Sex-Role Stereotyping Essay - 835 Words

In any culture, ideas of masculinity and femininity influence societal expectations. While these expectations are not inescapable, the new generation takes its cues from older generations, and thus, any change in them is slow. Few would argue that some differences do exist between men and women. However, are these differences significant enough to perpetuate male and female stereotypes? More importantly, do such stereotypes serve any benefit to an individual or culture? Jeanne Humphrey Block, author of Conceptions of Sex Role- Some Cross Cultural and Longitudinal Perspectives, uses the term â€Å"sex role† to describe the set of characteristics that define and differentiate men and women. This role is a â€Å"synthesis of biological and†¦show more content†¦These results imply to Block that sex roles from less civilized times are outdated and do not benefit either men or women when adhered to rigidly. Sandra Bem goes a step further in the gender role debate by suggesting such roles be thrown out entirely; they are essentially self-fulfilling prophecies. In her article, Gender Schema Theory: A cognitive account of sex-typing, she defines â€Å"sex typing† as the process of encouraging sex-specific skills, self-concepts and personality traits to males and females; i.e. how men become masculine and women become feminine. Sex typing has significant psychological effects on the individual and their development. Furthermore, Bem believes that the evolving gender schema effects how the individual interprets and assimilates new information. Several studies were conducted to test the sex schema theory including having test subjects, male and female, rate how well certain attributes described them. Not apparent to the rater was that 20 of the attributes reflected culturally masculine characteristics while 20 more reflected feminine characteristics. Individuals were presented wi th another 61 words, a mix of feminine and masculine words, and then asked to recall the words in any order. Resultantly, subjects who scored high on the first scaleShow MoreRelatedThe Egg And The Sperm : How Science Has Constructed A Romance1168 Words   |  5 PagesMale-Female Roles† to show the world that there is gender stereotyping not only in our culture but also scientific language as well (Martin, 39). In reproductive roles males are depicted as the heroic warrior who go on missions to get to females, while women are seen as wasteful and passive, not working nearly as hard as the men. Not only does science exhibit females in such a derogatory aspect, but it’s teaching children in early age science textbooks the gender bias as well. Scientific stereotyping seemsRead MoreGender Labeling And Gender Stereotypes1551 Words   |  7 Pagesmales and females are Gender Stereotypes (Deaux Kite, 1993). Gender labeling is frequently used in global broadcasting to boost characteristics of how a certain people; those in control of the broadcast- view gender roles and how they want society to view them also. Stereotyping is prevalent in popular television shows, music videos, the workforce and various other advertisement billboards in the U.S. It is difficult to oppose the stereotypical behavior that is displayed in the media that supposedlyRead MoreGender Roles in Childrens Books1034 Words   |  5 Pages GENDER REPRESENTATION AND STEREOTYPING IN 7 for the years pre-1970 presented male to female ratios of 4.0:1 in titles, 2.6:1 in central roles, and 1.6:1 in pictures (Kortenhaus Demarest, 1993). The Caldecott books for the years post-1970 had more equal ratios of 1.2:1 for titles, 1.2:1 for central roles, and 1.1:1 in pictures. The non-award books showed similar ratios. This is a significant decrease from the male to female ratios in Weitzman’s study of Caldecott books in 1972. This study resultedRead MoreGender equality and gender roles go hand in hand in society. These two concepts complement each1100 Words   |  5 PagesGender equality and gender roles go hand in hand in society. These two concepts complement each other to the extent in which one must know about both to fully understand the capacity of either. Gender roles are roles each sex is given. These are stereotypical things. Gender is how people are seen by society. This is imprinted in the brain at a young age and is formed and molded through childhood, ad olescence, adulthood, and late adulthood. Each stage comes with different ideas about gender and powerRead MoreGender Portrayal Of Gender Roles953 Words   |  4 Pagesthis near equality in the rates of participation in the work force, men and women continue to be depicted in very distinct gender roles throughout the mainstream media (Eisend, 2010; Lull, Hanson, Marx, 1977; Collins, 2011). This gender stereotyping effect is especially prevalent within advertising. Because advertisements in the media frequently rely on gender roles to promote products and services (Eisend, 2010), research examining the effects of gender portrayals in advertising has become increasinglyRead MoreGender Stereotyping Essay1134 Words   |  5 PagesStereotypical behavior is not a new trend, but rather an ongoing lifestyle for today’s society. Gender stereotyping, a sub-category of stereotypes, opens many revelations, developments, and behaviors. While there are psychologists that differ in opini on, education and employment seems to be the primary sources where it is believed that most people both obtains and acts out their stereotypical behavior (Sax Harper 671). The origins of gender differences are particularly hard to trace, but argumentsRead MoreComparing and Contrasting Cartoons1710 Words   |  7 Pagesnarrations and speech bubbles to emphasize dialogue and the message regarding women’s rights and sex stereotyping. The context of the cartoon is to show the inequalities between genders. This is evident, when the women begin to associate boys with certain stereotypes such as â€Å"strong† and â€Å"tough†. Therefore indicating that women and girls today are portrayed to be the opposite. The first example of sex stereotyping is seen in the first panel of the cartoon when the first women asks the mother â€Å"is it a boyRead MoreStereotyping in an Organisation880 Words   |  4 PagesStereotyping In An Organization The fact that people are always judged for their actions and behavior could be one of the biggest problems in an organization. Stereotyping is a fixed notion of people, coming up with their own assumption and judgment even before giving the respective a chance to explain the reason for both their actions and behavior. Stereotyping is a closure in which each individual blocks the opportunities of what people really are. People often take in all the information theyRead MoreGender Stereotyping Standards For Men And Women Across America909 Words   |  4 PagesGender stereotyping sets standards for men and women across America, this being true for the past few hundred years. It is not secret that women are said to be most useful in the kitchen, and that men are to be found somewhere doing hard work, being the bread winner. Also, in the way we allow our young children to be identified; blue means it’s a boy, pink means it’s a girl. As times change, so does society and its mentality as a whole. Some stereotypes have been more difficult to break than othersRead MoreThe Egg And The Sperm By Emily Martin910 Words   |  4 PagesMartin’s main goal is to shine a light on gender stereotypes hidden in the language of biology (Martin 1). Explain the gender roles in scientific language. Three main points of the article, Gender bias is seen in an early age in science textbooks, science demonstrates that females do not work as hard as males, and how culturally stereotyping can lead to scientific stereotyping. Scientific language should not have a bias on gender. The facts Martin explains to prove that the biased opinions and what