Kohlberg’s Theory of Gender Constancy

• Piaget first suggested the cognitive theory of development.
• This stated that children’s thought patterns and perspectives changed as they developed.

• He summarised four stages of development:
  • Sensorimotor.
  • Preoperational.
  • Concrete operational.
  • Formal operational.

As children go through these stages, their thinking and cognitive ability changes, generally becoming more complex.

• Using Piaget as a basis, Kohlberg built on his ideas, stating that gender also develops as children age.
• Their concept of gender changes over time, just as their thinking and cognitive ability changes over time.

• Using Piaget as a basis, Kohlberg built on his ideas, stating that gender develops as children age.
• Their concept of gender changes over time just like their thinking and cognitive ability.
• Kohlberg proposed three stages of development.

• Gender identity (ages 2-3)
• In this stage, the children become aware of gender and their own gender.
• They are generally able to classify traits and superficial characteristics as being male and female.
  • Superficial characteristics are things like hair length, clothing, type of toys.

• In this stage, children believe that if a person changes their gender-specific (suit to dress for example), then the person’s gender also changes.
• Therefore, they believe that their own gender might be able to change.

• Gender stability (ages 4-7)
• In this stage, children begin to see gender as being a fixed concept.
• In other words, boys will become men and girls will become women.
• However, they also believe that when doing a different sex activity (think stereotypical gender roles like men doing housework or women going hunting), then gender can change in these different situations.
• But overall they see gender as more fixed than in the gender identity stage.

• Gender constancy (around age 6+)
• In the final stage, children are aware that gender is fixed even when they (or other people) are doing different gendered activities.
• In other words, if a man wears women’s clothing, they do not change gender.
• Their own gender becomes internalised. They understand that their gender is a permanent concept.