Traditional gender roles are still prevalent in early kindergartens, according to shocking new research.
Staff in early childhood education and care institutions (ECEC) expect boys to be physical and active when playing and the girls to be quieter and calmer, the study found.
Researchers found staff consciously or subconsciously maintain traditional gender patterns – calling little girls petite and lovely while telling the boys they were big and strong.
Staff in early childhood education and care institutions (ECEC) expect boys to be physical and active when playing, while the girls must be quieter and calmer, the study found (stock image)
The study found staff frequently commented on the children’s appearance, responding to boys and girls in different ways.
They even encouraged traditional stereotypical play even though the children themselves chose something else to do.
This was also reflected in the references made by the ECEC staff to the children’s clothing, according to research from the University of Stavanger.
The girls’ clothing was referred to as ‘sweet’ and ‘nice’, while the boys’ clothing was ‘tough’ and ‘cool’.
The staff also discussed what they considered to be ‘girls’ clothing’ and ‘boys’ clothing’.
One example of this was when a girl at the ECEC who usually wore typical ‘boys’ clothing’ suddenly turned up in a pink dress. She got comments from the staff about how sweet and pretty she looked in the dress.
Other similar comments made to the girls included: ‘Oh, you look so sweet and beautiful today, a little princess!’.
‘The boys did not receive such comments,’ said author Dr Aud Toril Meland
‘We did not expect the students to find the ECEC staff contributing to this to such an extent,’ said Dr Meland.
They also found the staff encouraged the girls to take part in typical care tasks.
When the girls laid the table, tidied up the room or helped younger children to take off or put on clothing, they were praised and told they were ‘kind and good little helpers’.
Dr Kaltvedt adds that this was sometimes also reflected in the attention given by the staff to the girls and boys.
The girls’ clothing was referred to as ‘sweet’ and ‘nice’, while the boys’ clothing was ‘tough’ and ‘cool’. The boys were given more verbal and non-verbal responses, while the girls had to wait their turn and be patient (stock image)
The boys were given more verbal and non-verbal responses, while the girls had to wait their turn and be patient.
In one example where several children were sitting together around a table and doing a puzzle, one of the girls tried to attract the attention of the staff without success.
Immediately afterwards, one of the boys tried to attract the attention of the same member of staff and got an immediate response. The students observed many other similar situations.
In the cases where the girls and boys played in an ‘untraditional manner’, they were often treated by the staff based on a traditional gender role pattern.
Girls who ran around shouting loudly were asked to calm down; otherwise, they would be stopped from playing and encouraged by the staff to take part in calmer play activities, such as drawing or beading.
‘Our results indicate that girls have to fight harder in order to be seen; girls sit more quietly and wait, while the boys get confirmation and acknowledgement. The ECEC is therefore not gender-neutral,’ said Dr Meland.
According to Dr Meland and Dr Kaltvedt, the Directorate for Education and Training no longer places any emphasis on the ECEC staff reflecting on their own attitudes and society’s expectations concerning gender.
The ECEC teacher training course must ensure that a knowledge of gender role patterns and equality is put on the agenda, researchers said.
‘Raising awareness and competence concerning repetitive gender role practice and how this can be broken must also be reinforced in both training and practice,’ they stress.