What's in a Picture? Comparing Gender Constructs of Younger and Older Adults

Abstract

To identify tacit gender role constructs, 192 younger adults ( M age = 21.1) and 126 older adults ( M age = 70.1) were given a series of six drawings unrelated to gender, asked to create a brief description of the person who made each drawing, and then asked to guess the person's age and sex. Using the Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) system as a guide, gender prototypes were developed. Three findings were significant. First, there was widespread agreement across generations and across sexes on the central features of prototypical femininity (low self-esteem, restricted/oppressed, emotional distress) and on prototypical masculinity (successful/accomplished, risk-taking, strong/determined, problem-solving, and emotional distress). Second, significant intergenerational differences regarding masculinity were found (younger adults citing more role strain and more emotional expressiveness). Third, one within-generation difference was found (younger men versus younger women regarding prototypical femininity). Implications of these findings are discussed.