Like-Sex Versus Opposite-Sex Effects in Transmission of Gender Role Ideology from Parents to Adolescents in Israel

Abstract

The study examined whether transmission of gender role ideology is more prevalent among parents and children of the same sex (like-sex effect) than among parents and children of the opposite sex (opposite-sex effect). Gender role ideology was assessed on the basis of 2 factors: gender role stereotypes and occupational sex-typing. The research sample consisted of 134 fathers, 134 mothers, and 134 Israeli adolescents (equally divided among girls and boys). Moderate correlations (ranging from 0.22 to 0.58) were found between parents and children, which indicate a partial like-sex effect. Specifically, father–son correlations in gender-role attitudes were higher than father–daughter correlations. Regarding occupational sex-typing, the same pattern was found only for attitudes toward masculine occupations. As far as mothers were concerned, no like-sex effect was found for either aspect of gender role ideology. Mothers were found to have the most liberal gender role attitudes, while children expressed less liberal attitudes, and fathers expressed the most traditional attitudes. As far as occupational sex-typing is concerned, mothers expressed the most liberal attitudes, while no significant differences were found between fathers and children. All family members expressed more traditional attitudes toward in-home roles than toward outside roles, and maintained more stereotyped perceptions of masculine tasks than those of feminine tasks.