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24SOCIAL SCIENCES
METHODS OF SOCIALIZATION OF GENDER ROLES IN ETHNIC MINORITY FAMILIES
Ta Thi Thao, Nguyen Hong Cuc
University of Science - Thai Nguyen University
Abstract
Gender role theory comes from biological origins, it determines the differences between men and women. These biological origins make up raw materials, which, based on which organize specific behaviors, are called gender roles. Gender roles are formed through socialization [5; p.155]. In the family, children learn emotional roles that are created with the nurturing, care, and care of the family, all of which are the jobs women often do. As for the role of tools, it is considered as a success, economic work, performed by men. These roles help society stabilize from generation to generation. The article explores how ethnic minority families perform the socialization of gender roles for children in families. The article analyzes the method of socializing the gender role in the ethnic minority family, selecting 2 ethnic groups: Ede (with the characteristics of the system) and Co Lao (characteristic of patriarchy) to find out the difference in the way gender roles are socialized in these two representatives. The data in the article is collected in Ha Giang province and Dak Lak province.
Keywords: gender socialization, ethnic minorities, gender roles, gender norms.
1. Introduction
Research on gender and issues related to gender equality is always a topic of interest to scientists, because it is topical not only in Vietnam but also in many countries around the world. Vietnam is a multi-ethnic country, with 54 ethnic groups living together creating a rich and diverse cultural identity. The Kinh is the majority ethnic group, and the remaining 53 ethnic groups are ethnic minorities with specific cultural characteristics, as well as specific lifestyles and methods of socialization. The type of family in Vietnam now exists in parallel with both patriarchal, matrilineal and bi-paren-tal families. This study was conducted with 2 ethnic groups representing 2 types of families: Ede ethnic group (matrilineal family) and Co Lao ethnic group (patriarchal family). The research method used in this study combines both qualitative and quantitative research, with the qualitative sampling method being representative and convenient sampling; and with the quantitative sampling method is systematic random sampling. Data were processed using SPSS 16.0 software.
2. Socialization of gender roles through labor division
In families of medication, the method of socialization is forced to follow as obviously it must be, exempt from a debate. All acts of family members are controlled first by the system of relatives, then the social opinion in the village. To ensure compliance with gender role education, families of ethnic minorities choose the traditional way of socializing through labor.
As for the model family, representatives of the model group - the Ede people have a saying that refers to the position of the son and daughter in the family: "Anak ekei hua esei hlle. Anak mnie hua esei hlamg o", that is, son eats rice in the forest, daughter eats rice in the pot. This verse implies that the daughter is a family member, the son is an outsider. Boys must help their parents in their daily farming, buffalo herding, and
cows, they must learn knowledge about customs, customs, and cultivation to prepare for their role as family feeders in the future.
Boys are never penalized for being lazy, and they are only rebuked by their parents, especially in crowded places, they will be ashamed to change because a son who does not know how to knit or the floor, as well as a girl without knowing how to weave blankets and clothes, will not be able to become a good wife or husband. (Women, Ede people, 50 years old).
Functional theory points to a set of principles when applied to gender roles in modern families. Parsons and Bales argue that when couples acknowledge compensatory, complementary, and professional roles, families are less competitive and broken, so families are more harmonious and stable. When the husband - the father plays a tool role, he helps maintain the social basis and material integrity of the family, by providing food, shelter, and a bridge between the family and the outside world. When the wife- the mother plays an emotional role, she brings close relationships, emotional support, and quality nurturing to maintain family life, ensuring the family operates smoothly. When deviations occur in these roles or there is a large overlap of roles, the home system may be pushed into a temporary imbalance. Functional theory confirms that this temporary imbalance can be resolved if traditional gender roles go in the right direction.
The gender division of labor in the family is considered the first form in the history of the division of labor. This division stems from the difference in gender roles of men and women in the maintenance of the species. Because women have to be pregnant, give birth, and breastfeeding, they should be the main ones to nurture and take care of their children. The performance of these functions makes women less likely to leave their homes. Men, on the other hand, have a healthier biological body and are not restricted by pregnancy and childbirth. tend to take on heavy, physically demanding jobs and do jobs away from home. Over many generations, the division of labor based on gender was socialized and institutionalized into a social structure, which was
considered as the natural norm, the natural function of each gender.
Studies by anthropologists have found that in most pre-industrial societies some jobs were considered men's and others were women's. The American anthropologist, Robert Lowie, in his Treatise on Primitive Sociology (Hanoi, 2001) described the gender division of work in the family as "quite fair". In the hunting tribes, the husband went to kill the big animals, the wife went in search of wild plants, berries, and shellfish. To a higher level of civilization, the husband continued to hunt while the wife took a big step forward, they were not satisfied with the gathering that they switched to cultivating and reaping. In the next steps of development, women founded horticulture, and men had large domestication of cattle. Where hand-crafted pottery is made, it is women's work, and where pottery is made using kilns, it is men's work.
Socialization through work and my work is the most common method, highly valued in the family. In the traditional society, the ancients believed that raising children should mean teaching children how to work to earn a liv-
ing. From an early age, children are guided by their families to work and participate in labor following the strength of their age. Through labor, children learn and impart production experience, ingenuity in their profession, and behavior. In the case of children doing age-appropriate jobs can be seen as healthy activities to educate children in the future. Things that children often do such as babysitting, doing housework, helping their parents with farm work, etc. have long been considered a popular method of education and training [2; p.300]. Gender sociologists and feminist theorists, when analyzing the roles of women and men, have emphasized the productive/labor role, because the division of labor in production is the basic physical field. the roles of the sexes.
All ethnic groups have the common feature of educating their children on gender roles through labor from a very early age. Most children under 9 years old have started participating in reproductive (household) work in the family, this rate is much higher among girls than boys; while the percentage of boys entering production work early is higher than that of girls.
Table 1.
Boys take part in reproduction work Girls take part in reproduction work
Age Co Lao Ede Co Lao Ede
Under 9 years old 38,6 34,0 82,0 70,0
From 9 to 13 years old 34,3 39,0 18,0 27,0
From 14 years old and up 20,0 11,0 0,0 3,0
Not engaged 7,1 16,0
Boys join the work Girls join the work
manufacturing manufacturing
Co Lao Ede Co Lao Ede
Under 9 years old 20,0 24,0 6,0 10,0
From 9 to 13 years old 25,6 35,0 27,0 42,0
From 14 years old and up 54,4 51,0 65,0 40,0
Not engaged 2,0 8,0
"Gender division of housework contributes to socializing traditional gender roles and shaping gender stereotypes right from the family. This type of gender division of labor was formed very early, very clearly, very durable, and very difficult to change. From a young age, girls have been taught to do women's jobs such as sweeping the house, washing the dishes, growing up to cook, babysit, sew, and do laundry. Meanwhile, boys are oriented to do heavy work or big things in the family." [first; p.33]
Ede children around the age of nine, both boys and girls, often do housework to help their parents. The results show that in this age group, with the frequency of housework, the rate for boys is 47.3% and for girls is 57.1%. Between the ages of 9 and 14, there is a separation of jobs between boys and girls. Boys gradually separate from housework (the proportion of boys who regularly do housework decreases from 47.3% to 25%), and at the age of 14, almost all boys do not participate in housework. Moreover, they follow their father to the fields, into the forest, and participate in activities outside the family.
In the Ede family, about 6 years old or older, the family assigns housework to children; Boys and girls
are assigned equal work. (Male, village head, 48 years old)
If you compare the amount of work to be done between boys and girls of the same age, it can be seen that girls have less leisure time than boys. Because when growing up, the son separates from housework to follow his father to the fields, which means that the boy has determined his work according to his gender, they become the main labor force in the family and do not participate in housework. The free time corresponds to the leisure time after harvesting, lasting at least about a month, everyone has fun, plays gongs, drinks wine. While housework often does not have free time, girls still have to help their grandmother and mother pound rice, cook rice, and organize various yang offerings with the family.
Particularly for the Ede ethnic group, the age considered as an adult is from 15 to 16 years old. The Ede people believe that once a child reaches this age, a child is considered mature in both physical and mental aspects, meaning that he or she can be a mother, father, and mentally as well. mature enough to become a full member of the merchant. The son must learn from his father, or his mother's brothers and sisters, from expe-
riences in rice farming, crop farming, hunting wild animals, etc., to knowledge of customary law and participation. , integrate into the common activities of the community such as meetings, festivals, etc. The son of Ede is also expected to be the representative of his mother's family, participating in solving important family problems. of his mother, of his sisters. Therefore, in addition to the love for his children and his own family, he will have to give love, care, and love to the grandchildren who are the children of his sisters, because they are the real people. continue his lineage and develop his lineage.
In the Ede ethnic group, girls, from an early age, are naturally attached to household chores through the guidance of their grandmother and mother. About 4-5 years old, the daughter took care of her younger sister or followed her mother to fetch water and pick wild vegetables, at this age they often played the game of cooking food (hlap to lo). At the age of 6-7, girls practice pounding rice, sifting rice, cooking rice, and collecting firewood. From 10-12 years old, start learning to weave with your grandmother, mother, or aunt in your spare time. Grandmothers and mothers play a key role in imparting gender-specific work-related knowledge and skills to their daughters and granddaughters.
As soon as girls are about 4-5years old, their parents give them to keep the younger children (who are their brothers or sisters), learn to feed her, carry her on their backs. (Women, Chairwoman of Commune Women's Union, 45 years old).
Like other patriarchal families, the Co Lao family believes that children's education must be done from a young age. At the age of 7-9, although not having to do heavy work, many children of the Co Lao ethnic group have started to get used to light jobs and help their parents. During this period, there was no clear division of labor by sex, but boys and girls all did the same work: housekeeping, carrying children, cooking rice, tending buffaloes, gathering firewood, and reaping. , thresh,...
When children enter the age of 10 - 15 years old, the mother is the person who is close to the daughter, and the father is the person who is close to the son. The
_Socialization of gender roles
mother, in addition to teaching her daughter general productive labor skills, also teaches her daughter traditional skills by genders such as embroidery and sewing. The father taught his son labor skills such as plowing, shooting, making traps, riding horses, blacksmithing (repairing production tools such as knives, hoes, plows, harrows, ...) knitting, cot, rooster, ...), carpentry (building houses, boxes, tables, saddles,...) ... and standards of lifestyle, ethics, honesty, behavior with the community, adults; Learn to understand the rituals and customs of the ethnic group. Because the Co Lao family is a small, patriarchal family, the children are counted according to the father's lineage, and the sons inherit property and have the obligation to worship their ancestors. This distinction in upbringing leads to differences. in the development of the gender roles of boys and girls.
In the family, people learn the first lessons about hierarchy, compliance, discrimination. Boys learn to be assertive and dominating, girls learn to be patient and submissive. Grandparents and parents always instill in their children concepts and behaviors about gender discrimination such as girls must be hardworking and skillful, women's position is in the family, it is to take care of the family and parenting and dependence on men. For men, they must be strong and decisive, the man is the economic pillar, the moral example, the head of the family, the representative of the family in social relations and the community.
I have to work hard to help my mother look after my younger brother, cook rice, and wash clothes. (Girl, Co Lao ethnic group, 9 years old).
The Ede people educate their children in the spirit of labor, farm work, andfamiliarize themselves with labor from a young age. This habit will help the child when entering the working-age will be industrious, hard-working, and confident with work. (Male, Sales Manager, 50 years old)
The method of socialization through labor and by labor on the one hand emphasizes the value of labor, on the other hand, clearly differentiates the relations of production and the role of each gender. Socialization by hand-held form is just the form chosen by the majority of ethnic minority families.
Table 2.
in children by ethnic group (%)_
How socialization
Common Ethnic group
Co Lao Ede
25,5 15,0 20,0
72,5 75,0 80,0
2,0 10,0 0
Model for children to observe and then do it themselves Show children how to do it and let them practice (hands-on) Children just watch and don't follow
This approach of adults in households also received the agreement and response from children. The majority of children agree (over 80%) with how to teach household chores in the form of both teaching and giving children practice because in this way children will focus on the learning process rather than the work. just stood and watched and didn't do anything.
According to the concept of Marxist sociology, "labor is, first of all, a process taking place between man and nature, a process in which, by his activity, man
mediates, regulates and controls investigate the metabolism between them and nature" [4; p.207].
According to political economists, "the social division of labor is the specialization of labor, that is, the specialization of production between industries, within each industry and between regions in the national economy"...
From the sociological point of view, the social division of labor is used in three ways [5; p.217]:
- In the sense of specialized division of labor, it describes the production process.
According to the social division of labor, it concerns the differences in society as a whole.
- Gender division of labor, which describes the social division between women and men.
According to gender theorists, gender division of labor or gender action is "the social functions, abilities and appropriate modes of action that members of a society rely on when they are a woman or a man" (according to Le Thi Kim Lan, 2006) [3; p.17]. Or "the gender division of labor is the result of a functional division between the sexes based on unity and differences in biological and socio-economic characteristics between the sexes." (quoted by Le Thi Kim Lan, 2006) [3; p.17] The division of labor in societies is associated with socio-cultural patterns, which determine the functions and tasks that women and men will perform. The gender division of labor not only shows who does what and
how much but also shows how the functions and responsibilities of each gender and how resources and benefits are distributed.
For the EM community, "who does what" for families means sharing labor rather than division of labor. Roles are made to support each other and are interdependent; Whoever does what works best will do it. The husband thinks that they shoulder the responsibility of doing heavy work to leave the light work to the wife. So the husband can do little but take on the heavy work, or the woman does a lot of light work, this is accepted by women as a matter of course.
Survey results on the division of labor in the family under the observation of children show that children identify the jobs that belong to women's roles and those that belong to men's roles. Thereby, they form the initial conceptions of their roles and responsibilities as men or women.
Table 3.
Identification of children's future gender roles (%)_
Boys' work Girls' work
Housework (cooking, washing dishes, cleaning the house, ...) 30,0 98,5
Repair household appliances 98,0 10,8
Close tables and chairs 89,0 6,3
Knitting 91,4 10,5
Phat Niang 95,5 32,6
Family care 36,4 85,7
Participate in community work 98,6 35,5
To be more certain about the relationship between the division of labor in the family and the socialization of gender roles in children, we grouped household chores into specific groups: housework; a group of repair and production of household appliances; children care and education groups; community workgroup. The survey results show that there is a linear correlation between parents and children in workgroups, which means that the division of labor in the family affects the identification and formation of identity and roles. children's gender.
Most parents and children believe that housework is women's work; repair work, production of household
appliances is the work of men; The group work of caring for and educating children is expected to be the responsibility and role of both sexes. It can be seen that there is a consensus in the views of both parents and children about activities that are considered appropriate for each gender, which means that gender socialization on the part of parents receives the main acceptance. action and consent on the part of the children. This facilitates the maintenance of gender roles within the family.
Surveying the linear correlation between parents' responses to the gender division of labor in the family and children's gender role identification shows the following results:
Table 4.
Correlation between parents' responses to the gender division of labor in the family and children's gender
role identification
Correlate Household work Repair and production of household appliances Care and education of children Community work
Pearson Correlation Sig. (2-tailed) .250* .037 .258* .001 .219* .015 .365** .005
With correlation values ranging from -1 to +1 (0.26 to 0.39), it is possible to conclude the relationship between the division of labor in the family and the identification of gender roles in children. The Chi-Square test also gives similar results, the p-value level < 5% should show the relationship between the division of labor by gender in the family and the process of socialization of gender roles in children. children in ethnic minority families.
3. Conclusion
To ensure compliance with the content of gender role education, ethnic minority families have traditionally chosen to socialize through productive labor. From an early age, children are guided by their families to work and participate in labor under the strength of their age. Through labor, children learn and impart production experience, ingenuity in their profession, and behavior. The method of socialization through labor and by labor on the one hand emphasizes the value of labor, on the other hand, clearly differentiates the relations of
production and the role of each gender. The form of socialization by hand-holding is a form favored by the Ede and Co Lao families. This approach of adults in households also received the agreement and response from children.
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