Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsMeaningHow They DevelopEffectsHow to Combat
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Meaning
How They Develop
Effects
How to Combat
Gender stereotypes are preconceived, usually generalized views about how members of a certain gender do or should behave, or which traits they do or should have. They are meant to reinforce gender norms, typically in a binary way (masculine vs. feminine).
Gender stereotypes have far-reaching effects on all genders.
Read on to learn about how gender stereotypes develop, the effects of gender stereotypes, and how harmful gender stereotypes can be changed.
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Meaning of Gender Stereotypes
Gender stereotypes are ideas about howmembers of a certain genderdo or should be or behave. They reflect ingrained biases based on the social norms of that society. Typically, they are considered as binary (male/female and feminine/masculine).
By nature, gender stereotypes are oversimplified and generalized. They are not accurate and often persist even when there is demonstrable evidence that contradict them. They also tend to ignore thefluidity of genderand nonbinary gender identities.
Classification of Gender Stereotypes
Gender stereotypes have two components, which are:
Genderstereotypescan be positive or negative. This doesn’t mean good or bad—even stereotypes that seem “flattering” can have harmful consequences.
The attribute is undesirable for all genders but more accepted in a particular gender than others. For example, arrogance and aggression are unpleasant in all genders but are tolerated more in men and boys than in women, girls, ornonbinary people.
Gender stereotypes tend to be divided into these two generalized themes:
Basic types of gender stereotypes include:
Gender stereotypes don’t exist in a vacuum. They can intersect with stereotypes and prejudices surrounding a person’s other identities and be disproportionately harmful to different people. For example, a Black woman experiences sexism andracism, and also experiences unique prejudice from theintersectionalityof sexism and racism that a White woman or Black man would not.
Words to Know
What Is Non-Binary?
How Gender Stereotypes Develop
We all have unconscious biases (assumptions our subconscious makes about people based on groups that person belongs to and our ingrained associations with those groups). Often, we aren’t even aware we have them or how they influence our behavior.
Gender stereotyping comes from unconscious biases we have about gender groups.
We aren’t preprogrammed at birth with these biases and stereotypes. Instead, they are learned through repeated and ongoing messages we receive.
Some ways gender stereotypes are learned and reinforced in childhood include:
Children begin to internalize these stereotypes quite early. Research has shown that as early as elementary school, children reflect similar prescriptive gender stereotypes as adults, especially about physical appearance and behavior.
While all genders face expectations to align with the stereotypes of their gender groups, boys and men tend to face harsher criticism for behavior and attributes that arecounterstereotypicalthan do girls and women. For example, a boy who plays with a doll and wears a princess dress is more likely to be met with a negative reaction than a girl who wears overalls and plays with trucks.
The Hegemonic MythThe hegemonic myth is thefalse perceptionthat men are the dominant gender (strong and independent) while women are weaker and need to be protected.Gender stereotypes propagate this myth.
The Hegemonic Myth
The hegemonic myth is thefalse perceptionthat men are the dominant gender (strong and independent) while women are weaker and need to be protected.Gender stereotypes propagate this myth.
The hegemonic myth is thefalse perceptionthat men are the dominant gender (strong and independent) while women are weaker and need to be protected.
Gender stereotypes propagate this myth.
Effects of Gender Stereotypes
Gender stereotypesnegatively impact all gendersin a number of ways.
Nonbinary Genders
For people who aretransgender/gender nonconforming(TGNC), gender stereotypes can lead to:
In School
Unconscious bias plays a part in reinforcing gender stereotypes in the classroom. For example:
In the Workforce
While women are in the workforce in large numbers, gender stereotypes are still at play, such as:
At Home
Despite both men and women being in the workforce, women continue to be expected to (and do) perform adisproportionate amount of houseworkand taking care of children than do men.
Gender-Based Violence
Gender stereotypes can contribute to gender-based violence.
Health
Stereotypes and different ways of socializing genders canaffect healthin the following ways:
Globally
Globally, over 575 million girls live in countries where inequitable gender norms contribute to a violation of their rights in areas such as:
How to Combat Gender Stereotypes
Some ways to combat gender stereotypes include:
Not sure where to start? Common Sense Media has compiled a list ofmovies that defy gender stereotypes.
Summary
Gender stereotypes are generalized, preconceived, andusually binaryideas about behaviors and traits specific genders should or should not display. They are based on gender norms and gender roles, and stem from unconscious bias.
Gender stereotypes begin to develop very early in life through socialization. They are formed and strengthened through observations, experiences, and interactions with others.
Gender stereotypes can be harmful to all genders and should be challenged. The best way to start combating gender stereotypes is to examine and confront your own biases and how they affect your behavior.
A Word From Verywell
We all have gender biases, whether we realize it or not. That doesn’t mean we should let gender stereotypes go unchecked. If you see harmful gender stereotyping, point it out.
16 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ellemers N.Gender stereotypes.Annu Rev Psychol. 2018;69(1):275-298. doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-122216-011719Stanford University: Gendered Innovations.Stereotypes.YWCA Metro Vancouver.Dating safe: how gender stereotypes can impact our relationships.Koenig AM.Comparing prescriptive and descriptive gender stereotypes about children, adults, and the elderly.Front Psychol. 2018;9:1086. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01086United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.Gender stereotyping.Hentschel T, Heilman ME, Peus CV.The multiple dimensions of gender stereotypes: a current look at men’s and women’s characterizations of others and themselves.Front Psychol. 2019;10:11. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00011Planned Parenthood.What are gender roles and stereotypes?Institute of Physics.Gender stereotypes and their effect on young people.France Stratégie.Report – Gender stereotypes and how to fight them: new ideas from France.LGBTQ+ Primary Hub.Gender stereotyping.Bian L, Leslie SJ, Cimpian A.Gender stereotypes about intellectual ability emerge early and influence children’s interests.Science. 2017;355(6323):389-391. doi:10.1126/science.aah6524Eagly AH, Nater C, Miller DI, Kaufmann M, Sczesny S.Gender stereotypes have changed: a cross-temporal meta-analysis of U.S. public opinion polls from 1946 to 2018.Am Psychol. 2020;75(3):301-315. doi:10.1037/amp0000494Save the Children.Gender roles can create lifelong cycle of inequality.Girl Scouts.6 everyday ways to bust gender stereotypes.UNICEF.How to remove gender stereotypes from playtime.Save the Children.Tips for talking with children about gender stereoptypes.
16 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ellemers N.Gender stereotypes.Annu Rev Psychol. 2018;69(1):275-298. doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-122216-011719Stanford University: Gendered Innovations.Stereotypes.YWCA Metro Vancouver.Dating safe: how gender stereotypes can impact our relationships.Koenig AM.Comparing prescriptive and descriptive gender stereotypes about children, adults, and the elderly.Front Psychol. 2018;9:1086. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01086United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.Gender stereotyping.Hentschel T, Heilman ME, Peus CV.The multiple dimensions of gender stereotypes: a current look at men’s and women’s characterizations of others and themselves.Front Psychol. 2019;10:11. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00011Planned Parenthood.What are gender roles and stereotypes?Institute of Physics.Gender stereotypes and their effect on young people.France Stratégie.Report – Gender stereotypes and how to fight them: new ideas from France.LGBTQ+ Primary Hub.Gender stereotyping.Bian L, Leslie SJ, Cimpian A.Gender stereotypes about intellectual ability emerge early and influence children’s interests.Science. 2017;355(6323):389-391. doi:10.1126/science.aah6524Eagly AH, Nater C, Miller DI, Kaufmann M, Sczesny S.Gender stereotypes have changed: a cross-temporal meta-analysis of U.S. public opinion polls from 1946 to 2018.Am Psychol. 2020;75(3):301-315. doi:10.1037/amp0000494Save the Children.Gender roles can create lifelong cycle of inequality.Girl Scouts.6 everyday ways to bust gender stereotypes.UNICEF.How to remove gender stereotypes from playtime.Save the Children.Tips for talking with children about gender stereoptypes.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Ellemers N.Gender stereotypes.Annu Rev Psychol. 2018;69(1):275-298. doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-122216-011719Stanford University: Gendered Innovations.Stereotypes.YWCA Metro Vancouver.Dating safe: how gender stereotypes can impact our relationships.Koenig AM.Comparing prescriptive and descriptive gender stereotypes about children, adults, and the elderly.Front Psychol. 2018;9:1086. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01086United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.Gender stereotyping.Hentschel T, Heilman ME, Peus CV.The multiple dimensions of gender stereotypes: a current look at men’s and women’s characterizations of others and themselves.Front Psychol. 2019;10:11. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00011Planned Parenthood.What are gender roles and stereotypes?Institute of Physics.Gender stereotypes and their effect on young people.France Stratégie.Report – Gender stereotypes and how to fight them: new ideas from France.LGBTQ+ Primary Hub.Gender stereotyping.Bian L, Leslie SJ, Cimpian A.Gender stereotypes about intellectual ability emerge early and influence children’s interests.Science. 2017;355(6323):389-391. doi:10.1126/science.aah6524Eagly AH, Nater C, Miller DI, Kaufmann M, Sczesny S.Gender stereotypes have changed: a cross-temporal meta-analysis of U.S. public opinion polls from 1946 to 2018.Am Psychol. 2020;75(3):301-315. doi:10.1037/amp0000494Save the Children.Gender roles can create lifelong cycle of inequality.Girl Scouts.6 everyday ways to bust gender stereotypes.UNICEF.How to remove gender stereotypes from playtime.Save the Children.Tips for talking with children about gender stereoptypes.
Ellemers N.Gender stereotypes.Annu Rev Psychol. 2018;69(1):275-298. doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-122216-011719
Stanford University: Gendered Innovations.Stereotypes.
YWCA Metro Vancouver.Dating safe: how gender stereotypes can impact our relationships.
Koenig AM.Comparing prescriptive and descriptive gender stereotypes about children, adults, and the elderly.Front Psychol. 2018;9:1086. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01086
United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.Gender stereotyping.
Hentschel T, Heilman ME, Peus CV.The multiple dimensions of gender stereotypes: a current look at men’s and women’s characterizations of others and themselves.Front Psychol. 2019;10:11. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00011
Planned Parenthood.What are gender roles and stereotypes?
Institute of Physics.Gender stereotypes and their effect on young people.
France Stratégie.Report – Gender stereotypes and how to fight them: new ideas from France.
LGBTQ+ Primary Hub.Gender stereotyping.
Bian L, Leslie SJ, Cimpian A.Gender stereotypes about intellectual ability emerge early and influence children’s interests.Science. 2017;355(6323):389-391. doi:10.1126/science.aah6524
Eagly AH, Nater C, Miller DI, Kaufmann M, Sczesny S.Gender stereotypes have changed: a cross-temporal meta-analysis of U.S. public opinion polls from 1946 to 2018.Am Psychol. 2020;75(3):301-315. doi:10.1037/amp0000494
Save the Children.Gender roles can create lifelong cycle of inequality.
Girl Scouts.6 everyday ways to bust gender stereotypes.
UNICEF.How to remove gender stereotypes from playtime.
Save the Children.Tips for talking with children about gender stereoptypes.
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