Impact of Single Fathers on Childrens Gender Identity Development

Impact of Single Fathers on Children’s Gender Identity Student’s Name Institution Affiliation Instructor’s Name Course Number Date Introduction. Gender identity is an individual’s internal experience of gender. It correlates with being male or female or both. It is evident that around the age of two, children can identify their physical differences and through their conscience, they can distinguish themselves as boys and girls. A child’s gender identity is influenced by family, society, environment, and the media. Parents significantly impact children’s gender development since they are the first people to provide them with lessons about gender. They act as role models to their sons and daughters hence contributing to molding their behaviors. According to (Khudyakova et al., 2016), the problem of gender identity formation is very acute in modern society. The concept of gender identity formation for single parents derails a child’s understanding of masculinity and femininity, the idea f being male and female, and the behavior patterns in society. For various reasons, it is ideal for children to be raised by both parents for a harmonious relationship and the development of adaptive functional gender identity. However, divorce, breakups, abandonment, death of one parent, rape, and domestic violence contribute to single parenting. The concept of single fatherhood is never discussed more often in society compared to single motherhood. Women are more likely and capable to head single-parent families compared to men. Single parent households manifest alienation of the non-dominant parent creating a symbiotic relationship with the dominant parent. Society tends to favor single mothers acknowledging that they are the most vulnerable group compared to single fathers. This paper will discuss the concept of gender identity development and single fathers, the positive and negative impacts on gender identity development, and reforms that uphold gender identity development for single fathers. A) The concept of Gender Identity Single father Ideology about Gender Identity. From a gender perspective, children internalize parents’ ideologies and assertions about gender in their childhood. Fathers are culturally oriented in family providence and authority and development and a child identity I often a second thought. Men are ignorant compared to women concerning their children’s needs. They need to be reminded and taught about the welfare of their children. Single fathers are ignorant of some basic issues faced by girls and sometimes cannot replace the hand of the mother. Society today has seen an increase in media and internet use. Fathers sometimes allow their children to dress inappropriately, promoting transgender in their children. For instance, media portrays celebrities and pop musician men wearing skirts while performing as a sign of contemporary culture. Male children can emulate such lifestyles. Fathers lacking knowledge on the likely effect of such actions will likely promote gender identity issues in their children. Mothers often ridicule their sons and daughters when they dree inappropriately but fathers are reluct