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A model of sex-role transcendence is described which emphasizes the dialectical nature of change and the transitions within and between stages of development. Our model conceives of sex-role development as proceeding through three stages: stage I, an undifferentiated conception of sex roles in early childhood; stage II, a polarized, oppositional view of sex roles, and stage III, a dynamic transcendence of conventional sex roles. Stage II characterizes many individuals and societal institutions today. We discuss Kuhn’s critique of scientific change to indicate why much social science work on sex roles regards stage II as an ideal end-point, rather than a step in continuing development. The discussion of stage HI highlights the contradictions between a unisex conception of future sex roles and a pluralistic one.
Hefner et al. (Fri,) studied this question.