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Gender Stereotypes Essays

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Whether we realize it or not our society has what can be called a strict set of rules that are deeply ingrained and consistently perpetuated through each generation, and those rules are gender stereotypes. As Naomi Ellemers put it “stereotypical expectations not only reflect existing differences, but also impact the ...

way men and women define themselves and are treated by others” (275). Gender stereotypes, for this reason, have noted harmful effects on both men and women, such as the hindrance of career opportunities and the negative influence on one’s emotional stability.

Gender stereotypes and their effects on women have without a doubt have become far less intense than they use to be in say the 19th and even 20th centuries. Back then gender norms constrained women to the idea that marriage was the end-goal, and that an unmarried woman had no place in society. They were even made to avoid intellectual pursuits as it was seen as unwomanly as seen when Oxford and Cambridge opened their doors to women and many families refused to let their daughters attend out of fear that they would make themselves unmarriageable (Hughes). While not as severe, gender stereotypes still plague women today and serve as impediments in their advancement in their careers. “Gender stereotypes exaggerate the perceived implications of categorizing people by their gender and offer an oversimplified view of reality (Ellemers).” this is something that can heavily impact a women’s chances at career advancement in various fields ranging from promotion to a managerial position to running for office as evidenced by the study in What’s in a Name: Exposing Gender Bias in Student Ratings of Teaching “evaluations of teacher behaviors (e.g., promptness) during an online course were rated nearly a full point higher (at 4.35 instead of 3.55 on a five-point scale) when the instructor was identified by a male name instead of a female name (as cited in Ellmers).” Gender norms can trap women in an emotional prison of sorts as seen in Kate Chopin’s Story of an Hour in which Mrs. Mallard held back by her marriage was prevented from ever following her dreams, then suddenly in the form of her husband’s death finds freedom only for it to be dashed away when it is revealed that he is still alive, resulting in Mrs. Mallard’s death.

Issues such as the harmful effects of gender stereotypes on men often receive less time in the limelight in favor of the more controversial issues, but the effects of gender stereotypes have long lasting and far reaching effects on men to a similar degree as it does for women. Gender norms for men will typically dictate that they keep questions and concerns to themselves, especially if it includes emotional problems. But this behavior can prove to be destructive as eventually one will reach their breaking point, “Stereotypic expectations for men’s self-reliance and stoicism (even when grappling with difficult events) are linked to men’s elevated levels of depression and psychological distress (as cited in Burke and Major).” This is due in part because gender stereotypes will often act as an obstacle for men seeking aid, as there is pressure from society for men to keep up the image of being strong, independent, and capable, so asking for help or looking towards counsel as a solution will often be looked down upon as unmanly, resulting in “consequences for men’s mental and physical well-being, ultimately undermining their ability to contribute to their organization as effectively as possible (Burke and major).”

The detrimental effects of gender stereotypes can come from what happens when one goes against gender norms and the backlash that comes as a result. “Many of the male employees interviewed by pime and moss reported fears of negative repercussions for championing their talented female colleges (as cited in Burke and Major)”. The male employees’ fears were that they would be seen as ‘wimpy’ or even that they would be thought of less by their other male colleges, and the unfortunate reality is that it could have been a likely possibility.

In conclusion, Gender stereotypes can have an array of harmful effects on both men and women affecting many areas of their lives in ways they may not even be aware of. And while many realize the need for change, significant change is probable until far off in the future.

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Tess of The D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy: Gender Expectations in The Victorian Era

Literature is a reflection of society and writers test and investigate the beliefs of their time, highlighting their flaws in society. In Tess of the D’Urbervilles, published in 1891, Thomas Hardy challenges the superiority of men, present in the Victorian Era. Hardy presents the protagonist as weak and shows how her low social status and lack of voice allows dominant men such as Alec and Angel to manipulate and control her. The expectations from women in society is highlighted through...
2 Pages 791 Words

Does Gender Matter In Psychology Subject?

Psychology has been known to be a male-dominated subject for a while, and consequently, many findings often always represent a male perspective. This is known as androcentrism. There are many studies in psychology that either disregard the importance of gender differences or focus on the importance. The aim of this essay is to target the question that asks whether gender assigned at birth is an important consideration for Psychology. A gender bias often follows a study where the treatment of...
2 Pages 825 Words

Gender Bias And Stereotypes In The Novel And Then There Were None

In the novel, And Then There Were None, Agatha Christie touches on several social issues that include, race, gender, class, and age. In this post I want to discuss how Christie uses her novel to discuss the theme of gender bias and how this impacted the women on the island. Reading this novel, there are two ways that genders were perceived. At first, we see how the men treat women and place them inside this box of the 1930s gender...
1 Page 540 Words

Stereotyping And Bias In Sports

Problem identified Sports are among the general activities, which garner an international following uniting people from different ages, races, tribes, and localities. Equally, critical stereotyping, prejudice, and bias plague the sports ultimately overwriting the probability of achieving social cohesion and national unity (Spaaij, Farquharson, & Marjoribanks, 2015). Mainly, games are highly challenged by the high levels of gender bias and racial prejudice as well as stereotyping of the disabled constituting a major psychosocial quandary. Currently, people from different races form...
4 Pages 2036 Words

The Causes For Gender Stereotypes

Social norms have created stereotypes for male and female that have a significant influence on health outcome. Men are expected to be brave, tough, resistant to pain and not showing their emotions. Women, on the other hand, are very emotional, sensitive and in need of protection. Men will not seek help immediately if they feel tired, overworked and stressed or if they feel pain. Social norms of masculinity encourage them to overlook their symptoms and perceive them as unthreatening. Consequently,...
1 Page 545 Words

The Relation Of Women, Sports And Stereotypes

When people hear “female athletes” they immediately think they’re “too sensitive,” “not good enough” or “weak.” Women are stereotyped as the “universal caretaker,” meaning that women are responsible for everything that needs to be completed within the household; for example, cooking, cleaning, or laundry. This stereotype on women has entirely ruined any female’s social approval to become an athlete. Female athletes are repeatedly criticized when stepping outside the publicly “normal” sports or when they partake in sports that involved competitive...
2 Pages 979 Words

Gender Gap in Math Achievement

While a wide range of sociocultural forces contribute to the gender gap in mathematics, it is interesting to examine the brain composition of both males and females and the effects it has on overall performance. However, experience alters brain structures and functioning (Benbow, Geary, Gernsbacher, Gur, Halpern, & Hyde, 2014), so explanations regarding cognitive ability and its effects on females’ and males’ math ability are circular. Research shows that the gender differences in mathematics and science achievement are smaller for...
4 Pages 1959 Words

Gender Stereotypes: Sources And Solutions

Introduction ‘Gender equality not only liberates women but also men from prescribed gender stereotypes’ /Emma Watson/. Today everyone is labelled based on their gender or what they identify as. As soon as you meet someone you begin to judge them based on their gender without even knowing anything about them. I believe that gender stereotyping is wrong, and you shouldn’t judge someone as soon as you meet them. Media According to scientific research gender stereotypes are very effective at teaching...
2 Pages 961 Words

Sexual Objectification As The Main Feature Of Gender Stereotypes

Gender role stereotypes can have a huge effect on people. It can cause unfair treatment of a person’s gender. It can also limit the development of a person’s talents and abilities since stereotyping is all about the judgement of the society. Sexual objectification is a treatment of a person as an object. They are treated wrongly because of their sexual desire not regarding their personality and dignity. These have been a problem now that men and women are being wrongly...
2 Pages 824 Words

The Concept Of Gender, Gender Stereotypes And Conventions In Elizabeth I’s Speech To The Troops At Tilbury And Andrew Marvell’s To His Coy Mistress

The seventeenth century – and the times before that – were not particularly great times to live in as a woman. Today we live in a mostly patriarchal society where men often have a lot more to say than women, but we also have feminism and feminist theory. Simone de Beauvoir states that “One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman” , which suggests the society at large and its arbitrary rules concerning boys and girls, men and women,...
5 Pages 2206 Words

Gender Stereotypes in The Iliad: Analysis of Thetis and Achilles

The Iliad is famous for its stories of great heroes who clash against each other, sometimes victorious and other times doomed to failure. One thing these heroes all have in common is their gender. Homer’s works are filled with stories of great men doing great things, often at the expense of women and animals. Since the Iliad was written thousands of years ago the modern-day values of gender equality and capability didn’t yet exist. In fact, women were used as...
4 Pages 1725 Words

Why Aren’t Girls Choosing Maths And Science

As we all know many of girls aren’t choosing any Math’s or science subjects, because some of those people are saying they cannot afford to study those subjects and some of them saying its hard to keep up with the work when you have family to take care of and it’s hard to find an affordable childcare. Mr. Tarek Mostafa stats that “Students’ career choices may be influenced by their understanding of their relative academic strengths, as well as their...
1 Page 461 Words

Gender Stereotypes And Feminist Movement In The Movie Mulan

Feminism women’s social theory and political movement is based on the Disney movie Mulan because it shows gender stereotypes and fights against them. Mulan shows that a real woman can do anything that man can do. Also, shows how strong she is and she can fight. Women’s experience of struggle in society and trying to be equal to men. The men stereotype is the belief that men have to go to war or go to work while women have to...
4 Pages 1800 Words

Gender Stereotypes And Gender Identity In The Books I'm Glad I'm A Boy! I'm Glad I'm A Girl! And Pearl Fairweather Private Captain

Young children are surrounded with language and pictures that constantly impact their development and idea of gender stereotypes. Children’s literature has been one of the primary avenues exposing gender stereotypes which is either challenged or reinforced through children’s books. Gender refers to the socially constructed characteristics of women and men (Kari, 2019) and differs from the biological category of sex as sex involves genetic differences. Identity is defined as being our deeply held, internal sense of self as masculine, feminine,...
3 Pages 1396 Words

Reinforced And Questioned Gender Stereotypes In The Woman Warrior

For much of history, men have predominantly controlled societies. In recent years many people have attempted to ameliorate this imbalance in power. Nevertheless, many cultures kept these misogynistic traditions through generations. The Woman Warrior, by Maxine Hong Kingston, is a five-part memoir narrated by Kingston. Throughout the memoir, Kingston interweaves her own experiences with talk-stories told by her mother. In The Woman Warrior, Maxine Hong Kingston explores traditional gender roles in her life. Kingston does so by employing the use...
2 Pages 993 Words

Living With Gender Roles And Stereotypes In The Story Boys And Girls

Stereotypes have existed for as long as people could assume things about one another. Good or bad, they are the foundation that people view each other as. It was only recently that society began to dismiss said stereotypes as fact, and instead began to see one another as they truly are. This change did not come fast enough, as the story Boys and Girls by Alice Munro was mostly based around the stereotypes surrounding men and women. The story at...
3 Pages 1237 Words

Gender Stereotypes In Music And Their Effects On Public

Gender roles are what society believes are acceptable actions or beliefs for a person to have based on their gender. There are gender roles in every community everywhere in the world. For example, it is socially acceptable for women to wear skirts and dresses but for men it is not. In the music industry, there are clear gender stereotypes for male and female performers. These gender roles or stereotypes separate the work that artists can and cannot do based on...
3 Pages 1329 Words

Defying Gender Stereotypes In The Film Billy Elliot

Stereotypes for men still seem to linger around in todays society, even though the gender equity movement has made a pretty impactful mark on how we view genders now, the stereotypes for men still seem to have its way with society today. A film that breaks these barriers is a 2000’s film entitles “Billy Elliot”. Starring Jamie bell and Trevor Fox the story of an 11-year-old Billy Elliot, a coal miner’s son in Northern England, is forever changed one day...
2 Pages 712 Words

Gender Stereotyping Christmas Adverts

It’s that time of year again, after a long anticipated wait for the release of this year’s John Lewis and Waitrose Christmas advert, ‘Excitable Edgar’, has finally hit our screens. This funny and heartwarming story for tales an adorable dragon Edgar, who just wants to celebrate Christmas. However, Edgar’s over excitement leads him to be excluded from the village (Barr, 2019). Fear not! His best friend who is compassionate, empathetic and caring, oh! And of course a girl, happening to...
5 Pages 2319 Words

Gender Stereotyping In Sports: Reasons And Effects

When I play basketball, I always feel embarrassed by the fact that I’m playing a game that’s a lot more intended for guys, as they say. The guys would usually let me out of their way, or call me names like I’m a huge tomboy for playing basketball. I’ve been going through that for awhile and when I challenge them to a game and I win at the end, their reactions would be so embarrassed because someone like me, a...
2 Pages 841 Words
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