Gender Stereotypes

Gender Stereotypes

Most, if not all, stereotypes, whether positive or negative, are harmful. When it comes to gender stereotypes, one example is the stereotype that boys should be tough. As a result, many boys from a young age learn how to suppress their emotions like sadness and worries, all in the name of being strong. Boys are told to act tough and brave, be stoic, and not show weakness. These are all done in the name of being masculine. As boys embrace this stereotype, they grow up to be adults who do not know how to seek help when they need it, which is more worrying because suppressed emotions have been linked to stress, anxiety, depression, suicide, and substance abuse (Frąckowiak-Sochańska, 2021). Further, these toxic masculine traits were also linked to mental health issues and sexist behavior. Therefore, the gender stereotype that men should be tough contributes to men who are sexist, depressed, suicidal, or drug addicts.

On the other hand, the stereotype that girls should be pretty has led to many unrealistic beauty standards, which most women struggle to meet. In this age of social media, beauty standards have only continued to become unrealistic, especially with all the filtering features on apps. Further, pop culture plays a huge role in perpetuating these standards by portraying individuals who mostly fit the said standards. As a result, all women are expected to fit these standards, and from a young age, these expectations are placed on them. Consequently, girls from a young age start watching what they eat so that they can be the “perfect size.” Eventually, such behavior leads to eating disorders and other issues like low self-esteem and issues with mental health (Goel et al., 2021). Further consequences include increased cases of plastic surgeries and skin bleaching among young women.

These stereotypes came from patriarchal ideologies whose main idea is that men are the top authority; hence, they should be strong and masculine, while women were supposed to be submissive to men; hence, they were to look pretty for the pleasure of their husbands (Jaiyeola, 2020).

 References

Frąckowiak-Sochańska, M. (2021). Men and social trauma of COVID-19 pandemic. The maladaptiveness of toxic masculinity. Society Register, 5(1), 73-94.

Goel, N. J., Thomas, B., Boutté, R. L., Kaur, B., & Mazzeo, S. E. (2021). Body image and eating disorders among South Asian American women: What are we missing? Qualitative Health Research, 31(13), 2512-2527.

Jaiyeola, E. O. (2020). Patriarchy and colonization: The” brooder house” for gender inequality in Nigeria.

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

We’ll write everything from scratch

Topic 2 DQ 2
Mar 27-31, 2023
Media, religion, educational institutions, peers, parents, teachers, race and class shape gender roles.

Gender Stereotypes

What are some gender stereotypes (i.e., boys are better at math than girls) that are not beneficial for children and why? Where might these stereotypes have come from?