Sociologist C. J. Pascoe found that boys often use homophobic slurs toward each other in an effort to define masculinity for themselves and other boys in her ethnography of high school boys titled Dude, You're a Fag. This is an example of the
A) influence that peers can have as agents of socialization.
B) inability of school officials to manage the behavior of young boys.
C) prestige that boys have over girls in schools.
D) consequences that all-boys schools can have on male behavior.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Pascoe's findings illustrate how peers can influence and shape an individual's understanding and performance of gender roles through socialization processes. The use of homophobic slurs to assert dominance and establish masculinity reinforces how societal expectations of gender roles and sexuality are learned and perpetuated through peer interactions.