NORMATIVE SOCIAL INFLUENCE THEORY AND GENDER ROLES

Brett Darby
2/15/15
USF SPC2541.005
Normative Social Influence Theory and Gender Roles
Why do men fight when they are challenged? Obviously every scenario is different,
however for the most part anytime a man is challenged to a physical fight, it is not something
you would look forward to. But as a man, you are expected to be ready and able to defend your
honor. Why do men not cry as often as women? Are men emotionless? No, but they are expected
to be strong and thick-skinned and not let emotions show in actions. These expectancies are on
both ends of the spectrum and are solely dependent on whether you are male or female, you are
expected to behave according to the set norms and obey your constructed gender role.
Understanding and evaluating the influence of socially constructed gender roles is one of the best
ways to understand how the theory of Normative Social Influence works (Milgram 1983). In this
essay I will discuss how, through the ideas of the normative social influence theory, gender is
constructed at birth and how gender roles interact in society and in the work force. These
attitudes and behaviors are generally learned first in the home and are then reinforced by the
child's peers, school experience, and television viewing.
When we are introduced to the world as newborns, the very first designated gender
distinction is made by the color of blanket we are wrapped in, pink or blue. From our very first
seconds here on earth we are distinguished by our gender. Gender roles are imposed even before
birth based on the decoration used for the childs room. Feminine colors such as pink or purple
will be chosen for a girl while more masculine colors would be for a male such as blue or green.
With these color associations, we have socially attached meanings. The colors in general are not

NORMATIVE SOCIAL INFLUENCE THEORY AND GENDER ROLES

set in stone to mean any one thing, however because of how society has associated them with
individual genders and their roles, it has become a social norm. The socially imposed meanings
for these colors and for gender in general put males and females into categories that construct
how they think, act, speak, and even what they wear. As the newborn becomes a child, the gender
role distinctions become part of their everyday lives through the toys they choose to play with.
Boys typically play with toys such as cars and trucks, guns, and dress up as construction workers
or police officers. These types of toys socially deem boys as rough and down and dirty while
teaching them to favor occupations that revolve around authority and force or hard work.
Previous studies have found that boys hold more traditional gender-role beliefs and have stronger
preferences for same-gender activities as compared to girls (Bussey and Perry, 1982). Girls
typically play with toys that are revolved around household work, maternal activities, or outer
beauty such as a kitchen play set, baby dolls, Barbie dolls, and make up sets. These types of toys
automatically set standards for girls. Girls must perform household duties, become the main
maternal figure for a family, and uphold certain outer appearance standards. Families with one or
more androgynous parents have been found to score highest in parental warmth and support.
These androgynous parents are found to be highly encouraging regarding achievement and
developing a sense of self-worth in sons and daughters (Witt, 1997). Although, all these preset
guidelines and roles for gender are not nearly as distinct and critical as they were fifty years ago,
gender roles are ever-present in society and have a huge impact on how one believes they must
conform to feel accepted.
In our fundamental need to belong to a group, being deemed as having the correct
gender association is something to strive for. However when one seems to stray from such
constructed ideals, that individual is believed to be abnormal. According to the normative social

NORMATIVE SOCIAL INFLUENCE THEORY AND GENDER ROLES

influence theory, if an action we make creates an adverse reaction from the group we wish to
belong in, we make a conscious decision on whether to continue with our action or change to
conform to our original group. Many individuals make that decision on a daily basis. Women
who choose to become doctors or lawyers and men who choose to go into nursing or become a
stay at home father. When people choose gender-distinguished professions that are not typical for
their specific gender, they go against what has become a social norm for many of the population.
Although in present time it has become less blatant, there are still many people who will question
the profession choice because they believe that it is not appropriate for that man or woman.
Gender stereotypes not only influence what job you may pick, they also are often used in day to
day professions, for example, gender-role stereotypes are often employed by advertisers in an
attempt to target adult consumers. By early adulthood most individuals' perceptions of genderappropriate behavior have reached a steady state. Given that adults' gender-role perceptions
remain fairly constant over time, advertisers can target broad age segments with a common set of
stereotyped advertisements (Bakir, Blodgett, Rose, 2008).
In conclusion, normative social influence shapes our beliefs and understanding of our
assigned gender roles that determine much about our lives that start from birth and stay with us
until death. Childrens toys and other possessions are representative of their respective gender
and influences the individual to select their interests (of the certain ones you are limited to) and
that inspires a possible career along with expected characteristics adopted from a young age only
to be seen as natural aspects of a male or female. Your gender identity is very similar to a
moral compass in that it holds your beliefs and values and guides how you behave and interact.
These norms are established by families, peers, and the media. When broken it is social taboo
and you are typically regarded as an outcast.

NORMATIVE SOCIAL INFLUENCE THEORY AND GENDER ROLES

References
Bakir, A., Blodgett, J. G., & Rose, G. M. (2008). Children's Responses to Gender-Role
Stereotyped Advertisements. Journal Of Advertising Research, 48(2), 255-266.
BUSSEY, K., and A. BANDURA. "Influence of Gender Constancy and Social Power on
Sex-Linked Modeling." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 47, 6 (1984): 1292-302.
Milgram, S. (1983). Obedience to Authority: An Experimental View. New York:
Harper/Collins.
Witt, S. D. (1997). Parental influence on children's socialization to gender roles.
Adolescence, 32(126), 253-259.