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Section 6. Psychology
Section 6. Psychology
Dubetska Lilia Igorivna, Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University, Post-graduate student, Department of Philosophy E-mail: dubetska _liliya@mail.ru
The impact of identifying images on the formation gender concepts and competencies of preschool orphanage children
Abstract: The paper presents configuration of images of gender identity of preschool children who are brought up in an orphanage and preschool children from full families. The peculiarities of influence of identifying images on the formation gender representations of boys and girls are stated in the article. The author reveals the difficulty of forming gender competence of preschool orphanage children.
Keywords: preschool children, orphanage, family, content analysis, identification image, gender representation, competence.
In each, more or less developed country ofthe world people try to most effectively solve the problems associated with the development of the child who is brought up in social and psychological reality of orphanage. However, many boys and girls who live in orphanages consider themselves unhappy. Boarding schools are not able to withstand the competition with the family as a social institution, this fact has its explanations.
Various socio-psychological studies show that personal development in terms of orphanage undergoes significant deviations from the norm. Especially striking is the difficulty in forming emotional and value-semantic sphere of orphans. However, equally important is the problem of formation of gender representations ofboys and girls who are brought up in an orphanage.
Psychological problems of gender identity, peculiarities of its development in ontogenesis were directly or indirectly studied by such scientists as S. Bem, I. Hofman, VJ. Kahan, T. B. Kubrychenko, T. B. Govorun, P. P. Gornostai, E. P. Ilyin,
I. S. Kon, I. S. Klotsyna, O. M. Kikinezhdi, T. M. Tytarenko and others. In the works of these authors were considered the nature and essence of gender identity, they offer analysis of the features of its forming in different age groups here are considered factors of gender identity of the child and provided violations in the development of gender identity which lead to various negative consequences.
Underlining the value of these research works, it should be noted that most scientific papers relates to the study of peculiarities of gender identity and its components in children and adolescents who are brought up in families. In fact, gender socialization is the collaboration of experienced male father and female-mother with children in their acquisition of gender-relevant knowledge and skills. The girl identifies her-selfwith her mother, and the boy - with his father. A girl tries to take after the mother and the boy - his father, on this basis each of them forms understanding of itself as a girl and a boy, as well as the overall image of woman and man.
Thus, the purpose of the article is to draw attention to the difference between the images identifying preschool children from orphanages and preschool children from full families, and — the key role of these identifying images in successful formation of gender representations of boys and girls and further search for ways of harmonious development of a child in an orphanage.
Our hypothesis is that the difference between the identifying images of children from full families and preschool children from orphanages causes difficulties in the latter formation of gender concepts and gender competencies that are interrelated notions.
To achieve this goal and clarify our assumptions, we conducted individual interviews with preschoolers from the orphanage “Warm House” which is situated in the town of Dolyna (Ivano-Frankivsk region) and preschool children from full families. This individual interviews aimed at identifying the specific images of gender identity of boys and girls of preschool age. They included the following questions: “What do you want to be in the future, why?”; “Who would you like to look like and why?”, “What do you want to learn to do and who can teach you this?”, “Describe what would you be like when you grow up?”, “Who of the adults you know looks like you in the future?”, “Who of the adults you like best and why?”, “Would you like to follow him|her and if «yes», in what way?”, “Who do you most love to spend time with and why?”.
To process the responses received as a result of individual interviews we used the method of content analysis. Working on the answers of orphanage girls and the girls who are brought up in full families we singled out a number of categories of analysis, each of them is a certain way of gender identity. Configurations of identification images of girls from the orphanage and girls from full families are presented at Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 accordingly.
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The impact of identifying images on the formation gender concepts and competencies of preschool orphanage children
S educator
0 moral carrier
Ш intellectual abilities carrier
Fig 1. Configurations of identification images of girls from the orphanage
0 mother
Ш appearance
ЕЭ profession
0 emotional kinship
Fig. 2. Configurations of identification images of girls from full families
We found that the images of identification of girls who are brought up in full families and girls from the orphanage are entirely different. Images of identification of girls who are brought up in full families are their mother (40 %), the external image of adult girls/women (24 %), professional image (18 %) and category of analysis of “sense and emotional kinship with family people" (18 %) while the dominant images of identification of girls from orphanage are the image of the educator (60 %), the image of the carrier of high moral values and positive character traits (23 %), the image of a person who develops its own creative abilities and acquire reading and writing skills (17 %). The fact of differences of identifying images of children from the orphanage and full families is the key to understanding gender identification of girls who are brought up in orphanages. The main problem is the lack of their timely basis for the formation of three typical role models of female gender identity which formation is noticeable already in 5-6 year-old-girls who are raised in full families. This formation is possible because a mother image is a fundamental principle for the formation of such a model of gender identity construction of women as “Bereg-ynia" / “Guardian". In its turn, the appearance image and the appearance of adult girls/women underlies the future role model of “Barbie" and a professional image — a role model of “Business Woman". It is clear that at the stage ofpre-school age girls we see only the emergence of standard models of gender identity of women. However, such an early start is the most favorable factor in the formation of age-resistant multifaceted role models female gender identity. It is impossible not to notice the fact that the combination of images found in identifying girls who are brought up in full families, promotes a formation of future harmonious personality female in which is possible the combination of all three key roles. The lack of image of the mother, the external image of the adult women representative, professional image, among
the images of identification of girls from orphanages plays an important role in shaping their gender perceptions, first of all, because it indicates the impossibility of forming in them these models of female gender identity at the preschool age stage. Analyzing, using the method of content analysis, these responses of girls from the orphanage and girls from full families, we found that the presence or absence of any identification image is very important in shaping perceptions of gender of children.
Features of influence of identification images on the formation of gender representations and gender competence of preschool girls brought up in an orphanage
The lack of image of the mother, but at the same time, regular absence of initial stage of forming a key role model “Berehynya" leads to a lack timely emergence of desire to have their children, husband and family. The lack of awareness of the relationship that in order to become a mother, one should have a baby, take care of it, provide it with all necessary things, and especially in the children’s understanding, toys; the lack of examples of mother’s spending time with her children and husband; no mother’s examples of interactions with those people around her; the lack of desire to perform gender duties of a housewife hinders the formation of a particular type of female identity — “housewife". Any girl who is brought up in an orphanage failed to reveal the meaning of the image “mother". Such girls do not have specific knowledge about gender norms as a mother, this threatens the lack of competence to perform this role in the future. Instead, the only way a strong identification of children from orphanage is the image of the educator. As a result, multi-faceted female image representations of children is shrinking to the image of woman, whose livelihood is aimed to meet all children’s needs, namely the need for social services, self-protection needs, security needs in education, training, communication and ensuring all necessary
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Section 6. Psychology
aspects. In the orphanage identification objects are also images of such specialists as psychologist, speech therapist, social pedagogue. The above images appear only as images of women that ensure the needs of the child. Despite the fact that girls are constantly surrounded by women who take care of them, most girls didn’t have any desire or a clear idea that they could also take care of their children as mothers. It should be noted that this service to children by teachers and orphanage specialists could lead to a formation of future passive personality as a female and a male, not able to provide themselves with their essential needs and solve basic social and domestic issues.
The lack of identification image of an adult girl/woman as a standard of external appeal is an obstacle to the formation of orphanage children understanding of concepts such as female attractiveness, charm, sophistication, elegance, fashion, etc. Which in its turn does not promote the timely formation of a role model “Barbie”. Girls brought up in full families, have a bright expression of ideas about the future of their own image of femininity, based on the external image of adult girls / women. The absence of such an image to follow threatens in future orphanage’s girls lack of competence of the appearance and behavior of adult women.
The lack of professional image among the identifying images of girls from orphanages is an unfavorable factor in the
40 и 30 20 10 Л. /■ I
^ 4 1
1 ^ i W
1 /
i i i i profession father moral carier boy
Fig. 3. Configurations of identification images of boys from the orphanage
Fig. 4. Configurations of identification images of boys from full families
formation of competence in a role model of identity “Business Woman”. The absence of such competence may make process of professional self-realization difficult in future.
The image of a person who is a carrier of high moral values and positive traits of character, and also the image of an adult who is creative, has the skills of reading and writing are the images of identification of girls from orphanage. It should be stressed that the image of morally perfect person contributes to gender stereotypes of girls about the idea that they are women and in future should be kind, sensitive, compassionate, patient, loving and more. Of course, these identifying images promote formation of girls’ competence as worthy individuals, but only under the condition if human values are formed and aspirations of the intellectual development successfully pass the test reality and can be implemented in it.
Sense of emotional kinship is the only category of analysis that does not hide a single identification image. We cannot fail to pay attention to the fact that this category of analysis is absent in girls who are brought up in an orphanage, which, as we know, is not conducive to a constructive process of identification.
Working on reply of orphanage boys, we singled out a number of categories of analysis, each of which can be seen as a certain image of gender identity. Configurations images of gender identity of orphanage boys and boys from full families are represented respectively in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4.
We revealed that images of identification of boys from the orphanage are the professional image (36 %), the image of the father (26 %), the image of the carrier of high moral values and positive character traits (20 %), the image of the adult boy (18 %) while images of identification of boys from full families
are the image of the father (39 %), professional image (29 %), the image of the adult boy (18 %) and category analysis “feeling emotional kinship with relatives” (14 %).
Each of these images has a specific importance in the formation of gender representations of boys from orphanages.
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The impact of identifying images on the formation gender concepts and competencies of preschool orphanage children
Analyzing this information, using the method of content analysis, we revealed a number of features.
Features of influence of identification images on the formation of gender representations and gender competence of preschool boys brought up in an orphanage
The image of father of boys from orphanage is diffuse, in connection with this it is ineffectual in its impact on the formation of gender representations of boys who are brought up in an orphanage. We revealed that it prevents the formation their ideas about possible interactions of the father with his family and others; absence of a stereotype of “going” to work every day as a way of life for men; not understanding of father necessity of going to work to be financially maintained and provide for his family; not giving importance to the fact that having money allows him to share them with others and buying everything necessary for family. As a result, there is no formation already at the stage of preschool boys from orphanage competence standards for such male gender roles as the norm of success, status, under which the social value of a man is determined by his earnings and success at work. Availability of a professional identification image of boys who are brought up in an orphanage contributes to their social professional role. They have a tendency for professional fulfillment, namely, the desire to become a good specialist. However, we would like to note that despite the presence of desire of boys who are brought up in an orphanage, to have a particular profession in the future, they have no idea about how to obtain it and this in reality does not promote obtaining by the boys their profession and their professional fulfillment.
The boys from orphanage as well as the girls have the identification image, this is the image of a person with high moral values and positive character traits. D espite the fact that under the existing gender stereotypes, moral perfection is not required for boys, this dominant identification image is favorable basis for the establishment of a man with true human values in future. Striving to be the carrier of high moral values and positive character traits of orphanage boys, as well as girls who are brought up in an orphanage, is likely the result of the cult of moral education in the orphanage and not the result of subjective experiences of children. So we have to guess how strong will be high moral sphere of boys and girls from the orphanage in difficult situations that await them outside the boarding school.
Among the identifying images of orphanage boys we observe the image of an adult boy. However, taking into account the misunderstanding of this image, it is not effective in shaping gender representations of boys who are brought up in an orphanage. This fact prevents the formation of their
competence in their masculinity, namely, the desire to be physically strong, invincible, perform stereotypical gender roles and responsibilities (eg owner, lawyer, car driver, etc.), the formation of which occurs in boys from full families already in preschool age. This in its turn is not conducive to the timely beginning of the formation of such a normal male gender roles as typical physical hardness, according to which man should possess physical strength.
We already talked about that feelings of emotional kinship are the only category of analysis that does not hide a single identification image. This category of analysis is completely alien for boys from the orphanage, which may deprive the identification of unconscious desire of children to be like their relatives.
Thus, using the method of content analysis we revealed differences in the pattern of gender identification of girls from orphanage and girls who are brought up in complete families. The difference is that the identification images of girls who are brought up in full families are those images as a mother, the external image of adult girls/women, professional image, while images identification of orphanage girls are such images as the image of the teacher, the image of a person carrier of high moral values and positive character traits, the image of a human who is developing own creative abilities, acquire the skills of reading and writing. As for the boys, we found that the images they identify are the image of his father, the adult boy image and professional image. However, these boys’ from the orphanage images because of their vagueness may not be sufficiently effective in forming their gender representations.
We managed to confirm the hypothesis that the difference between images of gender identification of preschool children from the orphanage and preschool children from full families impede the timely formation of orphanage girls competence on such role models as “Bereginya”, “Barbie” and “Business Woman” and the boys — leads to a lack of competence on the role of father, masculinity, and the ways of obtaining future profession.
In addition, we are able to state that unfavorable factor in the process of efficient formation of gender concepts and gender competence of preschool children from the orphanage is the lack of feeling emotional kinship with their relatives and close people.
The research results highlighted in this article can contribute to finding effective ways, methods and techniques to optimize the conditions for construction of gender concepts and gender competence of preschool children, including preschoolers from orphanages.
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