Category: Gender Stereotypes

When people hear “female athletes” they immediately think they’re “too sensitive,” “not good enough” or “weak.” Women are stereotyped as the “universal caretaker,” meaning that women are responsible for everything that needs to be completed within the household; for example, cooking, cleaning, or laundry. This stereotype on women has entirely ruined any female’s social approval to become an athlete. Female athletes are repeatedly criticized when stepping outside the publicly “normal” sports or when they partake in sports that involved competitive performances. It humiliates even females who are not essentially athletes. Females are humiliated when playing any kind of “manly” sport.

This is unreasonable for women. Women inhabit an everyday lifestyle that they are content with. However, with all these damaging beliefs, it has affected most women to where they avoid what they love to do. The common belief about women is that they are “not good at sports.” The reason for this is that people perceive women as careless, weak and incompetent when many women are hard-working, strong and skilled.

Women are viewed negatively when playing a sport because they are considered too weak. Women athletes do tend to be weaker and slower than men. Though, people perceive them as weak because of their womanliness. When individuals think of a feminine female, they seem to imagine them inclining more on the delicate or gentle side. In addition to being misinterpreted as weak, women athletes are also occasionally believed as careless and incompetent because of their femininity. People interpret women athletes to be careless and incompetent because they believe females are more likely to take sports in a hasty way; and that the outcome of this will have women lack in skill. Although, some female athletes do fit these stereotypes. These assumptions are not unproven all the time and they can have some virtue. However, all these philosophies are inexact and need to come to an end.

Athletic females are characterized as “not good” at playing sports because they are viewed as careless; the truth is, they can be the most hard-working players. For example, Jackie Joyner-Kersee an American retired track and field athlete. Joyner-Kersee became one of the greatest athletes in history. She worked hard for everything she accomplished. Still, people think female athletes are careless in sports. Individuals assume that women don’t take sports as “serious” as men do. Most women who are athletes or wish to become one know that they must take sports seriously. Considering how female athletes must have more determination to be able to become successful in a male conquered world of sports.

Women athletes play their hardest during a game and practice relentlessly to become great athletes. They work their way into sports, continuously proving that they are not only good but great. Throughout the history of sports, women’s participation has improved. However, there are still complications in today’s female athletic community. Women athletes are still being overshadowed by men. Then again, for female athletes, the problem is when their womanhood or femininity does not fit the sports they are playing. But because women must go through so many obstacles to become successful in the athletic world; it has created them to be more hard-working than ever before.

Women who are athletes are usually perceived as weak. This is occasionally true, however, women can be strong in their own aspect. For example, Rebecca Longo an American football kicker, also the first woman to earn a college football scholarship. Longo is the opposite of weak; in fact, she is the perfect definition of a strong woman. According to Longo’s coach, Timm Rosenbach the head coach at Adams State; “Longo has great accuracy and a powerful leg, which will only get stronger” (Anderson). This shows that women are also strong enough to take part in sports. People think the reason women are not seen as top athletes is that their bodies do not function in the same way as males. This is logical, considering that men are much stronger and have more muscle than women. According to Dr. Robert H. Shmerling a faculty editor at Harvard Medical School, “women are more prone than men to suffer from sports-related injuries.” However, it does not mark women as “too weak” to play sports; men get hurt, too. Female bodies do not differ enough from male bodies to the point that it prevents them from taking part in any “manly” sports. People are so inclined to stereotype men as the perfect gender in sports because of their strength. Although, an athlete considered “good” should not be based on strength but by the accuracy and competence.

Another common opinion about women athletes is that they are incompetent or incapable to play sports. The reason for these assumptions is because of women athletes constantly compared to men athletes; For example, the assumption of inferiority refers to the notion that women are less physically able than men (Sue 2010). Conversely, women devote themselves to their sport; bringing an intense essence of skill into play. Female athletes spend most of their time and energy practicing or working out to enhance their skills and abilities for a game; this shows the capability women have in a sport because of their motivation to being “good” athlete. We live in a world where women’s abilities are undervalued because they are different, but who said different means “not good enough?”

The stigma that women in sports are inferior is still common. Therefore, female athletes all around the world are sticking together and fighting against these appalling opinions. Female athletes are continually trying to prove that they are the world’s utmost hardworking and skilled athletes. Earning medals, accomplishing their goals, and doing what they love is the way they prove to people that not only men are good at sports. These women are determined to show their worth and abilities; regardless of all the negative assumptions; it truly shows their importance in sports.

According to statistical reports, men contribute to a larger number of perpetrators of crimes such as rapes, murders, and assaults. It is important to note, that not all men are involved in criminal activity, women are also responsible for horrible acts of violence. Nevertheless, consistently men commit more crimes. This difference in crime rates might be due to a biological factor, such as high testosterone, which leads to a loss of self-control. Therefore, men express their aggression physically, meanwhile, women tend to spread rumors to ruin someone’s social image. The US National Coalition Against Domestic Violence reported that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men experience severe intimate partner physical violence. Testosterone is not the sole reason for making men more inclined towards violence. The key drivers of such behavior are stereotyped gender roles, rigid definitions of masculinity and femininity. The root of gender expression is societal expectations. Young kids know what they are ‘supposed to’ wear, play with and gravitate towards in terms of color and clothes. To break free from such stereotypes about what girls and boys should be, gender-neutral parenting is being adopted by more and more people. This method addresses the root cause of violence and promotes respectful relationships.

There are mostly two emotions that men are allowed to feel, it is frustration and anger. Ronald F. Levant in this research concluded that the male gender role imposes boys to restrict their emotions from a young age, making them focus on being ‘tough’ and making achievements a top priority. This system of values teaches the young generation to avoid being feminine. For a boy, receiving a comment that he is playing football like a girl, ‘will ruin him’. This is what we preach to kids, thus we put a foundation from early childhood to objectify sex. The statement that ‘men need to be tough’ is associated with men’s violence against women. To avoid enclosing boys in a ‘man box’, which is dangerous for mental health, gender-neutral parenting allows kids to explore and encourages them to play with all types of toys and pick their own clothes, exposing them to a world with no artificial gender limitations. It is noticeable from the BBC documentary ‘No More Boys and Girls: Can Our Kids Go Gender Free?’, in which 7-year-old girls, who called themselves pretty, were not as self-confident as boys. Parents now put constant effort to tell their daughters that they are more than just pretty, they are smart and brave and can choose any profession in the future: from becoming an astronaut to having a profession in engineering. They surround their baby child with non-conventional toys, such as dinosaurs and cars, while not pushing for so-called girls’ toys.

The advantages of gender-neutral parenting are numerous. According to a research study published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, children have a great chance of becoming more successful in adulthood due to freedom of choice and expression. They widen their insights and become more creative. But most importantly, since kinds are raised with gender neutrality are more familiar with the opposite gender’s interests, they become more likely to contribute to gender equality in society.

Even though gender-neutral parenting is evolving, it is heavily criticized by psychologists. Dr. Stella Mavroveli states: “We have to accept that there are physical and psychological differences between men and women, and while as parents we need to allow our children to flourish and develop in an environment that is not too prescriptive, we do tend to gravitate towards the extremes, as of late. I wonder whether we will end up with children who are even more confused and fixed in their opinions and choices”. People indeed feel safe when there are predefined conventions and social norms to follow. It is not possible to raise a kid fully avoiding gender stereotypes since other people will often intervene. This can lead to confusion among children about who they are and prevent their personalities to shine through.

In conclusion, I believe that violent behavior has its roots coming from childhood. Direct physical aggression is more widespread among men. It comes from the notion that real men cannot express their full range of emotions as it will be considered weak and ‘girly’. This can traumatize boys’ egos, and growing up can lead to mental issues. Gender-neutral parenting breaks away from the strict gender rules and gives children the freedom to explore and express themselves, no matter what color of clothes they prefer to wear or which new toy they ask parents to give as a gift. However, this style of parenting can lead to another extreme, and parents should, first of all, remember that their kids are humans and help them to develop their identity. In my opinion, ideally, parents should treat boys and girls in the same way, allowing them to express emotions instead of suppressing them and encouraging opposite-gender friendships. This approach can help to avoid any perceptional biases in what boys and girls should be and raise a tolerant and respectful generation.

Mass media, for example, online networking is changing the life and how individuals carry on today. Mass media and social networking appear to be conceivable to impact and shape individuals’ mindsets concerning gender roles. It assumes an essential part in making social standards and qualities in various societies today, as a result of various types of media stages, for example, internet-based life, advertisements, Television, and film that are accessible wherever in our societies.

Mass media and social networking serve as vital tools of connection, in collaboration with the family unit and companions, and it add to ensure that the gender roles are melded adequately. It is most likely that the mass media and social networking present pictures that impact gender roles. It has been demonstrated that men invest the greater part of their energy with male good examples on TV programs.

In the modern days, it appears that the majority of adolescents build up specific stereotyping about what the genders can perform or can’t achieve. The majority of individuals see mass communication as something unavoidably associated with kids’ stereotypical roles, due to the ubiquity of such pictures on Television and the significance credited to them by kids (Donna, 2010, p.35). Most TV pictures of young men, young ladies, and people are more unique and less obvious than such contentions. In this day and age, the TV presents conflicting images that can be understood in various ways, and viewers are more unique to interpret than inactive recipients.

Craig states that ‘the strong impact of the TV might be most noteworthy during adolescent years (somewhere in the range of 12 and 18) since at this stage gender plays an extremely noticeable part in social existence of youngsters. Gender role pictures on TV tend to create and support traditional expectations among young people (Craig, 2003, p.90). Some people estimate that the space between teenagers’ self-ideas and highly fascinating media images may occasionally increase personal uncertainty. In a few families in which gender roles are customary, the TV reinforces such gender roles. In this way, TV must assume an imperative part in creating gender roles which will drive it to change in the next ten years. It is very hard and hard to remove the part of mass media (Television) since individuals are currently determined by their whole condition. Mass media and social networking appear to be conceivable to impact individuals’ considerations and conduct concerning gender roles. The viewing of TV by individuals tends to add to sexual orientation part advancement generalization of gender roles with significant TV onlookers by what the media and person-to-person communication is presenting to individuals.

Social sites like Facebook enable individuals to transfer their altered images, so it is important to see how gender roles are performed today. Viewers should be aware of what the media is showing to them, and ensure that they’re not currently participating in a culture of persecution.

Young people must be aware of the messages that they are accepting from mass media and social networking since they are forming our mentality in the present life, these stages are changing the lives of individuals drastically, and standards and lessons of various societies have been headed out by the mass media.

List of references

1. Gender Stereotypes and Roles (3rd ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
2. In. V. P. Makosky (Ed.), The G. Stanley Hall Lecture Series (Vol. 7, pp. 763). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Pakistan is a country where women can excel in any field and can have a better professional career if they have strong willpower and guts to do so. Despite the very wrong image of Pakistan portrayed by many news outlets, it is still a land of opportunity for women. Pakistani women are fully aware of what life is and how to live it. They respect their religious and cultural norms. They are passionate, ambitious, resolute, and skilled. Want to see some examples? Meet these superwomen of Pakistan, who broke all the stereotypes, forgot the excuses, and won their name.

Superwomen of Pakistan

Despite what the media tells you every day, the lives of Pakistani women have changed during the last thirty years; they are more empowered and conscious today. They are playing their role in the progress of the country, playing sports, giving their best in many international contests, and making Pakistan proud. They are outstanding athletes, talk show anchorwomen, analysts, bankers, authors, freelancers, scholars, doctors, nutritionists, educators, engineers, IT experts, chefs, fashion designers, and state ministers.

It is a bitter fact that women, everywhere in the world face some kinds of domestic violence, sexual violence, harassment, threats, and oppression. It is not just a problem of a specific country; this evil exists throughout the world. But many brave women in Pakistan just like women from all over the world overcome all the odds and make their dreams come true.

Rather than describing Pakistani women as a victim and addressing queries or promoting a typical slogan that “women do not have any rights in Pakistan,” we are going to introduce some Superwomen of Pakistan who broke many stereotypes of society and became a role model not only for Pakistan women but they are also a source of inspiration for the whole world.

Just a simple glimpse into the past and the movement of Pakistan will notify you about one prominent name, and that big name is Fatima Jinnah. She was a Pakistani dental surgeon, biographer, and an honored political leader in the All-India Muslim League. She firmly stood with her brother, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, in his mission for the creation of Pakistan. After the partition, she joined the Muslim League and dedicated herself to raising the importance of women’s empowerment in Pakistan.

Begum Rana Liaquat Ali Khan was the first lady of Pakistan; She was the wife of the first prime minister of Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan. She was a skilled economist and an executive member of Jinnah’s working committee in which she served as a financial adviser. The “Daughter of Pakistan” Benazir Bhutto was the first democratically elected prime minister of a Muslim country. She had an influential image and a motivational temperament for all those women who wanted to make a career in politics.

Parveen Shakir, an educator and civil servant of the government of Pakistan, was a great Urdu poetess.

Bano Qudsia was a prominent Urdu and Punjabi dramatist and novelist. She was known for her unparalleled style. She won the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Hilal-e-Imtiaz, Kamal-e-Fun, and Lifetime Achievement Award.

We can’t forget the unending struggles of Bilqis Bano Edhi, wife of the great philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi. She struggles for the benefit of orphaned children and senior citizens who do not have a home, in addition to a great deal of other social work.

Public speaker, human rights activist, and a great artist, Muniba Mazari is a very powerful name for young girls and differently-abled people. She started her miracle journey from a wheelchair.

Maria Umar is the founder of the Women’s Digital League. WDL is an online portal that gives digital services and empowers women to work online on various projects like writing, WordPress, or graphic designing for different customers.

Roshaneh Zafar is an active social entrepreneur empowering the youth. She started the Kashaf Foundation in 1996 in Pakistan. She also started Kashaf Microfinance Bank Limited.

Shahida Malik, now a retired three-star major-general, was the first woman in Pakistan to achieve that status. Flying Officer Mariam Mukhtar was a bold daughter of Pakistan who gave up her own life to save others’ lives. After knowing that their plane’s engine had failed, she and her co-pilot chose to take the risk and kept flying the plane away from populated areas. Ultimately, the plane crashed taking the lives of both pilots. She embraced shahadat (martyrdom) at the age of twenty-two.

The first female fighter pilot of the Pakistan Air Force is Hina Tahir. Ayesha Farooq became Pakistan’s first female war-ready pilot. Her status as a fighter pilot started new opportunities for Pakistani women in uniform.

Raffia Baig is a brave lady who deserves to be on the list of powerful women of Pakistan; she is the first female member of the distinguished bomb disposal squad. The extraordinary fact about the courageous young girl is that she is the first Asian female in the respected field.

Courageous and determined Minhal Sohail is Pakistan’s first female shooter. She made Pakistan proud by qualifying for the Rio Games.

The adventure-loving lady Nimrah Salim went into space. She was the first female Pakistani to do so. She was also the first skydiver to jump Mount Everest during the historic first Everest Skydives in 2008.

Samina Baig, another prominent name in the list of iron ladies of Pakistan, climbed Mount Everest at the age of twenty-one.

Twinkle Sohail, a Christian girl, made her country proud by bagging a gold medal in weightlifting at the Asian Bench Press Championship in Oman. Rukhsana Parveen and Sofia Javed are the first two Pakistani women who got a medal in boxing at the 2016 South Asian Games.

Arfa Karim was the first youngest Microsoft Certified, Professional. Sadly, she passed away in 2012. Malala Yousufzai, the young activist for girl’s education from one of the most conservative provinces of Pakistan, became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.

These are the examples that came to limelight but there are thousands of unsung women heroes of Pakistan who are breaking all the stereotypes and contributing to the progress of their country.

This research seeks to investigate and identify stereotypes of gender within schools, and if this may lead to a possible difference in treatment. There will be some references to any stereotypes throughout history, and if they have perhaps lessened in today’s society, or are still practiced even today. However, history and current time will be evaluated. The individual aims, which will be provided ahead, will help identify answers for this.

Aims: the first aim of this research is to identify gender differences and stereotypes within primary school. The second aim is to find out why these gender differences and stereotypes existed or still exist today. The last aim is to collect a range of views regarding the issue of gender differences and stereotypes within primary school, specifically those working or learning in a school setting. There will be key ways in which this data will be collected. There will be a certain way in which this data will be collected, as it will provide us with more in-depth answers to the research question. This will be explained and put into detail about more later.

Research questions

• Why may certain genders be treated differently based on different stereotypes of gender and school?
• Will the difference in treatment be subject to change, or are the identified stereotypes still practiced today?

Rationale for the study

Gender stereotypes in education have been an ongoing issue throughout history. Many traditional traits have been identified to describe a typical man and woman and how they should act according to stereotypical societal norms. The typical characteristics of man were: strong, independent, and aggressive. The typical female characteristics were, shy, dependent, and nurturing. These types of characteristics were very normalized in traditional society; ‘Traditionally, many Western societies have believed that women are more nurturing than me. (Blackstone, 2003). In this research, the focus will be on boys and girls, and how they may be differentiated or treated in schools. Some of these differences could be in academic achievement or behavioral problems. ‘Are boys being readily labeled as having psychological problems by intolerant parents – (Bould and Marland, 1983). This suggests that certain behaviors of boys can be rooted in how parents view them, therefore adding further to the stereotype that boys have more behavioral issues than girls. ‘Girls appear to develop stronger reading and formal language skills at an earlier age than boys” (Maccoby and Jacklin, 1974). This further shows that academically girls are achieving more than boys. This will be looked upon further in the research, along with any stereotypes or differences that are still in current times

Literature review

Gender is one of the key terms, if not the main term in this research. To be more explicit, the research is to see if there are any clear differences in the treatment of genders in education. Feminist theorists (Thomson, 2003), have pointed out that ‘…the statistics on girls ‘ and women ‘s educational achievement seem to tell a story of unmistakable progress. Here, it is shown that girls’ academic achievement is being acknowledged, as opposed to how negatively it was acknowledged throughout history; specifically, the stereotypes put on female students at the time. Based on 2019 statistics from The National Education Union, over a third (34%) of primary school teachers say they witness gender stereotyping in their school on at least a weekly basis. Over half (54%) say they witness it on at least a termly basis. This shows that there is an inexplicable amount of stereotyping occurring in schools yet today. Adding onto this statistic, theorists, (Steffens and Jelene, 2011) found that girls ‘ mathematics self-concepts and their achievement were lower the stronger their mathematics-related gender stereotypes were. In contrast, boys ‘ mathematics achievements were higher the stronger their mathematics-related stereotypes were. These findings indicate that for girls, mathematics-related stereotypes can lead to negative self-beliefs and lessen motivation but also view their abilities negatively which may take a toll on their achievement. To further develop this opinion, theorists, (Passolunghi, Ferreira, and Tomasetto, 2014) documented that girls ‘ endorsement of math-related gender stereotypes is negatively associated with their ability beliefs. This shows that stereotypes hurt individuals, in this case, girls. The stereotypes lead to negative thinking towards one’s academic and ability capability. This therefore provides us with a view that stereotypes can have negative effects, not only on being treated according to stereotypes, but also lead to an unhealthy amount of questioning their own ability and academic achievements.

The research focus will also be on boys, and how they may be disadvantaged due to certain factors or actions. There have been many encounters or theorists stating that boys are possibly more disadvantaged than girls, academically. Theorists (Jones,2020) stated that’ although they (gender stereotypes) are often about girls and women, they shape the experiences of everyone The gender stereotypes that children encounter can influence physical and psychological well-being career choice, or perception of ability. These are some of the many factors that can hurt a child when encountering gender stereotypes. To further support the statement of boys being more disadvantaged, there is an article from the Guardian in 2019, with statistics to show the gender gap in education; ‘The results, from the national curriculum tests and assessments taken by pupils in year six, known as Sats, showed 70% of girls reached the expected standards in math, reading, and writing, compared with just 60% for boys, widening the gap from 8% last year to 10% this year. This shows that the gap between boys and girls when looking at the overall average of test results, is widening. This could hurt boys emotionally, as seeing the results and gap could influence interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships, as well as access to equitable educational opportunities. This will be further researched after data has been collected and analyzed.

For the past five decades, gender stereotypes in advertising have been attracting the interest of scholars by making them inquisitive about the techniques used by an advertiser to depict men and women in society. They were also keen to learn about the motives behind this stereotype as well as how it influenced the mindsets of society. Stereotypes are defined as classifications of gender based on the beliefs of society. It was a cause of concern in society when people’s beliefs started to intrude on the functioning of society. Many opportunities were limited to the respective genders depending on the perspectives of people. Research from the past demonstrates that society viewed women as beauty objects as well as homemakers, whereas, men were viewed as bread earners and head of their family (Zotos, Grau & Taylor, 2018, p. 761). The purpose of this paper is to identify if gender stereotyping in advertising is more prevalent for women than men. This paper enlightens the readers on how gender stereotyping has evolved over the years in advertisements and the factors influencing it.

In this article, the authors cover how a social problem is being displayed through media for the last 50 years. The social problem he addresses in this chapter is gender stereotyping and he concentrates on how this issue is still consistent in advertisements and print media. Public and private media portrays stereotyping based on gender differently as shown in this article. It consists of research conducted in the past and literature reviews based on the research. The research methods chosen to conduct the study included polls, interviews, and surveys that gathered information on how gender stereotyping in advertisements influences society. It is found in this article that gender stereotyping is more prevalent for women than men. It is also mentioned that laws and regulations play an important role in controlling stereotyping in advertisements (Zotos, Grau & Taylor, 2018, pp. 761-770).

An unending argument amongst marketers and sociologists has been going on, regarding the use of gender stereotyping in marketing. This argument has led to develop two views regarding this matter, one is known to be a mirror side and another one is the mold side. The mirror side represents the advertisements that display the existing morals and principles that mold society and dominates it. These advertisements demonstrate the viewpoints of people in society and the defined gender roles in the dominant culture. The latter side refers to the types of advertisements that reinforce the mindsets, values, norms, and beliefs of society. These advertisements have the power to shape and change the existing viewpoints regarding an identity of gender and the factors that lead to gender stereotyping that is femininity and masculinity. This argument between the mirror and mold side is never ending and it depends on factors such as products and values that are being advertised, which lead to gender stereotypes. Advertising not only represents products and values but also reflects and reproduces culture (Zotos, Grau & Taylor, 2018, pp. 762-763).

Gender stereotyping has been a major issue for many decades, and has been targeted by researchers to analyze this topic. Studies conducted in recent years have been of great value to the literature addressing this issue. After conducting research, it can be clearly stated that this issue exists in society and is more prevalent for women than men. A study conducted by Eisend led to the above-stated conclusion that this issue is faced by women usually when they are pursuing an occupation, where masculinity plays an important role. He also stated in his paper that this issue has decreased in very few societies from the past but still continues to exist in many societies. Knoll et al. found that gender stereotyping varies between public and private stereotyping. He concluded that in public media, women were demonstrated to be based at home, and men were deemed to have authority over their families. This behavior led mainly influenced occupations pursued by men and women. On the other hand, private media caused stereotyping by differentiating between men and women based on their physical appearances and the roles played by them. Addition to the literature was made by Eisend, Plagemann, and Sollewedel, who supported the prior research and concluded that this stereotyping does not influence the consumer’s point of view as we expect it to. They further added, that the addition of humor in advertisements, is a factor that influences how advertisements with gender stereotyping are perceived (Zotos, Grau & Taylor, 2018, pp. 764-767).

Professionals in the advertising industry are considered to be the people who shape the culture of societies, as they are responsible for what is being demonstrated through their platform and what message is being conveyed. Decisions regarding the portrayal of genders in advertisements from experts are not given importance. Advertisements are made in every country to demonstrate a product but there are similarities and dissimilarities between the advertisements in different countries. For example, advertisements in China portray women to be related to beauty objects and are known to have an ornamental image, whereas, advertisements in the United States show women with tough images playing stronger roles in society. Chinese culture aims to show the reality of their society through the roles played by men and women in advertisements (Zotos, Grau & Taylor, 2018, pp. 767- 768).

In an interview conducted by Zayer and Coleman during their research, it was found that advertising professionals aim to demonstrate the image of society by copying it into their advertisements. They highlight another concern by stating that gender stereotyping is prevalent for men in advertisements and more research must be conducted addressing this issue. Another research conducted was conducted in Belgium to address this issue and gather perspectives of viewers of the offensive advertisement as well as advertisement professionals. It is concluded from their interview that advertisement professionals did not care much about depictions of their advertisements in society and therefore, did not fulfill their responsibilities to support gender equality in advertising (Zotos, Grau & Taylor, 2018, p. 768).

Gender stereotyping started being addressed in European countries by creating guidelines on the depiction of gender roles in advertisements after many viewers filed complaints. They established laws based on anti-discrimination in several European countries. This step taken by European Advertising Standard Alliance led to positive advertising campaigns that reduced gender stereotyping due to increased rules and regulations in that sector. For the last few years, there have been changes in men’s role played in society. Advertisers for Dove Men Care demonstrated men with soft skin that broke the stereotypes for men who were shown to be tough in the past. This advertisement broke gender stereotypical assumptions, which led to other companies following Dove’s path for marketing their product. Gender stereotyping focusing on men has gained more importance in recent years (Zotos, Grau & Taylor, 2018, pp. 768-769).

Marshall et al. analyzed the roles of men in advertisements as a father for 60 years and found that Good Housekeeping, a well-known magazine, portrays men as masculine fathers who followed traditional gender roles. He also stated that there has been progress made in recent advertisements that view men as more than bread earners of the family. Many types of research were also conducted to determine the perspectives of viewers after viewing advertisements depicting new roles of men. Further research was conducted by reviewing reaction of customers to advertisements that did not represent stereotypical gender roles in their act. Customers found those kinds of advertisements to be positive and researchers found that advertisements without specified roles have more impact on the market as it gains more attention and interest of people, which leads to higher sales. Chu, Lee, and Kim from their research stated above, mentioned that this kind of advertisement can bring change in society and their perspectives. Advertisements showing men as caregivers in families gained positive reviews from the public showing that consumer reactions depend if they are traditionalists, traditionalists, or egalitarians (Zotos, Grau & Taylor, 2018, p. 769).

The research conducted in the past fifty years has enlightened society on how people are portrayed in advertisements. As our society is becoming technologically advanced, there are more areas of concern that should be put to light. To start with, the research conducted in the past has reviewed gender stereotyping in print media and television advertising. The audience of these media has gradually decreased since the advent of the internet. People spend hours surfing on the internet, using social media platforms, and there is minimal research conducted on advertisements broadcasted on such platforms. The author of this article even recommends further research focusing on the LGBT community and their portrayal in advertisements. There have been advertisements demonstrating their products using same-sex couples, which broadens society’s mental horizons about homosexuality. Therefore, the author suggests conducting further research covering the above-stated topic. Thirdly, he suggests directing research on the demonstration of empowered women in the media. In a poll conducted in the past, the results showed that 91% of participants stated that a girl’s self-esteem is influenced by the role women played in advertisements, while 51% of participants stated that advertisements have the power to influence stereotypes based on gender. The author concludes the article by hinting to the readers about further research that is to be conducted on gender stereotyping in advertisements displayed on the medium (Zotos, Grau & Taylor, 2018, p. 770).

To conclude, the readers of this article could view different perspectives of sociologists and advertising professionals regarding gender stereotyping. According to the research conducted in this article, it is found that private media shows more stereotyping than public media. Gender stereotyping is far less in countries where there are laws and regulations that prevent stereotyping in advertisements. The authors found that gender stereotyping has been less hyped for men than women, as it is more prevalent for the latter one, and more research must be conducted on the issue concentrating on roles played by men. Further research must also be done on how advertisements are displayed on the internet and if they discriminate between roles played between men and women (Zotos, Grau & Taylor, 2018, pp, 762-768).

References

1. Zotos, Y., Grau, S., & Taylor, C. (2018). Current Research on Gender Issues in Advertising (pp. 761-770). New York: Routledge.

This research seeks to investigate and identify stereotypes of gender within schools, and if this may lead to a possible difference in treatment. There will be some references to any stereotypes throughout history, and if they have perhaps lessened in today’s society, or are still practiced even today. However, history and current time will be evaluated. The individual aims, which will be provided ahead, will help identify answers for this.

Aims: the first aim of this research is to identify gender differences and stereotypes within primary school. The second aim is to find out why these gender differences and stereotypes existed or still exist today. The last aim is to collect a range of views regarding the issue of gender differences and stereotypes within primary school, specifically those working or learning in a school setting. There will be key ways in which this data will be collected. There will be a certain way in which this data will be collected, as it will provide us with more in-depth answers to the research question. This will be explained and put into detail about more later.

Research questions

• Why may certain genders be treated differently based on different stereotypes of gender and school?
• Will the difference in treatment be subject to change, or are the identified stereotypes still practiced today?

Rationale for the study

Gender stereotypes in education have been an ongoing issue throughout history. Many traditional traits have been identified to describe a typical man and woman and how they should act according to stereotypical societal norms. The typical characteristics of man were: strong, independent, and aggressive. The typical female characteristics were, shy, dependent, and nurturing. These types of characteristics were very normalized in traditional society; ‘Traditionally, many Western societies have believed that women are more nurturing than me. (Blackstone, 2003). In this research, the focus will be on boys and girls, and how they may be differentiated or treated in schools. Some of these differences could be in academic achievement or behavioral problems. ‘Are boys being readily labeled as having psychological problems by intolerant parents – (Bould and Marland, 1983). This suggests that certain behaviors of boys can be rooted in how parents view them, therefore adding further to the stereotype that boys have more behavioral issues than girls. ‘Girls appear to develop stronger reading and formal language skills at an earlier age than boys” (Maccoby and Jacklin, 1974). This further shows that academically girls are achieving more than boys. This will be looked upon further in the research, along with any stereotypes or differences that are still in current times

Literature review

Gender is one of the key terms, if not the main term in this research. To be more explicit, the research is to see if there are any clear differences in the treatment of genders in education. Feminist theorists (Thomson, 2003), have pointed out that ‘…the statistics on girls ‘ and women ‘s educational achievement seem to tell a story of unmistakable progress. Here, it is shown that girls’ academic achievement is being acknowledged, as opposed to how negatively it was acknowledged throughout history; specifically, the stereotypes put on female students at the time. Based on 2019 statistics from The National Education Union, over a third (34%) of primary school teachers say they witness gender stereotyping in their school on at least a weekly basis. Over half (54%) say they witness it on at least a termly basis. This shows that there is an inexplicable amount of stereotyping occurring in schools yet today. Adding onto this statistic, theorists, (Steffens and Jelene, 2011) found that girls ‘ mathematics self-concepts and their achievement were lower the stronger their mathematics-related gender stereotypes were. In contrast, boys ‘ mathematics achievements were higher the stronger their mathematics-related stereotypes were. These findings indicate that for girls, mathematics-related stereotypes can lead to negative self-beliefs and lessen motivation but also view their abilities negatively which may take a toll on their achievement. To further develop this opinion, theorists, (Passolunghi, Ferreira, and Tomasetto, 2014) documented that girls ‘ endorsement of math-related gender stereotypes is negatively associated with their ability beliefs. This shows that stereotypes hurt individuals, in this case, girls. The stereotypes lead to negative thinking towards one’s academic and ability capability. This therefore provides us with a view that stereotypes can have negative effects, not only on being treated according to stereotypes, but also lead to an unhealthy amount of questioning their own ability and academic achievements.

The research focus will also be on boys, and how they may be disadvantaged due to certain factors or actions. There have been many encounters or theorists stating that boys are possibly more disadvantaged than girls, academically. Theorists (Jones,2020) stated that’ although they (gender stereotypes) are often about girls and women, they shape the experiences of everyone The gender stereotypes that children encounter can influence physical and psychological well-being career choice, or perception of ability. These are some of the many factors that can hurt a child when encountering gender stereotypes. To further support the statement of boys being more disadvantaged, there is an article from the Guardian in 2019, with statistics to show the gender gap in education; ‘The results, from the national curriculum tests and assessments taken by pupils in year six, known as Sats, showed 70% of girls reached the expected standards in math, reading, and writing, compared with just 60% for boys, widening the gap from 8% last year to 10% this year. This shows that the gap between boys and girls when looking at the overall average of test results, is widening. This could hurt boys emotionally, as seeing the results and gap could influence interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships, as well as access to equitable educational opportunities. This will be further researched after data has been collected and analyzed.

For the past five decades, gender stereotypes in advertising have been attracting the interest of scholars by making them inquisitive about the techniques used by an advertiser to depict men and women in society. They were also keen to learn about the motives behind this stereotype as well as how it influenced the mindsets of society. Stereotypes are defined as classifications of gender based on the beliefs of society. It was a cause of concern in society when people’s beliefs started to intrude on the functioning of society. Many opportunities were limited to the respective genders depending on the perspectives of people. Research from the past demonstrates that society viewed women as beauty objects as well as homemakers, whereas, men were viewed as bread earners and head of their family (Zotos, Grau & Taylor, 2018, p. 761). The purpose of this paper is to identify if gender stereotyping in advertising is more prevalent for women than men. This paper enlightens the readers on how gender stereotyping has evolved over the years in advertisements and the factors influencing it.

In this article, the authors cover how a social problem is being displayed through media for the last 50 years. The social problem he addresses in this chapter is gender stereotyping and he concentrates on how this issue is still consistent in advertisements and print media. Public and private media portrays stereotyping based on gender differently as shown in this article. It consists of research conducted in the past and literature reviews based on the research. The research methods chosen to conduct the study included polls, interviews, and surveys that gathered information on how gender stereotyping in advertisements influences society. It is found in this article that gender stereotyping is more prevalent for women than men. It is also mentioned that laws and regulations play an important role in controlling stereotyping in advertisements (Zotos, Grau & Taylor, 2018, pp. 761-770).

An unending argument amongst marketers and sociologists has been going on, regarding the use of gender stereotyping in marketing. This argument has led to develop two views regarding this matter, one is known to be a mirror side and another one is the mold side. The mirror side represents the advertisements that display the existing morals and principles that mold society and dominates it. These advertisements demonstrate the viewpoints of people in society and the defined gender roles in the dominant culture. The latter side refers to the types of advertisements that reinforce the mindsets, values, norms, and beliefs of society. These advertisements have the power to shape and change the existing viewpoints regarding an identity of gender and the factors that lead to gender stereotyping that is femininity and masculinity. This argument between the mirror and mold side is never ending and it depends on factors such as products and values that are being advertised, which lead to gender stereotypes. Advertising not only represents products and values but also reflects and reproduces culture (Zotos, Grau & Taylor, 2018, pp. 762-763).

Gender stereotyping has been a major issue for many decades, and has been targeted by researchers to analyze this topic. Studies conducted in recent years have been of great value to the literature addressing this issue. After conducting research, it can be clearly stated that this issue exists in society and is more prevalent for women than men. A study conducted by Eisend led to the above-stated conclusion that this issue is faced by women usually when they are pursuing an occupation, where masculinity plays an important role. He also stated in his paper that this issue has decreased in very few societies from the past but still continues to exist in many societies. Knoll et al. found that gender stereotyping varies between public and private stereotyping. He concluded that in public media, women were demonstrated to be based at home, and men were deemed to have authority over their families. This behavior led mainly influenced occupations pursued by men and women. On the other hand, private media caused stereotyping by differentiating between men and women based on their physical appearances and the roles played by them. Addition to the literature was made by Eisend, Plagemann, and Sollewedel, who supported the prior research and concluded that this stereotyping does not influence the consumer’s point of view as we expect it to. They further added, that the addition of humor in advertisements, is a factor that influences how advertisements with gender stereotyping are perceived (Zotos, Grau & Taylor, 2018, pp. 764-767).

Professionals in the advertising industry are considered to be the people who shape the culture of societies, as they are responsible for what is being demonstrated through their platform and what message is being conveyed. Decisions regarding the portrayal of genders in advertisements from experts are not given importance. Advertisements are made in every country to demonstrate a product but there are similarities and dissimilarities between the advertisements in different countries. For example, advertisements in China portray women to be related to beauty objects and are known to have an ornamental image, whereas, advertisements in the United States show women with tough images playing stronger roles in society. Chinese culture aims to show the reality of their society through the roles played by men and women in advertisements (Zotos, Grau & Taylor, 2018, pp. 767- 768).

In an interview conducted by Zayer and Coleman during their research, it was found that advertising professionals aim to demonstrate the image of society by copying it into their advertisements. They highlight another concern by stating that gender stereotyping is prevalent for men in advertisements and more research must be conducted addressing this issue. Another research conducted was conducted in Belgium to address this issue and gather perspectives of viewers of the offensive advertisement as well as advertisement professionals. It is concluded from their interview that advertisement professionals did not care much about depictions of their advertisements in society and therefore, did not fulfill their responsibilities to support gender equality in advertising (Zotos, Grau & Taylor, 2018, p. 768).

Gender stereotyping started being addressed in European countries by creating guidelines on the depiction of gender roles in advertisements after many viewers filed complaints. They established laws based on anti-discrimination in several European countries. This step taken by European Advertising Standard Alliance led to positive advertising campaigns that reduced gender stereotyping due to increased rules and regulations in that sector. For the last few years, there have been changes in men’s role played in society. Advertisers for Dove Men Care demonstrated men with soft skin that broke the stereotypes for men who were shown to be tough in the past. This advertisement broke gender stereotypical assumptions, which led to other companies following Dove’s path for marketing their product. Gender stereotyping focusing on men has gained more importance in recent years (Zotos, Grau & Taylor, 2018, pp. 768-769).

Marshall et al. analyzed the roles of men in advertisements as a father for 60 years and found that Good Housekeeping, a well-known magazine, portrays men as masculine fathers who followed traditional gender roles. He also stated that there has been progress made in recent advertisements that view men as more than bread earners of the family. Many types of research were also conducted to determine the perspectives of viewers after viewing advertisements depicting new roles of men. Further research was conducted by reviewing reaction of customers to advertisements that did not represent stereotypical gender roles in their act. Customers found those kinds of advertisements to be positive and researchers found that advertisements without specified roles have more impact on the market as it gains more attention and interest of people, which leads to higher sales. Chu, Lee, and Kim from their research stated above, mentioned that this kind of advertisement can bring change in society and their perspectives. Advertisements showing men as caregivers in families gained positive reviews from the public showing that consumer reactions depend if they are traditionalists, traditionalists, or egalitarians (Zotos, Grau & Taylor, 2018, p. 769).

The research conducted in the past fifty years has enlightened society on how people are portrayed in advertisements. As our society is becoming technologically advanced, there are more areas of concern that should be put to light. To start with, the research conducted in the past has reviewed gender stereotyping in print media and television advertising. The audience of these media has gradually decreased since the advent of the internet. People spend hours surfing on the internet, using social media platforms, and there is minimal research conducted on advertisements broadcasted on such platforms. The author of this article even recommends further research focusing on the LGBT community and their portrayal in advertisements. There have been advertisements demonstrating their products using same-sex couples, which broadens society’s mental horizons about homosexuality. Therefore, the author suggests conducting further research covering the above-stated topic. Thirdly, he suggests directing research on the demonstration of empowered women in the media. In a poll conducted in the past, the results showed that 91% of participants stated that a girl’s self-esteem is influenced by the role women played in advertisements, while 51% of participants stated that advertisements have the power to influence stereotypes based on gender. The author concludes the article by hinting to the readers about further research that is to be conducted on gender stereotyping in advertisements displayed on the medium (Zotos, Grau & Taylor, 2018, p. 770).

To conclude, the readers of this article could view different perspectives of sociologists and advertising professionals regarding gender stereotyping. According to the research conducted in this article, it is found that private media shows more stereotyping than public media. Gender stereotyping is far less in countries where there are laws and regulations that prevent stereotyping in advertisements. The authors found that gender stereotyping has been less hyped for men than women, as it is more prevalent for the latter one, and more research must be conducted on the issue concentrating on roles played by men. Further research must also be done on how advertisements are displayed on the internet and if they discriminate between roles played between men and women (Zotos, Grau & Taylor, 2018, pp, 762-768).

References

1. Zotos, Y., Grau, S., & Taylor, C. (2018). Current Research on Gender Issues in Advertising (pp. 761-770). New York: Routledge.

All children take the first steps into their gender roles when they start to socialize in school, among their friends or peers, and so on. The most powerful influences are their parents’ behaviors, which give them an understanding that their fathers like to have everything under control, whereas their mothers are very kind and sensitive. We are exposed to gender stereotypes in some critical situations, or we may use these statements for our benefit in various conflicts. There is still a high exposure to men and women in stereotypical gender roles in the USA. For instance, women are supposed to have a beautiful appearance and attract admirers, whereas all men enjoy playing video games.

I do not feel that gender stereotypes in America are still strong because many women make more money than their husbands do nowadays, whereas men like to do housework and cook for their families. In my opinion, there are some cases when it is beneficial to adhere to one’s gender role. For instance, a man should be stronger and bigger than his woman is to be able to protect her in case of any dreadful situation. Gender discrimination might still be present within some retired American families that do not want to accept gender equality, but young people remain more loyal and respect all people, regardless of one’s gender.

People of different genders usually attract each other by their appearance because this is the first factor that plays a significant role in the following relationships. I believe that such factors as reliance, encouragement to each other, and forgiveness influence successful long-term relationships. I feel that modern technology has a negative impact on today’s relationships because people ruin their fellowship by their addiction to gadgets. In order to have a good family, both husband and wife ought to discuss each other’s daily routine, goals, and opinions instead of wasting their time online.

Concerns About the Use of Gender Stereotypes

Various gender stereotypes occurred in the classroom create the so-called gender filter, making students act in accordance with sex-related expectations of others rather than with regards to their self-identification. In the given case study, Mr. Matthews notes that the teacher provides the opportunity for his students to control the situation by shaping the two groups. However, when students come up with the idea of gender division, he supports it and encourages that is, perhaps, not the best option. Elmore and Oyserman (2012) consider that “subtle situational cues about the link between one’s gender and future success influence not only identity content but also current effort on academic tasks, especially for boys” (p. 183). This means that male students tend to reduce their motivation for learning as a result of mocking and disparaging jokes like “letting the women win so that they don’t get mad”, not to mention females who have to encounter the direct discrimination.

Another dynamics observed by Mr. Matthews relates to the perception of Mr. Williams regarding the given situation. It seems that the teacher feels comfortable when male and female students confront in the classroom. Even though he ultimately refocuses them on learning, the situation seems to be conventional and familiar to these students that expand gender-related bias. Thus, the teacher himself promotes gender-associated learning by assigning specific tasks and believing that it actually works well. As noted in the recent study by Giraldo and Colyar (2012), teachers’ gender performance affects those of students, serving as a behavioral pattern.

At this point, gender-stereotyped teaching evokes gender bias in students who adopt it both consciously and unintentionally, thus shaping discrimination against the opposite gender. Elaborating on the topic, it seems interesting to note the recent survey conducted by the prominent Jimmy Kimmel’s TV show. In particular, the video called Kids Explains Why Women Are Paid Less than Men reveals the outcome of gender stereotypes in the classroom.

For example, children provide such answers as “because people expect them to do less”, “because women work less hard”, “because girls behave strangely”, etc. (“Kids explain why women are paid less than men”, 2016). In other words, the unequal perception of girls can be observed even in childhood. In this connection, it becomes evident that there is an immediate need to eradicate such biased views of teachers and adult students and provide grounds for the adequate perception of gender in the classroom.

Constructive Feedback to Mr. Williams

In an attempt to compose constructive feedback to Mr. Williams, it seems appropriate to pinpoint some potential threats and difficulties transgender students or those who cannot identify their gender may encounter in the given classroom. First of all, such students will, perhaps, face the challenge of pertaining themselves to one or the other group on gender basis that may also cause mocking from other students. More to the point, the separation by gender stereotypes may create problems with peers in interaction with them. Many educators tend to ignore such students and their needs, thus affecting other students who are likely to behave in the same way (Ryan, Patraw, & Bednar, 2013).

The lack of relevant training and awareness of teachers, as well as insufficiently elaborated policies regarding this theme, leads to the inappropriate treatment of transgender students and learners with a non-specified identity.

To split adult students into teams, Mr. Williams could utilize the principle of random selection. It is possible to use stickers of two colors put in an opaque bag. Those who pick up red stickers will form one team, and others will compose the second team. Another method to engage students is to ask them to cross their arms across their chests. As a rule, approximately 50 percent cross right over left, and 50 percent do it vice versa. The mentioned methods present splitting into teams that are not associated with gender and ensure adequate treatment of every student along with inclusion.

Considering the role of Mr. Williams as an instructor and a mentor, it is possible to recommend him to reconsider his approach to gender issues. As specified by Ryan et al. (2013), there is a need to introduce teacher modeling that will guide students in questions on gender. For example, it is necessary to create a safe place for all students, eliminate the so-called “male jobs” and “female jobs”, use the inclusive language (e.g. learners and students instead of boys and girls), provide real-life examples, and challenge stereotypes when they occur in the classroom (Kitchen & Bellini, 2012).

The latter is especially important to address gender stereotypes and may be implemented via open discussions led by a teacher when all the students have the opportunity to express their views and receive an adequate reaction from others. To reinforce the existing gender stereotypes in the given classroom, Mr. Williams may initiate a specific lesson, discussing the role of gender, its essence, various aspects related to self-identification, etc., so that students may understand each other better and prevent stressful situations in the future.

References

Elmore, K. C., & Oyserman, D. (2012). If ‘we’can succeed,‘I’can too: Identity-based motivation and gender in the classroom. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 37(3), 176-185.

English language arts standards. (2017). Web.

Giraldo, E., & Colyar, J. (2012). Dealing with gender in the classroom: A portrayed case study of four teachers. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 16(1), 25-38.

Kids explain why women are paid less than men [Video file]. (2016). Web.

Kitchen, J., & Bellini, C. (2012). Making it better for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students through teacher education: A collaborative self-study. Studying Teacher Education, 8(3), 209-225.

Ryan, C. L., Patraw, J. M., & Bednar, M. (2013). Discussing princess boys and pregnant men: Teaching about gender diversity and transgender experiences within an elementary school curriculum. Journal of LGBT Youth, 10(1), 83-105.