Gender stereotypes are views about how members of a specific gender should behave or which attributes they should have. Examples include females being stereotyped as more emotional than males.
Gender stereotypes are beliefs about how a person should behave or which characteristics are based on their gender.
These stereotypes can affect people in school, work, and home lives. They alter how people perceive themselves and others, so they may impact the way people receive treatment in different settings.
This article examines gender stereotypes, their classification, examples and types, their effects on people, and finally, how to avoid them.
A note about sex and gender
Sex and gender exist on spectrums. This article will use the terms “male,” “female,” or both to refer to sex assigned at birth. Click here to learn more.
Gender stereotypes are beliefs about a person’s behaviors or characteristics based on their male or female gender.
Research from the Institute of Physics details females as being portrayed as emotional, supportive, and in need of protection. Male portrayal includes rationality, career focus, and strength.
While some stereotypes may be positive, for example, “women are nurturing” or “men are athletic,” there are also negative stereotypes, such as “women are weak” or “men are unemotional.”
The assumptions are mostly negative, and stereotyping can be limiting for those who are impacted.
Classification of gender stereotypes
- Descriptive stereotypes: These refer to certain characteristics to describe a particular gender, such as:
- Females are more self-aware and more anxious than males.
- Males are more extroverted and forgetful than females.
- Prescriptive stereotypes: These describe how members of a particular gender should behave, including:
- Females should be communal, such as cheerful, patient, and interested in children.
- Males should be agentic, athletic, ambitious, and assertive.
- Proscriptive stereotypes: These describe how members of a particular gender should not behave, such as:
- Females should not be dominant, stubborn, or rebellious.
- Males should not be weak or emotional.
- supportive
- compassion
- expression
- warmth
Males have been more stereotypically associated with agency, such as:
- ambition
- assertiveness
- competitivity
- action
- competence, including skill and intelligence
Learn more about gender.
The Gender Equality Law Center provides examples of gender stereotypes through different age groups:
During early years, they detail examples of stereotypes, such as:
- Girls play with dolls, and boys play with trucks.
- Boys like blue, and girls like pink.
- Girls wear dresses, and boys should not.
During youth, examples of gender stereotypes include:
- Girls are better at reading, and boys are better at math.
- Girls are well-behaved, and boys are naughty.
- Boys are good at sports, and girls are more creative.
- Girls should appear a certain way to be beautiful, and boys should be aggressive.
Finally, they describe possible gender stereotypes during adulthood, such as:
- Women are natural nurturers, and men are born natural leaders.
- Women do not need equal pay as they receive support from their husbands.
- Women with children are less devoted to their jobs.
- Men with children who spend time with family are less masculine.
- Women should take care of family or children.
- Same-sex couples cannot make good parents.
- Women are too emotional to work in certain demanding areas.
- Men are too impersonal to take on tasks better done by women.
Types
There are four types of gender stereotypes:
- Personality traits: This includes expectations that women are accommodating and emotional while men are self-confident and aggressive.
- Domestic behaviors:Some people may expect females to take care of the children and home duties while males manage the finances, fix the car, and do home repairs.
- Occupations: Some assume females are teachers and nurses and males are doctors and engineers.
- Physical appearance: People expect females to be slim and graceful while men are tall and muscular. Males and females have expected stereotypical ways of appearing, such as males wearing pants and having short hairstyles and females wearing dresses and makeup.
Gender stereotypes influence how people perceive themselves and those around them. They mold their attitudes to relationships and influence their participation in the world of work.
There are different effects based on the setting:
Educational setting
In a school setting, gender stereotypes may affect the following:
- classroom experience
- academic performance
- subject choice
- well-being
- how they treat others
- extracurricular hobbies
Gender stereotypes affect females’ study paths and career choices. This results in fewer females in:
- science
- technology
- engineering
- mathematics
This also affects how many males are in teaching, health, and social care.
Professional setting
A gender stereotype is harmful when it limits a person’s capacity to develop their abilities, pursue their professional careers, and make their own life choices.
In organizational settings, negative beliefs about females’ performance or efficacy
2018 research discusses how gender stereotypes influence the perceived potential of males and females when selected for future careers and how people rate and value their work.
The research revealed in an experimental study when evaluating teacher behavior, such as promptness during an online course, that teachers with a male name receive a much higher rating than those with a female name.
Home life
2018 research studied gender inequality in the household. It showed that males involve themselves in traditionally masculine household chores, such as home repairs and family management, and females involve themselves in traditionally feminine chores, such as child care or shopping.
This dynamic alters how children perceive genders and the expectations within the home.
A 2018 study suggests that from a very early age, children are implicitly taught about gender stereotypes and reproduce them in their own beliefs and behaviors.
Legislation is in place to enforce equal treatment; however, at the implicit level, gender stereotypes continue to shape perceptions and behaviors.
There are different ways a person can avoid gender stereotypes based on the setting.
Educational and home setting
The following tips may encourage inclusive playtime at home and with others at school:
- giving equal and adequate time to play and participate in household chores, regardless of gender
- playing with toys and games that develop a complete set of social and cognitive skills
- exposing children to books or media that tell inclusive and diverse stories about children and provide positive portrayals of gender roles
- having children play with toys and games traditionally associated with the opposite gender; for example, boys can play with dolls
- avoiding toys and games that deliberately encourage gender stereotypes, such as pink versus blue packaging
- preventing children from being associated with overtly violent or sexualized content through video games or programs
- replacing digital games with constructive physical outdoor activities
- encouraging children to translate anger and frustration into problem-solving, positive communication, and physical activity
Professional setting
Companies can prioritize the following to combat gender inequality and stereotyping:
- equal pay and transparency
- development and mentorship programs
- flexible work arrangement
- anti-discrimination policies
- address unconscious bias
Gender stereotypes are beliefs about how a person should behave or which characteristics are attributed to gender.
Experts classify gender stereotypes as descriptive, prescriptive, and proscriptive.
Descriptive stereotypes refer to the characteristics people use to describe a gender. Prescriptive stereotypes refer to how a particular gender should behave, and proscriptive stereotypes define how a gender should not behave.
Four types of gender stereotypes include personality traits, domestic behaviors, occupations, and physical appearance.
Gender stereotypes shape how people perceive themselves and those around them at home, at school, and at work.
People need to help avoid these stereotypes depending on the setting. For example, encouraging children to play with any toy irrespective of gender and helping children read and learn about diverse, inclusive stories that portray positive gender roles.
In a work setting, the company must be transparent about pay and ensure it is equal across genders. It must also build programs and policies focused on development and anti-discrimination.