232 / 465
Gender Stereotyping: Positive and Negative Aspects
Stereotyping can be either negative or positive, but in either case,
below you will find three examples of how stereotyping can be harmful:
Stereotypes inhibit our ability to treat others as individuals
because we immediately make assumptions based on gender.
Stereotypes create limited expectations for behavior based on
gender.
Stereotypes lead to faulty assumptions. Unfortunately, we
tend
to look for explanations for specific behavior based on gender
stereotypes, which come from those faulty assumptions.
Gender stereotypes often inform attitudes and expectations
between sexes. These stereotypes greatly vary across cultures. Many
cultures favor a male in a dominant poser position (a position of
authority). The United States’ culture is no different. In the 1950s the
United States had some incredibly stringent gender stereotypes.
2
Gender Roles
Today significant progress is being made in the workplace, in school, and
by the mass media to neutralize gender bias. For example, feminist
groups are working diligently to propel the “equal pay for equal work”
initiative that often refers to pay inequality based on gender. Disney has
introduced more female characters as heroines, and children’s books are
removing gender bias by using the words “male” and “female” as
opposed to “boys” and “girls.” Despite social progress, many of us grew
up with strict gender messages like those that follow.
230
Section 10 – Cultural Diversity & Conflict Resolution