Gender And Locality As Factors Influencing Assertive Behaviour Among Adolescents

Gender And Locality As Factors Influencing Assertive Behaviour Among Adolescents

ABSTRACT

Gender and location were explored as factors influencing assertive behavior among teenagers in this study. 92 participants were sampled, 48 males and 46 girls between the ages of 16 and 19, with a mean age of 17.42 and a standard deviation of 17.42. The Rathus Assertive Schedule (RAS) was utilized to collect data. The data was analyzed using a 2 x 2 factorial design and a 2 x 2 F-test. Gender and location did not substantially predict assertive behavior among teenagers (F (1,88) = 1.76 and F(1,88) = 0.01 at the P.05 level of significance, respectively). The findings were discussed, and recommendations were made.

CHAPITRE ONE

INTRODUCTION

The human genome contains 46 chromosomes, 45 of which are unisex (Harris, 1998). As a result, females and males share many physical and behavioral characteristics, such as the age at which they begin teething and walking. They are also similar in terms of general vocabulary, assurance, intelligence, self-esteem, and contentment. Actually, there are some distinctions, and it is these variances, rather than the many similarities, that draw attention and make headlines. Researchers in the mainstream sociological tradition, as illustrated by Limp-man Blumen (1984), contend that humans initially acquire gender through socialization in childhood. A great number of research have concluded that guys behave differently toward girls from birth onward. According to one study, in the first 24 hours after delivery, parents described boys as more alert, stronger, and firmer and girls as less attentive, weaker, and more fragile; this goes a great way toward shaping the child’s conduct in all aspects of his or her development, including assertiveness. Gender is almost always considered in studies that evaluate therapy, retention, and outcome (Berrigan & Garfield, 1981). People expect women to be passive aggressive. Women also avoid actions that do not suit “the feminine role,” and when they do participate in “masculine assertiveness,” they are likely to receive skepticism, if not hostility, from others. Women tend to be highly agreeable since they desire to have solid social support, and they can be difficult to reach an agreement with. Men and women communicate in distinct ways (Tannen, 1990).Men are more forceful speakers than women (Poynton, 1995), whilst women are more polite (Newcombe & Arnkoft, 1970). As a result of this discrepancy, women are regarded to be less assertive than men (Cakoft, 1975). The opposing viewpoint underlined that both genders adopt powerless speech patterns. When one has limited control or influence over a task, one may grow uncomfortable performing it, which may result in speaking in a helpless manner (Wheelam & Verdi, 1991). Gender is defined as a “non-technically synonym for sex, especially in feminist psychology, the behavioral, social, and cultural attributes associated with sex” by Colman (2003). Furthermore, Cherlin (1999) defined gender as the social and cultural features that differentiate men and women in society. As a result, being aggressive will be investigated under this component to see how it differentiates or manifests in these two distinct individuals. Age-related behavioral changes are noticeable, particularly changes in physical appearance (Casmir & Auerbach, 1998).

However, it is a well-known fact that our living environment has a significant impact on our behavior. The environment, often known as locale and culture, denotes one meaning. Apart from gender, it is stated in this study that locality will also cause differences in human behavior. Evolution has equipped humans with the ability to live creatively in a changing world and adapt to habitats ranging from equatorial jungles to arctic fields. The variety of human language, conventions, and expressive behavior suggests that many of our behaviors are socially programmed rather than hardwired. Understanding behavior rooted in our cultural or regional context is more crucial in order to prevent making incorrect generalizations based on assumptions about western foreign cultures. There are no global qualities, and the larger the cultural heterogeneity, the less situational comparability there is. The assertive action should be considered within the context of a certain location or cultural setting. Cultural and social standards for behavior are important factors in defining, training, and assessing the effectiveness and repercussions of interpersonal behavior. The goal of assertion training is to have an understanding of assertive in various cultural or locality contexts, to recognize that discriminate those different situations, and to build an increased repertoire for responding effectively in each of these contexts (Wood & Mallinckrodt, 1990). Locality here refers to a district or area where people dwell; nevertheless, it also includes an organism’s eternal surroundings or any external elements that affect the organism’s development or behavior (Colman, 2003).

Assertive behavior entails sticking up for your rights and speaking your truths without fear of being judged. Assertiveness also includes acknowledging and expecting other people’s equality, rights, and truth (changingmind.org, 2008). We call assertive behavior activity that allows a person to act in his or her own best interests, to stand up for herself without undue worry, to show interest, feeling, or comfort; or to exercise personal rights without affecting the rights of others (Alberti & Emmons, 1970, 1974).

As a result, the purpose of this study is to investigate and identify which of these two factors, gender or location, best represents assertiveness. Because we all have unique biological, social, religious, and cultural features. It is critical to understand that being forceful or unassertive, which many studies have shown can create various healthy and harmful behavior, can be a result of the individual’s gender, locality, or culture.

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The goal of this study is to see if gender influences assertive behavior in teenagers, as well as whether locality influences assertive behavior in adolescents.

EXPLANATION OF THE PROBLEMS

This research will provide solutions to the following issues.

Will gender have an impact on adolescents’ assertive behavior?

Will teenage assertiveness be influenced by their location?

DEFINITION OF TERMS IN BUSINESS

Gender refers to the cultural and social features that separate men and women in society.

Locality: This refers to the external environment in which an organism (human) lives, or an external component that influences the development of behavior in the organism. This can also be broken down into urban and rural areas.

Urban locality: These are persons who have lived in the city since birth or for the first six years after birth.

Rural Locality: These are persons who were born and raised in the village’s rural region.

Adolescents: This is a group of people who are between the ages of 13 and 19, sometimes known as the adolescent years.

Assertive behavior is defined as expressing personal rights and feelings in a way that does not infringe on the rights of others.