Gender Stereotypes

Abstract

People assume that the sex of a person can tell everything about their gender. It is common practice that by knowing the sex of a person, we can know everything about their abilities, interests and even emotional characteristics. We often think that the sex of a person is a good predictor of all the things that we want to know about them. This is not the case as one cannot predict the nature, abilities, skills and emotional characteristics by just knowing their sex. We can't predict that a man has a better IQ than women. It is a gender stereotype that boys are more intelligent and can do well in math quiz and girls cannot do well in math related tests and quizzes. It is also assumed that men can't cook while a woman can do well in that. Such negative stereotypes put negative impacts on gender. We need to discuss the impacts and effects of gender stereotypes in this paper.

Abstractii

Gender Stereotypes1

Introduction1

Discussion1

Gender Stereotypes1

Stereotypes in Television and Films2

Gender stereotype in language4

Gender Stereotype-Victims to be blamed4

Conclusion5

Works Cited6

Gender Stereotypes

Introduction

Gender roles are considered to be the activities that the man and women should adopt in the society. In United States, it is assumed that the car repairing is the activity related to men and cloth repairing is the activity in which the women should engaged in. Such behaviors of genders of ten considered as the basis of masculinity and femininity (Anonymous, p.2). It is the perception that man can do well in the math's test and woman cannot. This stereotype reduces the abilities of a woman to perform well in the math's test. The process of stereotyping puts positive as well as negative impacts on those who impose stereotypes as well as on those who are the victims of stereotype (Anonymous, p.2).

Discussion

Gender Stereotypes

Gender Stereotypes are the perception and beliefs of the society about the behavior of men and women. People holds fix beliefs and conceptions about the characteristics, attributes and behaviors. It is the generalized belief about what the men and women should behave. Such beliefs raise discrimination and prejudice (Nevid & Rathus, p.334). It is commonly assumed that women do not have good managerial skills. This favors the managerial capabilities of men over women. Due to this, men get more opportunities for managerial positions. Another stereotype is that the women or blacks do not do well in math's test (Nevid & Rathus, p.334). This stereotype undermines the performance of women in a competitive situation and diverts their attention in worrying about the stereotype related to their performance (Nevid & Rathus, p.335).

Most common stereotypes about women are that they are gentle, kind, dependent, nurturing, helpful, emotional, warm and submissive. Some attributes are depicted as positive such as kind and helpful while some are negative as dependent and submissive (Nevid & Rathus, p.335). In case of men, they are stereotyped as competitive, tough, independent, self-reliant, logical and protective. Self-perception of men and women also generate stereotypes as men tend to consider themselves as more assertive ...