Gender stereotypes can be defined as the way people view the characteristics of females and males. Stereotypes vary across different cultures and generations. The stereotype is always related to the expectations that different sexes have. Aspects of Stereotypes are learned at a very young age. A child aged three can have some knowledge of activities associated with each sex. Cultures assume men are supposed to be independent, aggressive, and assertive, while women are sensitive and emotional. The essay will discuss different types of stereotypes in boys and girls and how the stereotypes correspond with the reality.
One stereotype is that boys are more aggressive than girls. Boys are incapable of experiencing a full range of emotions. Moreover, Rivers and Barnett (2011) explain that the culture allows boys only to display permissive emotions such as anger and frustration. The misconception has it that emotions are for girls, and boys are not supposed to cry. It is similar to what is happening in many societies. Boys and eventually men are not taught and allowed to express their emotions. The stereotype is displayed in reality in most cultures where boys cannot feel or express emotions openly, but girls can do it publicly.
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Further, there is a stereotype that states that subjects such as mathematics and sciences are for men. Girls are believed that they are not capable of competing with boys achieving higher grades. Further, Ghavani and Peplau (2017) explain that top jobs in sciences and engineering are left for boys. People believe that only men are capable of handling senior positions in companies. The reality is a bit different especially for the science and engineering subjects and jobs. More girls are getting into STEM and society is becoming more open to them holding such jobs. One can also identify organizations gradually opening up to women taking top employment positions.
In conclusion, most people tend to assume that males and females are different, and, various tasks are meant for different genders. Men are believed to be assertive and aggressive, while girls are sensitive and emotional. Some of these gender assignments have remained in place for generations while others continue to change over time.
References
Caryl Rivers and Rosalind C. Barnett.
(2011). The Truth About Boys and Girls: Challenging toxic stereotypes About our Children. Columbia: Columbia University press.
Negin Ghavani and Letitia Anne Peplau(2017). Urban Middle School Students' Stereotypes at the Intersection of Sexual Orientation, Ethnicity, and Gender. Children Development , 16.
