Gender and Stereotypes

2477 Words10 Pages
Abstract Gender issues have become a topical issue of late with various groups advocating for gender equality and equity. Problems associated with gender stereotypes have also tended to feature strongly. This article looks at the subject of gender stereotypes in the wider society that we live in, its impact and possible ways of changing peoples’ mindsets. This article will also be supported by pictorial presentations based on some newspaper and magazine cuttings. What are gender stereotypes and how are they conveyed in our society? According to Mior and Jessel (1989), gender refers to the socially constructed roles of, and relations between, men and women, while 'Sex' refers to biological characteristics which define humans as female or male. These biological characteristics are not mutually exclusive however, as there are individuals who possess both. This definition is also shared by the website http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender. A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. Stereotypes are standardized and simplified conceptions of groups based on some prior assumptions (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereotype). While all stereotypes are generalizations, not all generalizations are stereotypes. Stereotypes are oversimplifications of people groups widely circulated in certain societies (http://racerelations.about.com/od/understandingrac1/a/WhatIsaStereotype.htm). A society or a human society is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations such as social status, roles and social networks. It is a large social grouping that shares the same geographical territory and is subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society). Page 1 According to the website http://www.answers.com/topic/society, society is a group
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