Culture Influences the Development of Children's Gender-Related Peer Preferences: Evidence from China and Thailand

Autor/inn/en	Wang, Yang; Qian, Miao; Nabbijohn, A. Natisha; Wen, Fangfang; Fu, Genyue; Zuo, Bin; VanderLaan, Doug P.
Titel	Culture Influences the Development of Children's Gender-Related Peer Preferences: Evidence from China and Thailand
Quelle	In: Developmental Science, 25 (2022) 4, (12 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (VanderLaan, Doug P.)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1467-7687
DOI	10.1111/desc.13221
Schlagwörter	Cultural Differences; Preferences; Gender Differences; Child Development; Correlation; Sexual Identity; Cross Cultural Studies; Foreign Countries; Peer Groups; Preschool Children; Vignettes; Friendship; Comparative Analysis; LGBTQ People; Age Differences; Social Differences; Thailand; China + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Kultureller Unterschied; Geschlechterkonflikt; Kindesentwicklung; Korrelation; Geschlechtsidentität; Sexuelle Identität; Cultural comparison; Kulturvergleich; Ausland; Gleichaltrigengruppe; Peer Group; Pre-school age; Preschool age; Child; Children; Pre-school education; Preschool education; Vorschulalter; Kind; Kinder; Vorschulkind; Vorschulkinder; Vorschulerziehung; Vorschule; Freundschaft; Age; Difference; Age difference; Altersunterschied; Sozialer Unterschied
Abstract	Current understanding of how culture relates to the development of children's gender-related peer preferences is limited. To investigate the role of societal acceptance of gender nonconformity, this study compared children from China and Thailand. Unlike China and other cultures where the conceptualization of gender as binary is broadly accepted, individuals who identify as a nonbinary "third" sex/gender have been highly visible and tolerated in Thai society for at least several decades. Chinese and Thai 4- to 9-year-olds (N = 458) viewed vignettes of four hypothetical peers who varied on gender (i.e., boy vs. girl) and gender-typed toy play behavior (i.e., masculine vs. feminine), and were asked to give a friendship preference rating for each peer. Chinese, compared with Thai, children evidenced gender-related peer preferences that emerged earlier, remained more stable across age groups, and were relatively more biased against gender-nonconforming behavior. The only cultural similarity was in children's preference for peers who were of the same gender and/or displayed same-gender-typed behavior. Thus, while preference for peers who are of the same gender and/or display same-gender-typed behavior is common among children across cultures, the developmental onset and course of these preferences vary by culture. Moreover, societal acceptance of gender nonconformity might be key to limiting children's bias against gender-nonconforming peers. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01