This study examines the school behavior of children to see whether this still holds true today. To address this issue, I observed fourth graders at Rice Elementary School during recess and in the classroom. When at recess the class separated themselves; for example most of the boys would play football or throw a frisbee, while most of the girls would play house together under a tree. While observing students at recess I tabulated the number of times children fell down or were injured as a result of the roughness of play. Additionally I noted the response of the child to the fall, indicating whether the child cried, brushed it off, or sought help from an adult or another student. I also indicated the response of peers and adults to the child, noting whether the response differed in relation to the child's gender. Overall the boys were rougher in their play, for example more boys than girls fell down while doing an activity such as chasing or pushing another classmate. When a boy did fall down three out of four times the boy got back up and began to play again. One time the boy went and showed the teacher the scratch, and she brushed the dirt off and sent him back out to play. When the young boys fell, their peers halted the game for a few seconds to see if the boy was going to cry. When the boys showed they were not seriously injured the game continued. This reinforces the notion that boys are expected to be rough and tough, as opposed to girls being nice and quiet. The one time I observed a girl fall she began to cry. Her peers, who were mostly girls flocked around her. The teacher immediately rushed to the scene. When the teacher realized the girl only had a minor injury she had a peer walk her to the nurse. Although the scrapes from all the falls were relatively minor, depending on gender the children were treated differently. The boys were expected to “take it like a man"‚ and go on playing their games. When the little girl fell she needed to be cared for. The unconscious actions of this teacher proved that the boys are socialized to be aggressive and tough, while the girl was expected to cry and feel the need (dependence on) of the teacher.
Classroom observations centered on active and passive behaviors as well; though in the classroom, the passive/aggressive behaviors were harder to judge. The teacher, who was female, controlled the class very well. One aggressive behavior I observed was shouting out in the classroom as opposed to raising hands. I observed differences in the students responses to the questions posed by the teacher, and how the responses differed by gender. I counted the number of times boys and girls shouted out answers and raised their hands to be called on. I also note the differences of listening skills and general behavior (making noise and walking around). In one case, when asked a question two out of three people shouted out; a female raised her hand, and a female and male shouted out. In another instance two out of four students shouted out; both students who shouted out were male, while both students who raised their hands were female. On eight different occasions when only one student shouted out, the ratio of males shouting out to females shouting out was eight to three. I also noted that when this shouting out occurred, twice when a female student shouted out, she had the correct answer. On four occasions boys shouted out, not because they had the right answer, but because they wanted to be heard. Clearly the males in this classroom were more aggressive and less patient to answer the questions.
In the same classroom, I observed the actions of the students while a peer held the floor to speak. The students wrote stories and were asked to read them aloud to the class. While this was occurring, ideally the other students present would direct their attention to the speaking student. The students were asked to sit quietly and listen to the speaker. Male students were consistently more active than female students. The female students sat and listened, and if they were not listening they still sat quietly. The male students, though, found reasons to get up (walk to the trash can or bathroom), tapped something on their desk, or just made noise in general.
My final classroom observation proving male children are more aggressive comes from the students speaking with each other. For example, when the students were allowed a few minutes of free time to speak with each other male voices were dominant. In several cases the male students continued to argue with the females over a question neither knew the answer to. When the girls tried to speak, they were often quieted by the boys through interruption or they were spoken over. Through this research I conclude that, male aggressiveness is still present in today's children.The results of this research are important because children are still being socialized with limiting gender expectations, boys are still taught to be the aggressor; while girls learn to be passive. These learned behaviors carry into adulthood, and have many very negative effects. For example, in mixed gender groups, at public gatherings, and in many informal conversations, men spend more time talking than women do. Men also initiate more interaction than women do (Towson University). Those who talk more are more likely to be perceived as dominant and controlling of the situation. I do not believe this is a coincidence, men have been socialized all their lives to be the aggressor, or in this case hold the floor. Some women participate in creating their own passive participation, by allowing interruptions, or not speaking up simply because they feel inferior to the men. Women were socialized as girls with this passive behavior. I bring all this to attention because these learned behaviors inhibit women from obtaining positions whether at jobs or in group organizations equal to those positions of males.
So, what can we do to help counteract these negative influences on our children? First as parents, teachers, and peers we must become aware of our own biases and preconceived notions from the start. Even young children easily detect adult expectations and try to fulfill them. If we expect only certain behaviors such as aggression, from our sons because “boys will be boys," then these are the behaviors that we will see. We must unlearn the stereotypes that have for so long ruled our culture. We must talk to our children, both boys and girls and demonstrate to them that communication is acceptable for both sexes. We must be flexible in our own behavior rather than conforming to stereotypical roles.
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