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Halton, M. (2021, June 25). How to raise kids without rigid gender stereotypes (1482597602 1071253428 J. Tran, Ed.). Retrieved September 20, 2021, from https://ideas.ted.com/how-to-raise-a-child-whos-free-from-gender-norms/ |
From a young age, we are exposed to gender stereotypes. Television shows, movies, the internet, books, our peers, all defined what is "feminine" and "masculine" as we grew up. Feminine is defined as "characteristic of or appropriate or unique to women." while masculine is defined as "having qualities appropriate to or usually associated with a man.". The media takes these flexible definitions to a whole new level when they are teaching young children what they can and can not do or what they can and can not wear. In TV shows and movies, women are portrayed to rely on men to take care of them while they cook and clean. They are often seen as less intelligent and weaker than men. Contrary to the women, men are portrayed as strong, independent working individuals who are looked at as an authority figure by others. In this video, you will see some of the most common gender stereotypes and learn what gender stereotypes actually are. What are Gender Stereotypes?
Media stereotypes are very powerful. They have extra impact because they create images in our mind based on these assumptions of femininity and masculinity. Stereotypes use the media to convey the "right way" men and women should act.
Although a person's concept of gender and its stereotypes may change as they mature, the toddler years represent an important period for gender development as they learn to understand themselves. Demonstrating the gender roles that are so forcefully being shown to us as children, made us feel desirable in the way that we were doing something "right".
Disney is a huge platform where these gender stereotypes are prevalent. In almost all Disney productions, there is a hopeless princess awaiting for a fearless prince to save the day. This affects children at a young age teaching little girls to rely on men and little boys to be tough and show no weakness. But, the gender stigma of what it means to be a "boy or a girl" doesn't stop there. In children's shows the little girl's characters are always dressed in pink, playing with dolls while the boys are seen wearing blue destroying stuff. These gender stereotyping characters play a significant role in children's views as they will start stereotyping in real life such as "That's for boys" or "No, that's girly". In this youtube video, the viewer can see how the younger the child is, the more drawn they are on the typical male/ female stereotypes. But as they mature, they start developing their own thoughts and feelings about what makes you, you. Boys and Girls on Stereotypes
In today's day and age, we can see newer Disney movies try to modernize their newer stories but some of their films still contain the traditional gender roles. These gender stereotypes are clear looking back at almost any older Disney princess movie. For example, Disney's 1959 "Sleeping Beauty" with Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip, the plot is about a beautiful princess who is cursed by an evil fairy to sleep for 100 years and to only be awakened by a handsome prince's kiss. But going back only a few years to a movie released in 2016, like "Moana". One can see Princess Moana, a strong woman, save her island but only with the help of a strong man. As Disney has been evolving and taking steps forward to stop the stigma of women always needing a man, there are clearly still lessons to be learned to fully transform their network into something great for both little girls and boys too.
We need to stop seeing challenges to fixed gender roles as a threat, and instead question what is working for us now and what is no longer acceptable. Some gender stereotypes can hold both men and women back from being the best they can be in fear of being judged by society- we need to break gender stereotypes.
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Breaking gender stereotype. (n.d.). Retrieved September 20, 2021, from https://www.gse.harvard.edu/hgse100/story/breaking-gender-stereotype |
These stereotypes are holding back the individuals who identify as male to be vulnerable to one another. It shines a spotlight on their strength and to be positive role models, and anything less is unacceptable. It opens up a conversation about what people believe is a "real" man past what the media has made society believe. And the same goes for women. Women come across to society as caregivers who can't do anything without the help of a man. That we as women, need to stay home and only have the responsibilities of cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the children. And if we step outside of this little circle then we are crossing the men's boundaries. But in reality working together will open up better opportunities and allow all genders and identities to thrive.
This is a powerful moment for reflection. What do we all want for ourselves and each other? We should want each of us to succeed, but instead it just has been a battles of the sexes. Although these gender norms have been building up for as long as we can remember, we can still break this stigma.
Resources
Ballard, T. (2017). Disney Films and Gender Role Perceptions. The Relationship Between Disney’s Animated Films and Gender Role Perceptions.
Breaking gender stereotype. (n.d.). Retrieved September 20, 2021, from https://www.gse.harvard.edu/hgse100/story/breaking-gender-stereotype
Feminine. (2021, September 10). Retrieved September 20, 2021, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feminine
Halton, M. (2021, June 25). How to raise kids without rigid gender stereotypes (1482597602 1071253428 J. Tran, Ed.). Retrieved September 20, 2021, from https://ideas.ted.com/how-to-raise-a-child-whos-free-from-gender-norms/
N. (Producer). (2018, March 7). Boys and Girls on Stereotypes [Video file]. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
P. (Producer). (2019, April 15). What are Gender Stereotypes? [Video file]. Retrieved September 20, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdHSDaJNQSg
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