Firstly, the theoretical part presents the definitions of key concepts. Fausto-Sterling (2014) differentiates between sex and gender. Sex is assigned at birth based on one’s external genitalia, whereas gender refers to the identity or self-representation of a person and always corresponds to the demands of the culture the person is born into. Gender identity is a person’s perception of themselves as male or female (Marjanovič Umek, 2020). A person can identify themselves with the sex assigned at birth, or not. Some individuals for example do not feel feminine enough to meet the requirements that society demands from women (Štular, 1998). Secondly, different evolutionary theories of gender roles are presented: biological and biological social theories, learning and social learning theories, cognitive developmental theories, as well as the theory of gender schemas. The thesis then focuses on exploring the differences between both sexes and describes the areas in which boys and girls differ or present similarities. According to Marjanovič Umek (2004), only a tenth of individual differences between children can be attributed to their sex, the rest is attributable to other factors. The theoretical part concludes by presenting gender stereotypes and the impact of social environment on the typical gender behaviour displayed by children.
The purpose of the research was to establish how older pre-school children perceive gender and what they associate it with. A structured interview technique was used in which twenty children, aged 5-6 years participated, ten males and ten females. The results showed that pre-school children, both girls and boys, are aware of their gender. However, in identifying gender they tend to focus more on external and cultural aspects of their gender identity, rather than on the body anatomy itself. The thesis concludes that even pre-school children of both sexes tend to express gender stereotypes when choosing colours, toys and professions.
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