1. Institutions and Gender Paradigms
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Institutions and the Formation of Gender Paradigms – a Lifelong Experience
Sara Bachtel
The University of Georgia

2. Institutions and Gender Paradigms
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The School
When considering Symbolic Interaction Theory, the classroom is just one
institution which proves to be a formative environment for where children receive input
and react to it -- learning what is expected from them and adapting to the feedback they
receive. Teachers in these settings can be significant sources of information for children
to form ideas about themselves in regards to gender and performance. One way is
through teachers’ expectations regarding math competencies. These can influence the
self-concepts their students develop later, and the courses they may choose further down
the road when considering colleges or careers. The ways this information is
communicated is expressed through modeling behaviors (the sex of the teacher who
teaches the subject) or explicit comments regarding math efficacy and gender stereotypes.
Even unspoken expectations can be indirectly translated through the reactions teachers
have with their students regarding their math skills (Gunderson et al., 2012).
Peers
Performance in school is not only academic, it is also social and an environment
in which children act and learn from their peers. In this sense, peers also can be an
institution as groups are created and ideologies are formed. One way this is demonstrated
is through bullying and the masculine stereotypes associated with dominance and power.
Research suggests that masculine traits are associated with bullying at schools. This
desire to assert dominance, power, and control was considered to be related to the
inequality of gender stereotypes in school. Research suggests girls who embrace what
are considered feminine qualities have a negative association with bullying behaviors
(Morales et al., 2016). Therefore, interactions with other students are a means for

3. Institutions and Gender Paradigms
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learning about gender, but also a reaction perhaps to other institutions in which these
stereotypes are endorsed.
The Workplace
While women have made considerable breakthrough in the workplace in the
United States through securing managerial positions, gender stereotypes in these
institutions still seem to influence their managerial behaviors. One way is through
conflict. Conflict is not a relic of the past playground experiences among peers as
mentioned in regards to bullying, but is still confronted in the professional and social
spheres of adults. Their early experiences, however, in school institutions and among
peers may influence the way they interact with others years later. Some research
suggested that women in managerial positions were more likely to react in more active
constructive ways than men, who conversely were more prone to employ active
destructive behaviors. Additionally, women were found to use passive destructive
behaviors (Davis et al., 2010). These findings uphold the ideas that gender is something
still experienced and enacted in the workplace as well as in early childhood or high
school. Roles still exist in which people are reacting in ways they have learned be most
appropriate through their interactions with others.

4. Institutions and Gender Paradigms
References
Davis, M., Capobianco, S., & Kraus, L. (2010). Gender Differences in Responding to
Conflict in the Workplace: Evidence from a Large Sample of Working
Adults. Sex Roles, 63(7-8), 500-514.
Gunderson, E., Ramirez, G., Levine, S., & Beilock, S. (2012). The Role of Parents and
Teachers in the Development of Gender-Related Math Attitudes. Sex Roles, 66(3-
4), 153-166.
Morales, J., Yubero, S., & Larrañaga, E. (2016). Gender and Bullying: Application of a
Three-Factor Model of Gender Stereotyping. Sex Roles, 74(3-4), 169-180.