PEP Talk: Intermediate / Program Themes and Activities
Gender Stereotypes
- What are stereotypes?
➢ Oversimplified assumptions people make about who you are
➢ Widely held beliefs about people or cultures that may or may not be real or true - How do stereotypes restrict or limit our understanding of each other?
➢ Makes false assumptions about people
➢ Encourages rigid thinking that people will be a certain way
➢ Prevents you from really getting to know the individual beyond the stereotype - What are gender stereotypes?
➢ Generalizations about the characteristics of different genders
➢ Examples:
o boys are better at sports than girls
o girls are better at art than boys
o boys are less sensitive than girls - What is the negative impact of gender stereotypes?
➢ Encourages rigid thinking about how individuals should think and behave depending on their gender
➢ Limit individuals from exploring opportunities outside of the gender stereotypes (e.g. more girls pursuing professional sports; more boys pursuing art degrees, etc.) - How can gender stereotypes affect our self-esteem?
➢ Can make individuals feel devalued because they are judged based on the gender stereotype
➢ Can decrease one’s self-esteem and self-confidence - How can gender stereotypes affect relationships?
➢ They can lead to unfair expectations around each individual’s role in the relationship (e.g., men have to be the breadwinner; women have to do all the housework, etc.)
➢ Individual differences may not be accepted and respected
➢ It could lead to unhealthy patterns in the relationship