Being a young adult in contemporary times comes with its own challenges, an important one being that of finding, understanding and expressing yourself while exploring and stretching the limits of societal expectations. Coming across the term ‘youth psychology’ isn’t uncommon. You might even ask yourself, what exactly does it encompass? At the core, it is a science that explores and addresses the development, functioning and mental state of the youth. Making up more than 16 percent of the world’s population, adolescents and young adults are one of the most popular subjects of psychological studies worldwide. As growing and transforming individuals between childhood and adulthood, there is almost always a need for an understanding of a sense of self and its expression in our youth.
We are, in the most basic sense, a product of our environment and our perceptions of our interactions with it. An interesting example to analyse is how the interactions between male and female parent figures and the observation of their household roles and authority contribute to a child or adolescent’s ideas of gender roles, and thus, their gender identity. Gender roles refer to a set of behaviours, traits and attitudes that are considered ‘socially acceptable’ for a gender. Factors that determine these gender roles are culture norms, interactions with family and media portrayal. Women, in most cultures, are expected to be polite, softspoken and accommodating; while it is considered normal for men to be outspoken, loud and emotionally rigid. Studies conducted on groups of men and women show that while searching for a desirable partner, men show non-conformity to stereotypes (as an attempt to seem more assertive and independent) by standing up to group pressures. Women, on the other hand, showed more conformity to stereotypes of being agreeable, as they know that seeming to be agreeable (conforming) is more attractive to men than assertiveness and the likes (nonconforming). Through this study, we see that individuals have strong reasons for both, conformity, and nonconformity. Social pressures to conform, though being strong, are not entirely irresistible. Parental modelling of gender roles not only affects how one views themselves, but can also instil a superiority or inferiority complex in relation to other genders. Often, this is passed on through generations, creating rigid familial cycles that take years to break.
Navigating through the complex process of learning of gender roles would be impossible without starting at the very beginning. Through processes like reinforcement and punishment, an individual, often during their early developmental ages, learns to internalise and repeat behaviours considered acceptable for their gender and to avoid those associated with the other gender/s. This prevents gender identity and expression to be perceived as a choice, rather than a rule. Teenagers and young adults rapidly undergo psychological, behavioural and emotional changes- many of which cause them to question these pre-conceived notions of gender and expression. The questioning of these notions often leads to internal struggle and dilemma. It involves, essentially, pulling apart all the puzzle pieces you have been assembling for years, and looking at them from a different perspective.
An important part of this questioning process is exploring one’s gender identity through expression – the way one dresses, speaks, and the body language used. Just like gender roles, gender expression is influenced by constantly evolving societal norms. In order to rise beyond these stereotypes and shift focus towards individual identity and gender neutrality, it is important to alter the environment in which adolescents and young adults grow up in. Introducing gender- neutral uniforms, refraining from encouraging gender- specific behaviour and being inclusive of pronouns, all aim to deconstruct the idea of a gender binary. Essentially, a collectivistic effort to discard the concept of gender roles and to encourage free expression is required.
This will let us, as a society, reconstruct our ideas of what ‘gender’ really means and will allow us to put back all our scattered puzzle pieces to form a larger and more inclusive picture of what is, fundamentally, our identity.
Masumi Pradhan
Sub-head
Psycreative Column
Psychcommittee, Department of Psychology
Sunandan Divitia School of Science, NMIMS.
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