Gender stereotypes meaning and definitions | Gender School And Society b.ed notes

Gender stereotypes meaning and definitions.

(meaning and definitions of gender stereotyping)

Gender stereotypes refers to "the common cause of a society concerned with the behaviour and role of men, women, boys or girls, which is often due to miscalculation".

The defining of particular behaviors and actions related to men and women by a society and the expectation of these particular actions and roles, preventing them from being consistent, seeking to correct ideas, is gender stereotyping. Such gender stereotyping can be regarded as the main responsible factor for gender equality between women and men. Gender stereotyping continues to exist and socialization plays its dominant role in the process.

Important points of gender stereotyping

Understanding important points related to gender stereotyping :-

(1) gender stereotyping is one of the most responsible factors for gender inequality.

(2) gender stereotypes relate to social expectations, that is, a society that expects men and women to do what they should and should not do.

(3) boys and girls need to tell them what they can and cannot do.

(4) Limit of boys and girls, women and men.

Delimitation by society in all spheres of man and woman is also a gender stereotyping. Psychologically restricting the capabilities of men and women to correct their attitude. Just as an elephant may be tied to an iron chain in an early childhood, it is prepared to be kept under storage. The iron chain is so strong that the elephant cannot break it, but with the change of time, even after the elephant has grown strong and powerful, he is unable to break that chain because he does not try because his attitude has developed since childhood because of its adaptation that I must remain bound to blood. Therefore, he never tries, whereas it is no difficult task for a powerful elephant to break that weak chain, but the attitude of growing up makes him think not to break it.

The gender stereotypes are similar to the chain adapted to the stereotypes of women and created in them an attitude that a woman does not attempt to be ignorant of her capacity and lives with the same traditional outlook. It is on account of this gender stereotyping that women have suffered from gender inequality.

(5) Gender stereotypes have a direct bearing on education, profession, health, employment, etc. The work of educating girls is still being done in many families but not letting them go out for the job, not giving them freedom, gender empowerment.

(6) social control is an important tool to continuously keep sexual stereotypes in existence. In a house where women are more independent, their families have to hear taunts from different classes and individuals in the society. If the girl comes late in the night, the people of the locality taunts her family in one form or another. And sometimes she is concerned with her character and apprehends them about many of the incidents happening in society in respect of her protection, and even this preserves Gender stereotypes.

(7) Direct inequality is also the result of gender stereotyping. Preference for boys in the family, giving them more attention to their facilities, giving them the right to talk more than their sisters, freedom, opportunities, etc., is Direct inequality, which is the result of gender obscurantism.

Direct inequality means, "demonstrative discrimination without any argument," yet not to speak of girls. When women try to fight the obvious inequality, the stereotypes of society may discourage it by calling it a negative attitude.

Female foeticide is also the result of gender stereotyping. When the parents think of girls and the burden of society, the burden of dignity, etc., they decide to take root. This results in a reduction in male and female ratio in society.

Effect of gender stereotypes

Gender stereotypes are traditionally more representative in authoritarian culture. 

Gender stereotyping is generally very widespread in society. It is on the basis of stereotyping that society has ensured the character based on male and female behaviour.

Girls are encouraged to do feminine acts such as cooking, playing with dolls, etc., while boys are taught to participate in sports and show manly behaviour.

Although stereotyping affects men and women from different types :-

(1) Psychological and emotional stress :- 

Gender stereotypes affect men and women in different ways. The two are always judged on the basis of their action consistent with their traditional setting. Men are always expected to meet and observe the standards of manhood, but they often suffer from the low self - values when they fail to fulfil them. Even without successfully fulfilling the standard of manhood, they sometimes become mentally and emotionally afflicted. On the other hand, all women are always expected to have a child after their marriage. They are always pressed for this.

So, if women value their career more, they are criticized by others, which in turn will lead women to psychological and emotional stress.

(2) Effect on performance :-

The achievements of women and men are also influenced by gender stereotyping. Gender stereotyping creates an inherent fear. In a variety of research studies, it has been found that 'conservative threat' negatively affects achievement by creating fear. For example, spencer, steel and quine proved that women perform a low level in math tests because they are assured that she cannot do well in mathematics. Men 's linguistic output is equally bad. These negative stereotypes affect achievement until one has taken out of one 's own thoughts and imbibed positive ones towards it.

(3) Lower marital satisfaction :- 

The distribution of responsibilities between men and women is unequal because of gender stereotypes. Women are often given direct care and more time with children to provide child care, to think about the health and well - being of the child. Household chores and child protection based this uneven distribution causes low marital satisfaction.

(4) Couples and family interaction affected :- 

Gender stereotyping affected the pair and family interaction. For example, the division of a householder function is gender based. In which the man always works outside the house to go out of the house and earn a living for the family. It creates a sense of domination in men and considers women as subordinate. As time passes, all this affects their interaction adversely. That is why in the present times women are beginning to demand the same level of men.