Editing Gender identity (section)

== Age of formation ==

There are several theories about how and when gender identity forms, and studying the subject is difficult because children's immature [[language acquisition]] requires researchers to make assumptions from indirect evidence.<ref name="Boles_2013">{{cite book |vauthors=Solomon K |title=Men in Transition: Theory and Therapy |date=11 November 2013 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=978-1-4684-4211-3 |pages=101–102 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xIDjBwAAQBAJ |access-date=10 January 2021 |language=en |quote=Gender identity is the individual's personal and private experience of his/her gender. |archive-date=3 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203234347/https://books.google.com/books?id=xIDjBwAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> John Money suggested children might have awareness of and attach some significance to gender as early as 18 months to 2 years; Lawrence Kohlberg argued that gender identity does not form until age 3.<ref name="Boles_2013"/> It is widely agreed that core gender identity is firmly formed by age 3.<ref name="Boles_2013"/><ref name=bukatko>{{cite book| vauthors = Bukatko D, Daehler MW |url= https://archive.org/details/childdevelopment0000buka |title=Child Development: A Thematic Approach|date=2004|publisher=Houghton Mifflin |isbn=978-0-618-33338-7 |page=[https://archive.org/details/childdevelopment0000buka/page/495 495]|language=en|url-access=registration}}</ref><ref>A few authorities say it forms between ages 3 and 4 rather than precisely at age 3, e.g. {{cite book | vauthors = Bryjak GJ, Soraka MP | title = Sociology: Cultural Diversity in a Changing World | veditors = Hanson K | publisher = Allyn & Bacon | date = 1997 | pages = 209–45 }}</ref> At this point, children can make firm statements about their gender<ref name="Boles_2013"/><ref name="Newmann">{{cite book|vauthors=Newmann B|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oTY_7osGmqUC|title=Development Through Life: A Psychosocial Approach|date=20 December 2012|publisher=Cengage Learning|isbn=978-1111344665|page=243|access-date=2 July 2015|archive-date=3 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203231201/https://books.google.com/books?id=oTY_7osGmqUC|url-status=live}}</ref> and tend to choose activities and toys which are considered appropriate for their gender<ref name="Boles_2013"/> (such as dolls and painting for girls, and tools and rough-housing for boys),<ref>Christopher Bates Doob, ''Social Inequality and Social Stratification in US Society''</ref> although they do not yet fully understand the implications of gender.<ref name="Newmann"/> After age three, it is extremely difficult to change gender identity.<ref name="IntBehavSciMed">{{cite book|vauthors=Hine FR, Carson RC, Maddox GL, Thompson Jr RJ, Williams RB|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0UYyBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA106|title=Introduction to Behavioral Science in Medicine|date=2012|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|isbn=978-1-4612-5452-2|page=106|language=en|access-date=8 January 2020|archive-date=1 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200701002454/https://books.google.com/books?id=0UYyBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA106|url-status=live}}</ref>

Martin and Ruble conceptualize this process of development as three stages: (1) as toddlers and pre-schoolers, children learn about defined characteristics, which are socialized aspects of gender; (2) around the ages of five to seven years, identity is consolidated and becomes rigid; (3) after this "peak of rigidity", fluidity returns and socially defined gender roles relax somewhat.<ref>{{cite journal| vauthors = Martin C, Ruble D |year=2004|title=Children's Search for Gender Cues Cognitive Perspectives on Gender Development|journal=Current Directions in Psychological Science|volume=13|issue=2|pages=67–70|doi=10.1111/j.0963-7214.2004.00276.x|s2cid=33579865}}</ref> Barbara Newmann breaks it down into four parts: (1) understanding the concept of gender, (2) learning [[gender role]] standards and stereotypes, (3) identifying with parents, and (4) forming gender preference.<ref name="Newmann" />

According to the [[UNESCO|United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization]] (UNESCO) comprehensive [[sexuality education]] should raise awareness of topics such as gender and gender identity.<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0026/002607/260770e.pdf|title=International technical guidance on sexuality education: An evidence-informed approach|publisher=UNESCO|year=2018|isbn=978-92-3-100259-5|location=Paris|page=18|access-date=23 February 2018|archive-date=13 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181113072101/http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0026/002607/260770e.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>