GENDER SOCIALIZATION OF ADOLESCENTS IN THE HOME - RESEARCH AND DISCUSSION

While gender socialization and practice have been investigated in educ ation, work, and children within the family, there has been minimal re search on adolescents and parents. The present research focused on mal e and female adolescents' perceptions of their mothers' and fathers' b ehavior in six common family routines: allowances, gifts, use of the f amily car, curfew, and chores inside and outside the home. Data were g athered from 448 senior high school students, Gender-equal behavior to ward sons and daughters was clearly evident in the parental practie of allowances and gift giving, and less evident in permission to use the family car. Traditional behavior was strongly evident in sons' perfor ming outside chores and, to a lesser degree, in daughters' keeping an earlier curfew and doing more inside chores. Fathers were more traditi onal than mothers in allowance and gift giving to sons, and less tradi tional than mothers in giving sons permission to use the car. It is ev ident from the perspective of the teenager, that stereotypical gender roles are being perpetuated in North American home life.