The Toll of Gender Stereotypes on a Girl’s Confidence
In the world there has been a long history of patriarchal dominance throughout almost all ancient cultures. It is true that in America we have come a long way from the complete male dominance that existed in earlier times, but gender roles, although less defined, are still existent, and these have lead to gender stereotypes that have found their way into the minds of the people. Gender stereotypes tell girls what their job in society should look like and they shape society in a way that is built to reinforce these stereotypes. Subconsciously, stereotypes influence the minds of everyone, which is why even during a time of enlightenment, stepping out of the patriarchal mindset can be difficult for many.
Gender stereotypes are learned by people at a young age. Some common gender stereotypes include:
Gender stereotypes are learned by people at a young age. Some common gender stereotypes include:
- Women are quieter than men
- Women are not supposed to speak out
- Women are supposed to stay home and take care of kids
- Girls are obedient, and are good at following instructions
- Boys are outspoken, and think for themselves
- Girls are “nice” and “pretty”
- Boys are strong
- Girls are not good at math
- Math is for boys
Parents are the one of the biggest influences on the way their child perceives gender stereotypes. Parents who buy their daughters dolls and their sons legos are unintentionally perpetuating gender stereotypes and are causing girls and boys to see themselves in a certain way. Parents who consciously try to avoid gender stereotyping by creating a gender neutral environment have kids who think for themselves. The way kids are brought up often sets an idea in their heads about who they are. If parents point out gender stereotyping to their children when it appears in daily life, and set good examples with their spouses for their kids, then children would learn to ignore gender stereotypes.
Another large influence on the preservation of gender stereotypes is peer influence. In both high school and the workplace, classmates and coworkers are constantly judging each other by applying stereotypes to one another, and in a lot of cases not even knowing that they are doing it. The key to eliminating this is simply for people to be mindful of what they are thinking, saying, and doing. Mindfulness training could teach people to “catch” themselves when they preumptively judge someone or stereotype someone. When people get rid of stereotypes they can start seeing more about a person’s individual self, instead of simply placing them in a category.