a strong influence on the development of the sexual consciousness of the child. When significant adults communicate with a boy as a girl, his sexual consciousness is disturbed. And vice versa, when the boy begins to communicate as with a man, the process of his gender identity will proceed more successfully. Normal gender-role development of children requires the presence of both female and male models. Simultaneous perception of both parental roles implies their comparison, awareness of not only the opposite of each of them, but also the need for unity. Understanding the facts of the formation of gender identity in childhood will help a differentiated approach in the education of boys and girls, prevent violations of the process of gender identification, the feminization of men and the masculinization of women. The task of studying the dynamics of the formation of gender identity and the facts that influence its development becomes topical.
Purpose: to determine the influence of family composition on gender identification.
1.study the psychological and pedagogical literature on the problem. 2.identify a sample of children to study. .develop a diagnosis of masculine and feminine character traits. .conduct this diagnosis with preschool children. .reveal the influence of family composition on the formation of gender identity. Hypothesis: we assume that family composition affects the formation of masculine and feminine character traits in preschool children. Subject of study: gender identity. Object of study: children from a complete family: Ivanov Pavel Anatolyevich Karpovich Dmitry Vasilievich Grinkevich Diana Mikhailovna Sushko Svetlana Vladimirovna Khmara Artem Grigorievich children from incomplete family: Borichevsky Andrey Andreevich Simonovich Yulia Nikolaevna Glushko Denis Romanovich Ageeva Ksenia Sergeevna Kozlov Stanislav Nikolaevich Chapter 1 1 The concept of gender identity Gender identification (along with a name, a claim to a name, being in the past, present and future) is an integral historically formed structure of self-consciousness. V. S. Mukhina. An obvious basis for distinguishing groups of people is gender. Anatomical differences, already evident at birth, increase from childhood to adulthood. In parallel with the anatomical development, a “I-image” is formed, specific for each gender and often defined using the concept of “psychological gender”. Psychological sex - a set of definitions of sexual identity, i.e. sense and awareness of their gender. The manifestation of a set of characteristics of a particular sex can be defined through the concept of femininity (a set of properties and qualities that belong to the female sex) and masculine (a set of properties and qualities that belong to the male sex). As a result of the process of gender identification, the gender is biologically given in the course of the socialization of gender, the formation of gender identity and gender-role orientations and patterns of behavior corresponding to a given culture. Gender identification - identification of oneself with representatives of a certain gender, experiencing oneself as a boy or girl, manifested in the unity of behavior and self-awareness of an individual who classifies himself as a certain gender and is guided by the requirements of the corresponding gender role. Thus, the concept of "gender identity" includes: · identification of one's "I" with someone else's, taken as a "sample" or "standard" (borrowing a manner of behavior and a kind of personality traits); · attachment to the object with which the individual identifies himself, "getting used" to the image and readiness for emotional empathy; · comparative ease of identification through the use of ready-made behavioral and emotional stereotypes; · the need for recognition of an individual's belonging to a given gender by other individuals. Normally, sexual identification proceeds naturally and does not require the activity of consciousness. Gender identification acquires a psychological meaning for a person only when it is included in its activities, especially in joint activities with others. The formation of gender roles and gender identity occurs through identification with parents. At the initial stages of gender-role development, three processes of gender identification are distinguished: 1.the child learns that there are two sexes; 2.it includes itself in one of the categories; .on the basis of self-determination, he controls his behavior, choosing and subordinating its forms. Primary gender identity, i.e. knowledge of one's gender is usually formed by the age of 1.5 and is the most stable, pivotal element of self-awareness. A two-year-old child knows his gender, but does not yet know how to substantiate his conclusion. He is often unable to clearly determine the sex of the child in a photograph depicting him (her) himself; this ability is manifested only by 2.5 years. At the age of 2 or 3 years, children have an understanding of the role of the sexes, the external manifestations of belonging to the male and female sex of both members of their own family and other people. At first, the child is guided by separate, random signs such as "mom doesn't smoke a pipe" or "dad doesn't paint his lips". However, a toddler understands more than he can put into words. The ability to distinguish the gender of people develops in the process of observing the various forms of behavior of others. Gender self-identification, i.e. awareness of oneself as a male or female being, is finally formed by about 3 years of age. This is probably facilitated by the acquisition of speech skills that allow the child to identify himself in a new capacity and show his ability to correctly determine gender, using pronouns like "he" or "she" in relation to other people. By the age of 3-4, the child clearly distinguishes the gender of the people around him, but often associates it with random external signs, such as clothes and haircuts, and admits a fundamental reversibility, the possibility of changing sex. By this age, children identify themselves with representatives of their gender: “I am a boy”, “I am a girl”. Gender is associated with certain somatic (body image, including genitals) and behavioral properties, but the significance attributed to them and the ratio of such features may be different. Younger preschoolers still assume that, growing up, they can become persons of the opposite sex. Until the age of 5-6, they often do not understand that gender cannot be changed like clothes, hairstyle or occupation (some children think that if you put on a dress for a boy, he will turn into a girl). A preschooler may well ask his father who he was - a boy or a girl when he was little. At the age of 6-7, children finally realize the irreversibility of gender, they reach a stage that can be called "sex constancy". The concept and assimilation by an individual of a certain gender role gives him a gender identity, with which gender-role self-awareness and gender-role self-awareness are further correlated. A person belongs to a certain social group, where he performs his specific role. In reality, each person performs not one, but several social roles. A number of roles are assigned to a person at birth (for example: to be a man or a woman), others are acquired during life. However, the role itself does not determine the activity and behavior of each of its carriers in detail: everything depends on how much the individual learns the role. One of the varieties of roles is the gender role. As I.S.Kon points out, a gender role is a normative prescription associated with belonging to a certain gender, the fulfillment of which ensures male or female status. There is an opinion that the requirement to be a man or a woman determines only one gender role. The gender roles of men and women are distinguished by the nature of the activity (service, raising children, housework, leisure activities). The separation of roles occurs during childhood, which includes games typical of children of different sexes and other differences between boys and girls. Sex roles can be explained from three positions: biological, social and structural. The biological position suggests that roles are determined in the process of human maturation, and this reflects the genetic differences between boys and girls. The social position attaches the main importance to the influence of the views and values acquired in childhood, as well as to the processes that determine the impact on the child of external factors and the perception of gender-specific information. The structural approach is based on the recognition that social structures are reflected in the attitudes and behavior of people, and therefore it is believed that men and women adapt to the impact of culture rather than internalize it. In the process of assimilation of sex roles, there are ideas about a woman and a man that have developed in a given culture. At the level of culture, gender roles exist in the context of a system of gender symbolism and stereotypes of masculinity and femininity. The concept and assimilation of a certain gender role by a person gives him a gender identity, with which the self-awareness of the individual and the properties of his behavior are correlated. At preschool age, the active assimilation of sex roles by children begins, their awareness of the irreversibility of sex, the adoption of norms of gender-role behavior. In general, the main source of assimilation of sex roles by children is the way of life of adults. The more clearly these roles are highlighted, and the more they are satisfied, the better for the child. The manifestation of the types of behavior, roles, personality characteristics that make up the cultural definitions of masculinity and femininity are complex and diverse. In this sense, boys are in a less favorable situation than girls. A mother traditionally spends more time with a small child than a father. In this regard, both for the girl and for the boy, identification with the mother, that is, feminine, is primary. In terms of the formation of gender identity, boys have a more difficult task to solve: to change the initial female identification to a male one along the lines of significant adult men and cultural standards of masculinity. However, the solution of this problem is complicated by the fact that practically everyone with whom the child comes into close contact in the living environment (kindergarten teachers, doctors, teachers) are women. As a result, boys are far less aware of male gender role behavior than female gender. The correct sexual identity of the child is an important vital problem of mastering his own civil sex. To do this, in society there are social norms that regulate the activities of representatives of one sex or another. Masculinities and femininities accepted in a given society serve as means of assigning sex roles. These are ideas about how men and women should differ in their physical and mental properties. Gender roles and normative representations have a social origin. Their content is determined by the conditions of society and may vary in different cultures. Boys and girls from preschool age live in different cultural worlds. Boys are less free to cross gender boundaries. Many of their interactions with girls are designed to reinforce these boundaries and can be seen as a manifestation of male power. Sex roles are characterized by two types of contradictions: in girls, between traditional and modern role; in boys, between the adolescent role based on physical superiority and the more mundane role of the adult male. Thus, during the preschool age, a gender-role self-awareness is formed in a child - this is a system of knowledge, personal meanings and meanings that simultaneously form a person's experience of himself as a representative of the sex. The psychological characteristics of the sex of preschoolers are manifested: · in the specifics of the behavior and activities of children; · in communication with adults; · in the influence of other people's assessments; · in understanding the personality of another person; interests of girls and boys, etc. 1.2 Mental differences between boys and girls gender identity mental family In preschool childhood, gender-role development has its own dynamics. In the younger groups of the kindergarten, the communication of children is predominantly mixed. With the transition to older groups, the type of communication of children changes, it differentiates, becomes more "male" or "female". There are two structures in the team - the structure of boys and girls. Girls' communication is selective, game associations are more stable than boys'. Their choice in games and communication is so constant that it does not even change for 2-3 years. The younger the girls, the more numerous game associations they create, but by senior group a female type of communication is formed (communication is paired and emotionally intimate in content). Among girls, conflicts arise more often, they are more concerned about disagreements than boys. In the group, girls are more satisfied than boys with communication with their peers: they get more choices, including mutual ones. Boys' forms of communication differ in the following features: they prefer games and communication with peers of the same sex, create more numerous play associations, but these associations are less stable. Boys and girls often cannot play together. They often show, especially girls, alertness to the other sex, excitement when contacts are needed. Boys are not always satisfied with relationships with their peers of the same sex. The emotional atmosphere of the team created around boys and girls is different. For girls, the atmosphere is more favorable. They receive more positive ratings, they are more often praised, they are more active and accurate. Adult assessments create more comfortable conditions for them. The comfort ("approximation") of girls in comparison with the willfulness of boys often lies in the fact that in conflicts between them, the teacher more often takes the side of girls. Naturally, boys make more noise. Many violations of discipline are related to the nature of their activities. They are less inclined to adhere to the established framework, boundaries, more often they cross them. And not from a conscious desire to violate something or disrespect for elders, but from the desire inherent in males for active, transformative activity. Under conditions of strict regulation, these features can lead to violations of the norms of behavior. Differences between boys and girls are also manifested in the fact that girls are more likely to turn to elders. In identical situations, girls are more likely to complain about boys than boys about girls. In all age periods, girls are characterized by greater stability in the understanding of their peers. The predominance of empathy in girls can be explained by maternal instinct, innate programs of parental behavior. Boys, on the other hand, have less ability to understand another person, the meaning of the motives of his behavior. Boys have a wider range of interests than girls. As a result, boys have more vocabulary. At the same time, girls are prone to subject-evaluative speech (nouns, adjectives, denials and confirmations). They are more often interested in their appearance, they are more sensitive. Boys' interests are focused on technology, competition games, building, paramilitary games, in which one can realize one's leadership abilities, the need for physical activity. 1.3 The concept of the family, types of family, the influence of the family on mental development A family is a community of people based on a single family-wide activity, connected by ties of matrimony-parenthood-kinship, and thereby carrying out the reproduction of the population and the continuity of family generations, as well as the socialization of children and the maintenance of the existence of family members. The family is the first cell in which a child enters from birth. The period from birth to six years is characterized by the strongest dependence on parents. A child, imitating an adult, forms certain personal qualities, criteria for evaluating himself and others. Parents are significant adults for a child. Relationship style is established. The child must understand his importance in the family, i.e. what is it for, does it bring joy. For mental health, the child needs the same requirements of all adults. Friendly attitude, do not intimidate, beat, insult, etc. The formation of the child's psyche is influenced by the completeness of the family and the number of family members. In the family, the presence of grandparents contributes to a better understanding by children that parents are in charge. The number of children also matters. 3 children - teaches relationships between people, communication on equal terms, conflict resolution. The older children are raising the younger ones. The greatest influence in education is exerted by children, whose age difference is approximately 7 years. The family is one of the most important and influential factors in the socialization of a child. Therefore, the family conditions of upbringing, the social status of the family, the occupation of its members, the material support and the level of education of the parents, to a large extent predetermines life path child. In addition to the conscious, full-fledged and purposeful upbringing that parents give, the whole family atmosphere affects the child, and the effect of this influence accumulates with age, refracting in the personality structure. Features of the child's interaction with parents, the degree of their responsiveness, the presence of emotional ties and attachment relationships have an impact throughout the entire period of childhood, and in later life, are a kind of standard for building his relationships with other people. That is why it is so important that every child has both a father and a mother. But what if there is only one parent in the family? What are the socio-psychological consequences of the educational influence of such a family on the formation of the child's personality? The answers to these questions do not lie on the surface, as it might seem at first glance. However, much in the mental development and personal development of a child depends not only on the presence of one or two parents. It is fundamentally important how the relationship develops between the child and the parent with whom he lives, and in what form relations are maintained with the parent who, for one reason or another, cannot live with the family. Child psychologists who study the problems of family education note that a complete family in itself does not guarantee success in raising a child, but only creates the prerequisites for the successful formation of his personality. However, growing up in an incomplete family is fraught with a number of difficulties that every single parent will have to face sooner or later. What is an incomplete family and what are its varieties? Traditionally, it is considered that such a family is called incomplete, which consists of one parent with one or more minor children. Psychologists single out an additional category of incomplete families - these are the so-called functionally incomplete families, where both parents are present, but due to professional or other circumstances they leave little time for the family, or even forget about their educational functions. An incomplete family is formed, as a rule, as a result of the dissolution of a marriage, the birth of a child out of wedlock, the death of one of the parents or their separation. In this regard, the following types of single-parent families are distinguished: · Orphaned; · Extramarital; · divorced; · Decayed. Violation of the structure, and, consequently, the completeness of the functioning of the family entails the restriction and distortion of the development of the personality of children. Despite the fact that in any incomplete family there are no objective conditions for the full development of the child, each of its varieties is distinguished by its psychological characteristics, which leave their mark on the development of the personality of children brought up in such families. In the conditions of modern reality, an incomplete family in most cases consists of a mother with a child or several children, that is, it is essentially maternal. In this regard, we will consider the features of mother-child relations and their influence on the nature of the psychological and personal development of the child. From time immemorial, the parental home has been called the stepfather, this expression has a deep meaning that determines the important role of the father in the upbringing and shaping of the child's personality. Modern psychological researchers have proved that the absence of not just a father in the family, but, above all, a man, is an important prerequisite for deviations in the child's mental development. The lack of male influence in incomplete families manifests itself in the form of: · Violation of the development of the intellectual sphere (the mathematical, analytical and spatial abilities of the child suffer due to the development of verbal abilities); · There is not enough clear implementation of the process of gender identification of boys and girls; · Difficulties in teaching adolescents communication skills with members of the opposite sex; · The formation of excessive, pathological attachment to the mother, since there is no family member who could "tear" the child from the mother, bring him to a wider world. For the full development of the child's intellect, it is very important that in his environment, starting from early childhood, both types of thinking meet: both male and female. The absence of a father in the family, whatever it is connected with, negatively affects the development of intellectual abilities, both boys and girls. Assimilation by a child of female or male models of behavior occurs under the influence of parents. Adults consciously or unconsciously teach the child his sexual role. In accordance with social traditions, they guide him in what it means to be a boy or a girl. Parents of boys more often than girls forgive the manifestation of aggressiveness and encourage their activity and initiative. Girls are expected to be sincere, sensitive and emotional. Under the guidance of adults, through imitation, the child begins to learn to be a boy or a girl. His position as a boy (girl) determines his orientation in the choice of games, interests, dreams. Orientation of the child to the values of his gender primarily occurs in the family. Here much depends on traditions. So, a boy, even the smallest one, is usually told: “Don't cry, you're not a girl. You are a man". And he learns to hold back his tears. His father and elder brother agree with him: "We are men." The child learns to hold back his tears, is proud that he belongs to the category of men. The girl is instructed: “Don't fight. Do not climb trees and fences. You are a girl." And the minx has to curb herself, because she is a girl. In the family, children predominantly imitate those relatives who are representatives of the same sex as the child himself. In a complete family, the child is guided by his parents, and, as a rule, boys - on the father, and girls - on the mother. The boy argues his choice of father by the fact that he is also a man and should be like men. At the same time, he expresses admiration for the male virtues of his father. The girl argues her choice of mother by the fact that she is also a woman and should be like women, and expresses admiration for the feminine virtues of her mother. Models of male and female behavior enter the structure of the child's self-awareness, primarily through the direct manifestations of the older generation of men and women. The child imitates everything: both useful forms of behavior that represent a person from the best side, and the negative stereotypical behavior of adults, which is bad habit(swearing, smoking, etc.) The child copies his relatives, especially trying to resemble the parent of his own sex in everything. A child's awareness of his gender is of decisive importance for the development of his personality. The child develops a sense of identity with other members of his gender and the desire to maintain the "prestige" of his gender, emphasizing his masculine and feminine essence. This feeling should be supported, as it determines the usefulness of the development of his personality. The child begins to take on the role of his gender early. This affects his relationship with members of the opposite sex. In this regard, the behavior of the child with adults is interesting. Boys try to behave "like men" with their mothers, aunts, older sisters. Girls, in turn, behave differently with older men than with women: they are often more shy and flirtatious in the presence of men they like. At preschool age, children color relationships with adults with the specifics of their sex role. The reactions of an adult to these manifestations confirm the child in the correct style of his behavior or make corrections or stop this or that behavior. Different cultures traditionally have their own style of male and female behavior. A child belonging to a certain culture appropriates the style of his gender at an age when he does not yet realize what his style means. At preschool age, differences arise and develop in the orientation of interests in communication between boys and girls, a benevolent predilection for children of the same sex is revealed: a boy more often chooses boys, and a girl chooses girls. Self-awareness and awareness of oneself as a boy, a man or as a girl, a woman develops. The influence of a mother on a son in an incomplete family: 1.a female type of psychological qualities and interests is formed, a lack of interest in learning; 2.affects the development of personality and self-awareness; .it is more difficult to develop the ability to sympathize, to control one's behavior; .there are difficulties in assimilation of an adequate sexual role. The influence of a mother on a daughter in an incomplete family: 1.distrust of the entire male gender; 2.the formation of intersexual communication skills is complicated, which will subsequently negatively affect personal and family life. Maternal abilities are almost the most sensual "organ" in relation to the lack of male education. The underdevelopment of these abilities is directly related to the lack of the intellectual environment that a man creates in the family. The first two years of life are especially significant in the development of the child's intellectual abilities. Therefore, it is very important at what age the child was deprived of the opportunity to experience the influence of both parents, who are for him the first source of the necessary life experience. The presence of a man in the family affects not only the nature of the mental development of children, but also the formation of their interest in learning. It was noted that the more often a boy is with his father, the better he learns, and this dependence is noted even with equal abilities. A fit, active, success-oriented father arouses in his son the desire to correspond to this image. At the same time, the opinion of the father regarding the knowledge of academic success can also have a negative impact on the child's attitude to learning. The above examples of the influence of the father on the mental development of the child and academic performance do not indicate the presence of any rigid mechanisms, causal relationships. Here we are talking about the most common trends. It is known that the development of intelligence is primarily influenced by heredity, the social environment and the child's own experience. History knows many examples of when children who grew up without a father were distinguished by outstanding intellectual abilities. Important psychological problem associated with the upbringing of a child in an incomplete family is a violation of gender identity, the lack of skills in gender-role behavior. The loss or lack of formation of a sense of sex gives rise to profound changes in the entire personality of a person. In the development of specific sexual psychological qualities of men and women, a huge role belongs to the father. Already in the first months of a child's life, the father plays differently with the boy and the girl, thereby beginning to form their gender identity. The first five years of life play a role in the development of masculine traits in boys and in the establishment of future heterosexual relationships in girls. Therefore, the longer during this period the child will have to live without a father and no other man will serve as an effective substitute for him, the more serious the gender identity can turn out to be. Children most successfully learn this or that psychosocial role at preschool age: boys at the age of 5-7, in girls this period is more blurred 3-8. Under the influence of parents, by the age of 3-6, the child develops an idea of belonging to a certain gender, which extremely strongly influences the entire further course of the formation of his personality as a man or woman. Boys brought up only by their mothers develop feminine character traits, such as verbal aggressiveness, a preference for games and activities traditionally characteristic of girls, or, conversely, the development of "compensatory masculinity", which is characterized by a combination of exaggerated male behavior with a dependent character. The father also plays an important role in the development of the girl. For her, he is the number one man, his features, behavioral patterns, nuances of relationships are sometimes remembered at an unconscious level and become a model to which all types of relationships between a woman and a man will subsequently be attracted. The lack of male influence in the course of a girl's growing up significantly complicates her development as a future woman, complicates the formation of intersexual communication skills in her, which will subsequently negatively affect her personal and family life. The absence of a father in the family or a person replacing him affects the development of the personality of the boys' male self-awareness. Deprived in childhood of the opportunity of sufficient communication with their father, boys subsequently often do not know how to fulfill their fatherly duties and, thus, negatively affect the personal development of their children. Boys brought up without a father either adopt a female type of behavior, or they develop a distorted idea of male behavior as antagonistically opposite to female. In both cases, there is a vulgarized idea of male behavior as aggressive, rude, harsh and cruel. The lack of male influence in childhood can lead to difficulties for boys in learning an adequate sex role, and serve as one of the reasons for the development of homosexuality. Thus, the process of gender identification, that is, the child's awareness of his gender and the acquisition of psychological characteristics of behavior characteristic of representatives of a certain sex, largely depends on the composition of the family and the influence of mother and father on the formation of the child's life and value attitudes. It is in the conditions of family education that children get the first experience of personal behavior, emotional response to various situations, learn to cognize the surrounding natural and social world, organize their life, and effectively participate in interpersonal and intersexual communication. The result of the costs of maternal education in incomplete families can become a deformation of the child's personality already in early childhood. If in a complete family the emotional background is created by the mother, maintaining a favorable family atmosphere of understanding, trust and emotional closeness, then the father performs the functions of normative control and regulates behavior. In an incomplete family, the implementation of all the functions listed above is headed by the mother, and she does not always succeed. Boys are the first to suffer from the costs of maternal upbringing in such families. One of the most common features of maternal upbringing in incomplete families is the mother's excessive guardianship of her son. In their desire to limit their son from life's difficulties, responsibility and risk, mothers often thereby paralyze the children's will, prevent their sons from becoming men. As a result, maternal overprotection can lead to a serious psychological complication of the relationship between the son and mother, the outcome of which can be emotional alienation, hatred and enmity. Personal relationships between mother and son do not always lead to personal deformation of the boy. If a mother from early childhood brings up in her son the ability to overcome difficulties, encourage his independence and initiative, stimulates in him the desire to be strong and courageous, develops the ability to take risks, then the boy will develop a masculine style of behavior under the influence of his mother. In this case, the mother will become a reliable friend for her son throughout his life. The role of parents in upbringing is multifaceted and is reflected in the formation of the child's personality already in early childhood. The absence of a parent, such as a father, leads to serious violations mental development a child, a decrease in his social activity, personality deformations and a violation of the process of gender-role identification, as well as various deviations in behavior and the state of psychological health. Thus, the child's assimilation of female or male models of behavior occurs under the influence of parents. Under their guidance, through imitation, the child begins to learn to be a boy or a girl. The position of the boy (girl) determines his orientation in the choice of games, interests, dreams. In the family, children predominantly imitate those relatives who are representatives of the same sex as the child himself. A child's awareness of his gender is of decisive importance for the development of his personality. Chapter 2 1 The study of masculine and feminine character traits in preschool children To confirm the hypothesis of our study, a methodology was developed to identify masculine and feminine character traits in preschool children. In the course of studying the literature, we identified masculine character traits: aggressiveness, activity, persistence, low sociability, low emotionality. Feminine character traits: modesty, passivity, compliance, sociability, high emotionality. AT middle group Kindergarten No. 86 in Minsk, a study was conducted of 10 children for the presence of data of even character, with 5 children from complete families, and 5 from incomplete families (raised by their mother). During the observation of children, the predominant character traits were noted, masculine - with the letter "M", feminine - with the letter "D", then the predominant number of identical letters is counted. The observational data are summarized in Table 1. Table 1 Manifestation of masculine and feminine character traits in children. Маскулинные черты характераИванов Павел (полная семья) 3МФеминные черты характераАгрессивностьМСкромностьАктивностьМПассивностьНастойчивостьДУступчивостьНизкая общительностьДОбщительностьНизкая эмоциональностьМВысокая эмоциональностьМаскулинные черты характераКарпович Дима (полная семья) 4МФеминные черты характераАгрессивностьМСкромностьАктивностьДПассивностьНастойчивостьМУступчивостьНизкая общительностьМОбщительностьНизкая эмоциональностьМВысокая эмоциональностьМаскулинные черты характераГринкевич Диана (полная семья) 4ДФеминные черты характераАгрессивностьДСкромностьАктивностьДПассивностьНастойчивостьМУступчивостьНизкая общительностьДОбщительностьНизкая эмоциональностьДВысокая эмоциональностьМаскулинные черты характераСушко Света (полная семья) 3ДФеминные черты характераАгрессивностьДСкромностьАктивностьМПассивностьНастойчивостьМУступчивостьНизкая sociabilityDSociabilityLow emotionalityDHigh emotionalityMasculine character traitsKhmara Artem (full family) 3MFeminine черты характераАгрессивностьМСкромностьАктивностьДПассивностьНастойчивостьМУступчивостьНизкая общительностьДОбщительностьНизкая эмоциональностьМВысокая эмоциональностьМаскулинные черты характераБоричевский Андрей (неполная семья) 3ДФеминные черты характераАгрессивностьДСкромностьАктивностьМПассивностьНастойчивостьДУступчивостьНизкая общительностьДОбщительностьНизкая эмоциональностьМВысокая эмоциональностьМаскулинные черты характераСимонович Юлия (неполная семья) 4МФеминные черты характераАгрессивностьДСкромностьАктивностьМПассивностьНастойчивостьМУступчивостьНизкая общительностьМОбщительностьНизкая эмоциональностьМВысокая эмоциональностьМаскулинные черты характераГлушко Денис (неполная семья) 4ДФеминные черты характераАгрессивностьМСкромностьАктивностьМПассивностьНастойчивостьДУступчивостьНизкая общительностьДОбщительностьНизкая эмоциональностьДВысокая эмоциональностьМаскулинные черты характераАгеева Ксения (неполная семья )3MFeminine character traitsAggressivenessDShynessActivityMPa assertivenessPerseveranceMpliabilityLow sociabilityPowersociabilityLow emotionalityDHigh emotionalityMasculine character traitsKozlov Stas (single-parent family) 3DFeminine character traitsAggressivenessMSmodestyActivityMPassivityPerseveranceLow sociabilityDSociabilityLow emotionalityDHigh emotionality Thus, children from a complete family are characterized mainly by character traits characteristic of their gender. 2 boys (40%) scored 3 points for masculine character traits; 1 boy (20%) scored 4 points for masculine character traits; 1 girl (20%) 3 points of feminine character traits; 1 girl (20%) 4 points of feminine character traits. Children from an incomplete family are characterized by opposite character traits characteristic of the other sex: 2 boys (40%) with 3 points of feminine character traits; 1 boy (20%) 4 points of feminine character traits; 1 girl (20%) 4 points of masculine character traits; 1 girl (20%) 3 points of masculine character traits. 2.2 Comparative analysis of the manifestations of character traits, based on the completeness of the family For problem solving term paper it is necessary to compare indicators of character traits and determine in which family the child is brought up. Children from a complete family participated in our study: Pavel Ivanov, Dima Karpovich, Diana Grinkevich, Sushku Sveta, Khmara Artem. And also, children brought up in an incomplete family (upbringing is carried out by the mother): Andrey Borichevsky, Julia Simonovich, Denis Glushko, Ksyusha Ageeva, Stas Kozlov. The data are summarized in table 2. table 2 FIOscores obtained in diagnostics 1Ivanov Pavel Anatolyevich 3MKarpovich Dmitry Vasilievich4MGrinkevich Diana Mikhailovna4DSushko Svetlana Vladimirovna3DHmara Artem Grigorievich3MBorichevsky Andrey Andreevich3DSimonovich Yuliya Nikolaevna4MGlushko Denis Romanovich4DAgeeva Ksenia Sergeeva3MKozlov Stanislav Nikolaevich3D Bold type indicates children from intact families. These data suggest that the presence or absence of a parent whom children could imitate and wait for evaluation of their behavior affects the formation of a child's character traits. Conclusion The purpose of the course work was to determine the influence of family composition on the sexual identification of the child. Having studied the psychological and pedagogical literature on this problem, it was revealed that gender identification, that is, a child's awareness of his gender and the acquisition of psychological characteristics of behavior characteristic of representatives of a certain sex, largely depends on the composition of the family and the influence of mother and father on the formation of a child's life skills. and value settings. Assimilation by a child of female or male models of behavior occurs under the influence of parents. In the family, children predominantly imitate those relatives who are representatives of the same sex as the child himself. A child's awareness of his gender is of decisive importance for the development of his personality. The hypothesis put forward was confirmed, because. diagnostics of masculine and feminine character traits was developed and carried out. Children from complete and incomplete families participated in the diagnosis. Observation was carried out, all data were recorded in tables, from which it was revealed that family composition affects the formation of gender identity. Also, all the tasks of the course work were completed. Literature 1 Antonov A.I., Medkov V.M. "Sociology of the family" 2 Eremeeva V.D., Khrizman T.P. "Boys and girls are two different worlds" Isaev I.S., Kagan V.E. "Sex Education for Children" Kon I.S. "Introduction to Sexology" Makarenko S. "Femininity and masculinity: questions of their formation in children and adolescents" j. "Education of schoolchildren" 2001 #9 Pilipovsky V.Ya. translation from eng. "Help Parents Raise Children" Romanov N. "Sex education, psychophysical development of preschoolers, the role of the family" j. "Healthy way of life" 2002 #1 Senko T.V. "Personal claims of parents to children" g. "Education and upbringing" 1997 #1 Tseluiko V.M. "Parents and children. Psychology of relationships in the family "Similar works to - The influence of family composition on the formation of gender identity in preschool children
Gender identity is one of the basic characteristics of a person, which is formed in the process of a child's socialization, the main psychological mechanism of which is gender identification. Gender identification is a complex biosocial process that combines the biological development of a child as a boy or girl, the assimilation of norms, methods, standards of gender-role behavior and the development of self-awareness and self-acceptance by the child of himself as a girl or boy. Gender identity is based on somatic characteristics (body image), on behavioral and characterological properties, assessed by the degree of their compliance or non-compliance with the normative stereotype of masculinity or femininity. At the same time, gender identity is a dynamic structure that integrates individual aspects of the personality associated with the child's awareness and experience of himself as a representative of a certain gender into a single whole without losing their originality. Gender identity implies:
- awareness and acceptance of one's body as the body of a person of a certain gender;
- identification with a certain gender;
- ideas about gender roles fixed in society;
– availability of knowledge about the main personal characteristics of men and women;
- a positive attitude towards oneself as a representative of a certain gender.
By positive gender identity, we mean such a configuration of identity elements that provides a person with emotional well-being, high level acceptance of oneself, people of one's own and the opposite sex and adequate performance of gender-role functions in society. The process of gender identification proceeds most intensively in the early stages of a child's ontogenetic development. In childhood, there is an active process of gender, sex, age and sex-role identification. As I.S. Kon, it is not completely clear on what grounds children determine their own and others' gender. A child's awareness of his gender identity presupposes a certain attitude towards it. Firstly, this is a gender-role orientation, an individual's idea of how his qualities correspond to the expectations and requirements of a male or female role. Secondly, these are gender-role preferences, that is, what functions and social roles an individual prefers to perform in society. Primary gender identity develops by the age of one and a half. With age, the volume and content of this identity change, and this is often associated with the mental and social development of the child. A two-year-old child knows his gender, but is not yet able to substantiate this attribution. The image of I am a girl and I am a boy, basically, develops in children by the age of two or three. But studies show that in the conditions of choosing a picture that is adequate to the sex of the child from a series of images of children and adults of different sexes, some young children still make mistakes. It can be assumed that at a younger age, ideas about one's sexual image are not fully and clearly formed. According to A.G. Khripkova and D.V. Kolesov, knowledge of one's own gender (or rather, conviction in a certain nature of this affiliation) develops fully by the age of three, in the process of how the child becomes aware of his Self. An important role is played by education, since the mother and other people in when addressing a child, they constantly emphasize "you are a boy" or "you are a girl." However, this is not just knowledge, but also a belief, and it is formed on the basis of an analysis of the signs of one's own gender, not being just memorization. At 3-4 years old, the child already consciously distinguishes the gender of the people around him, but often associates it with purely external signs (for example, with clothes) and admits fundamental reversibility, the possibility of changing sex. At this age, gender is associated in children with certain somatic (body image, including genitals) and behavioral properties, but the significance attributed to them and the ratio of such features may be different. The average preschool age (4-5 years) is already characterized by greater clarity in determining the sexual image. Senior preschool age is the age when children accurately determine their gender. They can tell in detail about the distinguishing features of boys and girls: "Girls wear dresses, pigtails, hairpins, they have curls, and boys wear pants, they play with cars, pistols and they have short hair." At the age of 6-7, the child finally realizes the irreversibility of sexual identity, and this coincides with the stormy effort of sexual differentiation of behavior and attitudes; boys and girls on their own initiative choose different games and partners in them, show different interests, style of behavior; such spontaneous sexual segregation (same-sex companies) promotes crystallization and awareness of gender differences. The study of the characteristics of gender and age identification, i.e. the ability to construct an age sequence of themselves as a boy or a girl, indicates that the majority of young children (2-3 years old) identify themselves with infants, and sometimes with preschoolers or schoolchildren. That is, they do not know how to build an age chronology. When asked by an adult to show in the picture what he is now, children of this age, pointing to the image of a baby, answer that now they are still small, but then they will be big. Or, identifying themselves with the image of a preschooler or schoolchild, they argue their answers by saying that they are already big. Apparently, this is due to the peculiarities of the attitude of parents and educators towards children, who treat the child as still small or, on the contrary, instill in them that they are already big, stimulating them to show greater independence and initiative. Children 4-5 years old are also not all able to build a sex and age sequence. However, children of this age identify themselves more often with either preschoolers or schoolchildren, arguing the choice with the words: "I'm big", "I'll go to school soon", "He's big and I'm big". Cases of self-identification with babies in four-year-old children are extremely rare, but still observed. In this case, it can be assumed that in the family they are still considered small and in some way limit their capabilities. Or this image is psychologically closer, dearer, and they feel more comfortable there. And only at the senior preschool age do children build an age chronology unmistakably: a baby - a preschooler - a schoolboy - a young man - a man - an old man. Understanding the irreversibility of sex (its immutability) occurs only in the fifth year of life. At this age, the child knows exactly who he is and can name the distinguishing features of the sex. The development of a child from the first days of life is the development of a particular boy or girl. The formation of a positive gender identity in children is possible if the teacher takes into account the psycho-physiological and psychological characteristics of children of different sexes. However, before characterizing the psychological characteristics of boys and girls, their differences from each other, the following fundamental points should be emphasized. First, these differences are noticeable long before puberty and only intensify during it. Secondly, these differences are not determined by the nature of education, but, on the contrary, they themselves largely determine it, if we take its general character as a whole throughout the historical period, while the nature of education in each specific case contributes to their more complete identification and development. Thirdly, these features are of an average nature and reflect types rather than the mandatory presence or absence of certain qualities in male or female representatives. General human traits, qualities, properties are wider and overlap specific sexual characteristics, so we can only talk about the predominance of any of them in males or females. Fourthly, the presence of psychological characteristics in the nature of thinking, in the level of emotionality, in interests and inclinations, in reaction to various events and phenomena, etc., must necessarily be considered in the system of the whole, and not in isolation. This means that both sexes are psychologically equal and have mutual advantages only in certain situations or in certain relationships. Fifth, knowledge of these features has importance for pedagogy, and therefore the desire for this knowledge should be regarded as a positive professional quality of people involved in education.
The complexity of the course of adaptation of younger preschoolers may also be due to the fact that along with the new conditions to which children have to adapt, there is a need to realize oneself as a person. As a result, the younger preschooler is included in the experience of not only external, but also personal changes.
An important component of children's self-awareness is gender identification, that is, the child's awareness of his gender, experiencing himself as a boy or girl.
An analysis of the psychological literature has shown that different psychologists distinguish a different number of stages of gender identification.
Ya.L. Kolominsky notes that gender-role identity is divided by most authors into two components:
1. gender identity - understanding of belonging to a certain gender; the unity of consciousness and behavior of an individual who refers himself to one or another sex.
2. proper gender-role identity - knowledge and assimilation of the roles of men and women.
S. Thompson distinguishes three stages in the early development of the sex role: the child learns that there are two sexes; he includes himself in one of these categories; on the basis of self-determination, he directs his behavior, choosing and preferring new forms of behavior. Three stages are also distinguished by other authors (R. Slaby, K. Frey, C. Stangor, D. Ruble), however, their content differs from the stages identified by S. Thompson: the child first learns gender identity, then becomes convinced of the irreversibility of sex in time , and finally he has an understanding that gender is a constant characteristic of a person
S. Bern describes four stages of establishing gender identity: gender identification (assigning the child to one or another gender), gender constancy (understanding that gender is constant and cannot be changed), differential imitation (desire to be the best boy or girl) and gender self-regulation (the child himself begins to control his behavior, using the sanctions that he applies to himself). Until the age of 2-3, most boys try to put on their mother's shoes, play with her cosmetic accessories, paint their nails with varnish. However, when the process of gender identification is completed and the boys achieve gender constancy, they begin to understand that all these activities are for girls.
But even if children perform the same role during the game, their behavior may still differ depending on whether they are dealing with a boy or a girl. Indicative in this regard is one of the foreign studies described by G. Kraig. When four-year-old children were given the opportunity to play in the store in an experimental setting, they turned into sellers and offered the boys to buy ferocious bears and the girls to buy fluffy kittens.
With age, the scope and content of a child's primary gender identity change. Psychological self-determination of gender begins from the second year of life and is fixed by the third year. By this time, 75% of children consider themselves a boy or a girl. S. Thompson notes that they can divide others into boys and girls, men and women, and also correctly answer the question: “Are you a girl or a boy?” .
By the age of 3, the child clearly distinguishes the gender of the people around him, but may not know what the difference between them is. For example, many children are sure that if you put a dress on a boy, he becomes a girl. They may not understand that only a boy can become a dad, and a girl can become a mother, and they may also ask their father who he was a boy or a girl when he was little. Thus, a three-year-old child, although aware of his gender, often associates gender with random external signs, such as clothing and hair cutting. It also allows for gender change.
By the end of an early age, the child learns his gender, but does not yet know what content the words “boy” and “girl” should be filled with.
Let us consider the factors influencing the gender identification of younger preschoolers.
Firstly, the style of parenting is such a factor. Parents interact equally with sons and daughters and are equally warm to both, and encourage both sons and daughters to strive for success and independence. However, when it comes to gendered parents, they react differently to sons and daughters. Activities such as playing with dolls, carefully dressing and toileting, or helping adults are more often encouraged in daughters than in sons; fussing games and games with blocks are more encouraged in sons than in daughters. Parents also assign various household duties to their sons and daughters. Daughters are usually assigned stereotypical feminine responsibilities, while sons are assigned typically masculine responsibilities.
As J. Stockard and M. Johnson, as well as L. Lenglois and A. Downs, have shown, parents sometimes even unconsciously encourage the behavior of children typical of the sex and have a negative attitude towards behavior that does not correspond to the sex of the child. Thus at fathers usually those and other reactions are more expressed. Fathers more often than mothers treat their sons and daughters differently. Fathers are more likely than mothers to encourage their child to play gender role games. Mothers are more likely to respond to the individual needs of the child and based on their knowledge of them, while fathers respond based on gender stereotypes.
A.I. Zakharov found that the most pronounced identification with a parent of one sex or another in boys occurs at the age of 5-7 years, and in girls - at the age of 3-8 years. The success of identification depends on the competence and prestige of a parent of one sex or another in the representation of children, as well as on the presence in the family of an identical ancestral family (grandparents for boys and grandmothers for girls) identical to their gender.
Identification with the mother in girls has a number of features: a longer age period; greater intensity of the identification process, that is, girls more often choose the role of mother than boys choose the role of father; great importance for identifying a warm emotional and trusting relationship with the mother; greater dependence of identification on relations between parents (conflicts have a negative impact on identification); less influence on the girls of the sister than the brother on the identification of the boy.
Among the factors hindering identification, there is a longer time of contact between the mother and the child than the father, because of which the father is a less attractive object for the child, as a result, identification with the mother, that is, feminine, is primary. In his further development, the boy will face a difficult task: to change the initial female identification to male. However, the majority of those with whom the child encounters in the process of his upbringing are again women (kindergarten teachers, doctors, teachers). Therefore, boys are far less aware of male gender role behavior than female gender. This leads to the fact that the boy is forced to build his gender identity mainly on a negative basis: not to be like girls, not to participate in female activities.
Second, peers. By the age of three, most children's games are influenced by gender stereotypes - boys prefer blocks and trucks, and girls are more fond of dishes and dolls - and young children are critical of their peers engaged in games characteristic of the opposite sex. This is especially true for boys who love to play with girls' toys or play girls' games. A boy with a doll or a girl with a truck will be ridiculed by their peers, they will be ignored, but the boy will be laughed at and despised more than the girl. Once children have learned the rules specific to their gender roles, they often severely punish peers who break these rules.
Peers also influence gender roles in other ways. Between the ages of 2 and 3, children begin to prefer to play with peers of their own gender. Little boys play with cars together, and little girls play with dolls. This preference increases during childhood and peaks in preadolescence.
Girls' interactions with each other are typically permissive - their actions and remarks are usually supportive of others and are aimed at maintaining the joint activity. On the contrary, boys' interactions are often infringing - one partner tries to emerge victorious by threatening or contradicting the other. Thus, girls and boys do not play together because girls do not like boys' playing style and because they find their permissive interaction style ineffective in interacting with boys.
Thirdly, television, which often broadcasts stereotyped images of men and women. Women on television often appear in romantic, marital or family roles: they are portrayed as emotional, passive, weak. Men are more likely to play the role of leaders or are portrayed at work: they are rational, actin and strong.
Thus, one of the factors that affects the nature of the course of adaptation of younger preschoolers to kindergarten, gender identification can act. Gender identification is a child's awareness of his gender, experiencing himself as a boy or girl. There are the following stages in the gender identification of younger preschoolers: the child's assimilation of gender identity; inclusion in one of the categories; on the basis of self-determination, directing one's behavior.
Analysis of the literature studied by us allows us to draw the following conclusions:
1. Adaptation, as a psychological phenomenon, is the process and result of the effective interaction of the organism with the environment
2. Adaptation of a child to kindergarten is the process and result of coordinating the child with the outside world of a preschool educational institution, adapting to a new environment, to the structure of relations, both with the teacher and with peers, establishing the compliance of behavior with the norms adopted in the kindergarten group and rules.
3. The factors associated with the adaptation of preschoolers to kindergarten and determining the complexity of the course of adaptation are: age, state of health, level of development, individual characteristics (characteristics, type of temperament), gender of the preschooler, as well as the development of the subject activity of the child and his addiction in the garden .
4. Gender identification is a child's awareness of his gender, experiencing himself as a boy or girl. Along with the new conditions, there is a need to realize oneself as a person, which can lead to a difficult adaptation of a preschooler, as he experiences not only external, but also personal changes.
Olga Elagina
Psychological features of gender identification in preschool children
The relevance of this topic is due to the fact that modern society is characterized by a change in value and moral orientations in the sphere of relations between the sexes, in it there is a blurring of the boundaries between women's and men's social roles, the influence of a negative information background, which provokes aggression in girls and increased anxiety in boys, is noted. most sensitive to such negative influences is an preschool period - age 4-5 years, which is characterized by interest children in gender differences, in the formation of a sustainable understanding and acceptance of one's own gender role.
information about the correct gender-role behavior is transmitted through children's literature, a television, spoken language, peer interaction, etc. Versatile in progress identification is a society of peers, both their own and opposite sex. Peers reinforce or condemn each other's typical or atypical behavior for a given gender. In communication with peers, the child experiences himself as a representative of a particular gender, "runs in" received in the family gender-role stereotypes and corrects them in independent communication, not regulated by adults, gaining experience on an emotional level. The most important source of formation gender identity is family. gender identity, deeply penetrating into the self-consciousness of the individual, sets the vector of socialization of the individual. For successful adaptation and integration into society, as a full member of it, the child must be brought up in a family where the formation gender-role normative orientations and stereotypes of behavior
On formation gender identity of a preschool child many factors influence, but parents remain the main ones as a standard correct behavior, peers and the media.
Raising boys and girls in preschool educational institutions with considering sexual differentiation is not effective enough, as it mainly relies on outdated gender stereotypes, does not take into account realities modern life, ignores or simplifies them, does not implement the direction of development of variability gender role behavior, does not form children mastery of male and female roles. In other words, for the success of the process gender identity it is necessary to create special conditions that take into account the specifics of the development of the child in preschool age.
During the period preschool childhood, the child strives for approval, winning love, respect and trust in himself. The means of solving this problem is the development of social norms, assistance to adults, attempts to get involved in those activities that adults are engaged in. So there are mother's assistants, little apprentices. It is within these activities that the primary gender identity of children. Some of their gender-appropriate activities are encouraged and approved by adults, while other conflicting ideas about what boys or girls can and should do cause ridicule or censure.
The process of becoming gender identity It takes place in the family, it is the family that is the first and most important social factor of influence for the child. Undoubtedly, for the development of the child's personality, a healthy psychological atmosphere in the family. Its absence adversely affects the formation of personality and, in particular, gender identity of the child. The personal qualities of parents also play an important role here. As well as the presence of a child with a complete family. The presence in his life of full-fledged dad and mom. The absence of a father affects girls first of all in adolescence. good fathers are able help your daughters learn how to interact with representatives opposite gender appropriate to the situation
A. I. Zakharov found that the most pronounced identification with a parent of one sex or another in boys occurs in age 5-7 years, and for girls in aged 3-8 years. success identification depends on the competence and prestige of a parent of one sex or another in the representation children, as well as the presence in the family identical their gender is a member of the ancestral family.
AT preschool age, the process of gender identification has a number of features: Gain appears sexual differentiation, interests of different sexes are manifested, their own style arises gender role behavior. However, not everyone children, the process of gender identification is successful. One of necessary conditions, conducive process optimization gender identity, is the implementation of purposeful psychological work.