Gender stereotypes

     Gender stereotypes have a huge impact on how people view themselves and others. From an early age people are exposed to these messages about expectations related to gender and we know that young boys are often encouraged to be tough, assertive, and independent, while girls are expected to be polite, nurturing, and in touch with their emotions. I don't think these are inherently bad by themselves but these expectations can become problematic when they start to limit how we are able to express ourselves later in life. A good example of this would be boys expressing sadness and being told to "man up" which inherently teaches them that vulnerability is bad or a sign of weakness which can then lead to harmful thoughts and feelings because they feel they can't share how they are feeling and bottle it up until they can't take it anymore. When it comes to girls, we know that when put into positions of power or leadership they are often labeled "bossy" or worse. When we are taught these expectations and continue to teach these expectations we are not only shaping the way children behave but also how they see their own worth.

    We see these gender messages everywhere, when I first think about where these expectations are formed I think about the toys kids play with, the colors associated with gender like pink and blue, I think about the commercials we have all seen over and over again of girls toys commercials vs. boys toys commercials and so much more. When we get older we see these expectations and messages still through the media we watch, relationships we are in or know of, and fashion as well. It's important to recognize these so we can do our best to challenge the expectations put on us from others and the limits that come with those expectations.

    In class I have learned that socialization and culture go hand in hand because of the complex process of learning our values, certain social norms, and behaviors, which are crucial for one's culture too. We have talked about how children pick up on the messages we are giving them even when we don't think they are and how that is shaping what they believe is appropriate. Another thing I thought about was social identity, which highlights how people categorize themselves into certain groups and I feel like gender is one of the biggest identities that people hold. Lastly, when discussing how stereotypes can lead to harmful distress overtime and how when people are feeling chronic stress every day how that can have major negative impacts on one's mental, physical, and emotional well-being. 


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