Gender Stereotypes In Different Aspects Of Everyday Life
Introduction
'Gender equality not only liberates women but also men from prescribed gender stereotypes' - Emma Watson. Today everyone is labeled 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 young children what to expect from boys and girls from movies to television shows and everything in between. Especially for young kids being taught that certain characteristics belong to certain genders and not others. For example, in any child television show a superhero is a man or boy with large muscles ‘saving the world’ showing bravery and strength whilst a princess wearing pink needing to be saved by said superhero which shows that the princess is frail or defenseless. Sure, in the moment its simply entertainment but it’s also showing the child stereotypes that stay in their mind as they grow up and subconsciously apply to situations. For example, Mario the video game. Mario is trying to save Princess Peach from the burning tower because she was kidnapped by Bowser the villain this game is played by kids all over the world and just shows how the creators made Princess Peach so helpless. This hasn’t been happening a few times this is persistent and has been going unnoticed. The Hunger Games is an example with positive portrayal of women been shown as brave and fearless rather than victims with Katniss Everdeen played by Jennifer Lawrence who’s trying to look out for her family and survive, she does not let her emotions get in the way of survival the movie also shows the men can be emotional. The world needs more positive role models like this especially now in the 21st century.
Society
In society stereotypes are all around us they were established a long time ago anything like ‘girls belong in the kitchen’ or that ‘boys don’t cry’ these vary depending on where you live but most of them are alike. Gender roles are a big part of society for example girls are expected to dress in classic ladylike ways which make them look graceful and courteous and boys are mostly assumed to be strong and bold. In society gender stereotypes are a big matter people judge people, sometimes unintentionally, based on their gender and appearance. This can lead to misunderstandings and just loneliness / alienation for everyone involved. Gender stereotypes can lead to depression and anxiety symptoms by feeling like you can’t be yourself. The rates have remarkably increased because of factors like gender stereotypes and gender roles. Some people may say that traditional gender stereotypes and roles have been done for so long that they should not be changed. These gender stereotypes can be detrimental to humanity by prompting us to criticize people who don’t fit into these moulds and are different.
School
School is a very big part of every child’s life we spend around six or seven hours there every day for five days a week gender stereotypes are a big matter. In school students believe they must dress a certain way to just fit in and not be bullied or picked on. I personally believe that in school there's not enough discussion about LGBTQ+ or gender stereotypes these subjects are just ignored and seen as invisible. Sometimes students themselves rely on stereotypes without even knowing for example a young man putting pressure on his girlfriend and when she says ‘no’ and declines calling her a ‘slut’. I believe schools should be more serious about gender stereotypes and address them more often. People from the LGBTQ community also receive a lot of hate because of gender stereotypes for example someone who's transgender may be called a ‘tranny’ this is hurtful and should not happen especially now in the twenty-first century. Gender stereotypes are also offensive towards men for example if you're not muscular or aren't masculine the way everyone else is it can be very difficult for you to just be yourself especially in Scotland if you don’t like football or just don’t play it people can be rude and confused cause you're not doing what everyone else is.
Where Do We Learn Stereotypes
Gender stereotypes are everywhere. We’ve been surrounded by them since we were born without even knowing. In a survey for twelve to eighteen-year olds one in four answered that it’s not that important for a man to slap their partner when there drunk. And one in six believe that a girl should know her place. I’ve already talked about the media and how it influences children, but we also learn about gender stereotypes from our environment at home through family members for example the clothes your given as a child and the themes and colours of toys or gifts. Also, language talking about a boy’s abilities and talking about the appearance of a girl and her hair. And just actions and decisions that go on in a household all of these things can impact a child and the way they think.
How Can We Solve This
I think if we all want to stop gender stereotyping boys and girl all around the world should be treated equally and fairly with the same amount of respect. In schools the LGBTQ+ community should be talked about more often without hesitation and all students should feel like the can express themselves without being worried about what other students would think and should be able to focus more on their education without being stressed over the opinion of other people. Also, television shows and movies should start starring more, strong female leads and so should cartoons for children.
