Gender socialization of adolescents in the home: research and discussion

While gender socialization and practice have been investigated in education, work, and children within the family, there has been minimal research on adolescents and parents. The present research focused on male and female adolescents' perceptions of their mothers' and fathers' behavior in six common family routines: allowances, gifts, use of the family car, curfew, and chores inside and outside the home. Data were gathered from 448 senior high school students, Gender-equal behavior toward sons and daughters was clearly evident in the parental practice of allowances and gift giving, and less evident in permission to use the family car. Traditional behavior was strongly evident in sons' performing outside chores and, to a lesser degree, in daughters' keeping an earlier curfew and doing more inside chores. Fathers were more traditional than mothers in allowance and gift giving to sons, and less traditional than mothers in giving sons permission to use the car. It is evident from the perspective of the teenager, that stereotypical gender roles are being perpetuated in North American home life.