The Factors Contributing to Children’s Gender Cognitive Development

Abstract

Gender topic has been discussed fiercely nowadays. In the more and more inclusive society with various identities about gender, there are also many conventional beliefs like gender stereotypes, which are likely to bring an abundance of social problems, especially for children, as they influence their multiple development. This paper aims to review previous studies and illustrates the factors contributing to children’s gender cognitive development (from family and school), which will be discussed mainly focusing on gender identity and gender stereotypes. As families (especially parents) and schools (especially teachers) play a fundamental role in children’s cognitive development, the factors are mainly divided into three aspects, including the parents’ education ideas, parents’ sexual orientations, and the teachers’ gender attitudes at school. The most key conclusion is that for parents and teachers with stronger gender stereotypes, children will form stronger gender stereotypes and more traditional gender identity in their gender cognition. The paper also provides suggestions for parents, teachers, and schools.