Relationship between masculinity and femininity and parental rearing pattern in lower grade primary school students / 中国学校卫生

ABSTRACT

Objective@#To analyze the correlation between the scores of masculinity and femininity and parental rearing pattern in lower grade primary school students in Xiamen, and to provide a policy suggestions and reference basis for establishing a correct concept of gender role among children and adolescents.@*Methods@#A cluster random sampling method was used to select 823 students from two primary schools in Xiamen. Masculinity and femininity scores were assessed by Children s Sex Role Inventory(CSRI), while attitudes and behaviors of parental rearing pattern were obtained through EMBU. Regression analyses were used to analyze the correlation between masculinity and femininity scores and parental rearing pattern.@*Results@#Masculinity scored 2.82 ( 2.41 ,3.24) and 2.82 (2.47,3.18), femininity scored 2.87 (2.40,3.20) and 3.13 (2.73,3.47) among boys and girls, with no significant gender difference ( P >0.05). Masculinity and femininity scores varied significantly by parental emotional warmth and understanding(father Z/H =44.61, 37.24；mother Z/H=41.68, 46.64, P <0.05). Among boys, increasing parental emotional warmth and understanding and paternal excessive interference were associated with higher masculinity and femininity scores. Increasing rejection and maternal deny were associated with lower masculinity scores. Among girls, increasing the understanding of emotional warmth of fathers was associated with masculinity and femininity scores, increasing excessive interference from mothers was associated with lower masculinity scores ( P <0.05).@*Conclusion@#There are gender differences in the relationship between parental rearing pattern and masculinity and femininity scores. In particular, increasing parents emotional warmth and understanding and reducing mothers punishment and harshness, rejection and denial, and other negative parenting styles could facilitate healthy development of masculinity and femininity among primary school students.