Research Paper on:
Differences Between Girls and Boys

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
are supplied with "gender-appropriate" models that originate from what the cultural mandates require of each gender. As a child grows up, he or she learns how to apply these  predisposed roles to both themselves and their gendered counterparts as a means by which to draw the invisible line between male/female. "Studies of preadolescent and adolescent gendered peer cultures  have examined the influence of several factors on the social construction of gender roles" (Adler et al, 1992, p. 119), including how girls play as compared with boys, friendship patterns,  extracurricular involvement, cross-gender orientations and conversational patterns. II. GIRL TALK, BOY TALK Among the myriad differences between boys and girls is the  manner in which they speak. Blair (2000) notes how the variations that exist within gender language are sometimes quite conspicuous, while at other times remain quite subtle; however, one  thing is certain: the formation of these variations originates early in childhood, with parents the primary factor behind these learned contrarieties. Indeed, to listen to a group of adolescent  girls talk when compared to that of a group of young boys, there are obvious differences in the choice of words, the inflection and often the meaning.  Without realizing it, parents verbally address their male children differently than they do their female counterparts, which serves to establish a significant disparity in the manner  each gender ultimately utilizes the language. Blair (2000) notes how experts in the field of child development have consistently found that this incongruous approach parents have toward their children  begins at quite a young age, insofar as the mother and father -- individually as well as collectively -- communicate with baby girls one way and with baby boys an