essay questions on sexism

Everyday Sexism: The Questions We Should Be Asking .

When we outrage at extreme acts of violence against women, we tend to express shock at the perpetrator’s “beastly” conduct. We bracket them into “others,” separating them from the society we exist in. Othering offenders is our collective way of washing our hands off of any criminal liability. While there is some truth in “they cannot be us,” there is a whole lot of truth in “we enable them”.

Yes, we enable hate and violence by normalising inequality among various gender identities. Our casual remarks, jokes, everyday attitudes contribute to this normalisation. If not discriminating directly, are we not contributing to the culture that breeds discrimination? Each of us is capable of being sexist. Each of us has been sexist.

Shall we pause and take note then?

Bundele, harbolon ke muh hamne suni kahani thi, Khoob ladi mardaani wo to jhansi wali rani thi

(We have heard tales from the Bundel and Harbol, What a manly fighter that queen of Jhansi was)

Rani Lakshmi Bai has been a hero to almost all children of India across generations. Subhadra Kumari Chauhan’s poem ‘Jhansi Ki Rani’ is probably the most prominent piece of Hindi literature to evoke feelings of valiant passion. Lakshmi Bai was not only brave but also a trailblazer. She fought battles when only men would go to wars. Chauhan sings paeans for her, comparing her heroics to that of a gallant man’s. For those were the times.

There have been social roles for gender identities. Those become stereotypes where a gender identity’s character and abilities are generalised. Such stereotypes also enable the idea that one gender is superior to others in certain matters (ability and skills).

Then ask: Is a gender stereotypical comparison a compliment in the truest sense?

A nursery poem in Hindi, playfully introducing kids to the circular shape goes like this:

Papa ka paisa gol gol, Mummy ki roti gol gol (Papa’s coins are round, Mumma’s rotis are round)

There are gender stereotypes in society. While one may argue that breadwinning and caregiving must not be looked at in a superior-inferior way, one wonders why a reversal of gender roles is not encouraged/normalised.  

Then ask: Does continued enablement of gender roles foster a culture of prejudice and discrimination?

Mithali Raj, the Indian women’s cricket team captain, was once asked by a journalist who her favourite male cricketer was. She was quick to retort, “I have always been asked who your favourite cricketer is but you should ask them who their favourite female cricketer is.”

After the release of Sania Mirza’s autobiography, a veteran journalist enthusiastically asked her about her plans to “settle down” . Sania responded, “You sound disappointed that I’m not choosing motherhood over being number one in the world at this point of time. But I’ll answer your question anyway, that’s the question I face all the time as a woman, that all women have to face — first is marriage and then it’s motherhood. Unfortunately, that’s when we’re settled, and no matter how many Wimbledons we win or number ones in the world we become, we don’t become settled.” This response made the journalist apologise.

Even in a cricket-fanatic country, the women’s game is still not taken seriously. ‘Not a space for women’ is a notion we carry when it comes to many spaces including sports and politics. Players, politicians, leaders who are not men are often either ridiculed or patronised.

Then ask: Have we already decided the spaces based on gender?

When a couple visits a property for purchase or rent, have you noticed how the agent wants to engage only with the man? Agents, mechanics and scores of service providers are often averse to taking instructions from the woman or even engaging with her.  There is a blatant notion we have long normalised: that women are less aware. This strengthens the idea that is often expressed with the “that’s not her place” disdain.

Then ask: Do we often feel, “she wouldn’t know”?

Four years ago, at a woman’s hackathon event, a STEM college student, minutes after winning a prize, asked publicly, “But ma’am, aren’t boys smarter than us when it comes to technology?” Her question threw me off-course for a second. I started by reminding her that she won the competition. Then I asked the audience what they would get for a girl child when visiting family and friends.

While we buy kitchen sets and Barbies for the girl, we would take a motorized toy for the boy. Breaking or making such toys is how boys become comfortable with and curious about gadgets. The conditioning begins early. Regardless of “no discrimination” stances, we condition our daughters and sons to live differently. The gender roles and the complexes take over in due course.

Then ask:  Can a gender identity be intrinsically inferior? Are we enabling a complex of inferiority?

Then there is that universal, seemingly harmless space of jokes. One laughs at funny jokes, right? Not quite. Many women, like me, have laughed at supposed jokes to fit in. Sometimes, we have cringed inside. At other times, we have experienced a sense of belonging, being in the inner circle, excluding the “wrong kind of woman”. Those jokes are on others, we told ourselves. It is just a joke, they told us.

However, a particular choice and placement of words do not only establish communication between people, but it also establishes a culture. “You run like a girl” is an insult, “that must be a woman driving” is criticism, “You are funny for a woman” is a compliment and the likes, are elements that establish that certain “jokes” originated from the man’s world, and the woman must laugh along or she would be labelled as ‘unfunny’ or a ‘buzzkill’.

Then ask: Is it really just a joke? Do jokes also beget discrimination?

Have you ever come across deifying posts around woman’s day, mother’s day etc? That claim that women are superior, sacrificing beings? That women are superhuman? That how we must salute women as they go along their lives suffering as mothers, sisters, wives and daughters? That women go through their lives enduring pain but never dropping that smile? Have you heard how women are kinder, how they are gentler? Or, how they must be ‘respected’, often a euphemism for protected or saved? That, dear all, is benevolent sexism and it is as harmful as hostile sexism.

Looking at women as a relation (mother, daughter, etc) robs women of their plain human existence. Treating women as superhuman only burdens her further. Being saviours for women reduces them to weaker and secondary beings. As Vera Nazarian put it out plainly, “A woman is human. She is not better, wiser, stronger, more intelligent, more creative, or more responsible than a man. Likewise, she is never less. Equality is a given. A woman is human.”

Then ask: Shouldn’t women decide what or who they want to be?

Noticing the world while equipped with glasses of equality would make us notice the privileges and discrimination. Let us stop being ok with anything that suggests an unequal world. Let us recognise that we all are Different but Equal.

Also Read:  Stranger Things I Saw On The Internet: A Personal Essay

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sexism , prejudice or discrimination based on sex or gender, especially against women and girls. Although its origin is unclear, the term sexism emerged from the “second-wave” feminism of the 1960s through ’80s and was most likely modeled on the civil rights movement ’s term racism (prejudice or discrimination based on race). Sexism can be a belief that one sex is superior to or more valuable than another sex. It imposes limits on what men and boys can and should do and what women and girls can and should do. The concept of sexism was originally formulated to raise consciousness about the oppression of girls and women, although by the early 21st century it had sometimes been expanded to include the oppression of any sex, including men and boys, intersex people, and transgender people.

Sexism in a society is most commonly applied against women and girls. It functions to maintain patriarchy , or male domination, through ideological and material practices of individuals, collectives , and institutions that oppress women and girls on the basis of sex or gender . Such oppression usually takes the forms of economic exploitation and social domination. Sexist behaviours, conditions, and attitudes perpetuate stereotypes of social (gender) roles based on one’s biological sex. A common form of socialization that is based in sexist concepts teaches particular narratives about traditional gender roles for males and females. According to such a view, women and men are opposite, with widely different and complementary roles: women are the weaker sex and less capable than men, especially in the realm of logic and rational reasoning. Women are relegated to the domestic realm of nurturance and emotions and, therefore, according to that reasoning, cannot be good leaders in business, politics, and academia . Although women are seen as naturally fit for domestic work and are superb at being caretakers, their roles are devalued or not valued at all when compared with men’s work.

The extreme form of sexist ideology is misogyny , the hatred of women. A society in which misogyny is prevalent has high rates of brutality against women—for example, in the forms of domestic violence , rape , and the commodification of women and their bodies. Where they are seen as property or as second-class citizens, women are often mistreated at the individual as well as the institutional level. For example, a woman who is a victim of rape (the individual or personal level) might be told by a judge and jury (the institutional level) that she was culpable because of the way she was dressed.

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• The Effects of Sexism on American Women: The Role of Norms vs. Discrimination
• Sexism experienced during formative years stays with girls into adulthood
• These background norms can influence choices that women make and affect their life outcomes
• In addition, women face different levels of sexism and discrimination in the states where they live as adults
• Sexism varies across states and can have a significant impact on a woman’s wages and labor market participation, and can also influence her marriage and fertility rates

What type of life experiences will these women have in terms of the work they do and the wages they earn? Will they get married and, if so, how young? If they have children, when will they start to raise a family? How many children will they have? According to the authors of the new BFI working paper, “The Effects of Sexism on American Women: The Role of Norms vs. Discrimination,” the answers to those questions depend crucially on where women are born and where they choose to live their adult lives.

Kerwin Kofi Charles, professor at the Harris School of Public Policy, and his colleagues employ a novel approach that examines how prevailing sexist beliefs shape life outcomes for women. Essentially, they find that sexism affects women through two channels: one is their own preferences that are shaped by where they grow up, and the other is the sexism they experience in the place they choose to live as adults.

On average, not all states are average The average American woman’s socioeconomic outcomes have improved dramatically over the past 50 years. Her wages and probability of employment, relative to the average man’s, have risen steadily over that time. She is also marrying later and bearing children later, as well as having fewer total children. However, these are national averages and these phenomena do not hold in all states across America. Indeed, the gap between men and women that existed in a particular state 50 years ago is largely the same size today. In other words, if a state exhibited less gender discrimination 50 years ago, it retains that narrower gap today; a state that exhibited more discrimination in 1970 has a similarly wide gap today. Much research over the years has focused on broad national trends when measuring sexism and its effect on women’s lives. A primary contribution of this paper is that it documents cross-state differences in women’s outcomes and incorporates non-market factors, like cultural norms. The focus of the authors’ analysis are the four outcomes described above: wages, employment, marriage, and fertility. Of the many forms sexism might take, the authors focus on negative or stereotypical beliefs about whether women should enter the workplace or remain at home. Specifically, sexism prevails in a market when residents believe that:

• women’s capacities are inferior to men;

• families are hurt when women work;

• and men and women should adhere to strict roles in society.

These cultural norms are not only forces that occur to women from external sources, but they are forces that also exist within women, and are strongly affected by where a woman is raised. For example, a girl may grow up within a culture that prizes stay-at-home mothers over working moms, as well as early marriages and large families. These are what the authors describe as background norms, and they are able to estimate the influence of these background norms throughout adulthood by comparing women who were born in one place and moved to different places, and those who were born in different places and moved to the same place. Once a woman reaches adulthood and chooses a place to live, she is then influenced by discrimination in the labor market and by what the authors term residential sexism, or those current norms that they experience in their new hometown. On the question of who engages in sexist behavior, men and/ or women, the authors are clear: men are the purveyors of discrimination in the market (whether women are hired for or promoted to certain jobs), and women determine norms (or residential sexism) that influence such outcomes as marriage and fertility.

The authors conduct a number of rigorous tests based on a broad array of data to reach their conclusions about women’s wages, their labor force participation relative to men, and the ages at which women aged 20-40 married and had their first child. For example, their information on sexism comes from the General Social Survey (GSS), which is a nationally representative survey that asks respondents various questions, among others, about their attitudes or beliefs about women’s place in society.

Sexism affects women through two channels: one is their own preferences that are shaped by where they grow up, and the other is the sexism they experience in the place they choose to live as adults.

The authors reveal how prevailing sexist beliefs about women’s abilities and appropriate roles affect US women’s socioeconomic outcomes. Studying adults who live in one state but who were born in another, they show that sexism in a woman’s state of birth and in her current state of residence both lower her wages and likelihood of labor force participation, and lead her to marry and bear her first child sooner. The sexism a woman experiences where she was raised, or background sexism, affects a woman’s outcomes even after she is an adult living in another place through the influence of norms that she internalized during her formative years. Further, the sexism present where a woman lives (residential sexism) affects her non-labor market outcomes through the influence of prevailing sexist beliefs of other women where she lives. By contrast, residential sexism’s effects on her labor market outcomes seem to operate chiefly through the mechanism of market discrimination by sexist men. Finally, and importantly, the authors find sound evidence that prejudice-based discrimination, undergirded by prevailing sexist beliefs that vary across space, may be an important driver of women’s outcomes in the US.

CLOSING TAKEAWAY By studying adults who were born in one place but live in another, the authors reveal the effects of sexism on women’s outcomes in the market through discrimination (wages and jobs), as well as in non-market settings through cultural norms (marriage and fertility).

• Kerwin Kofi Charles
• Harris Professor Kerwin Charles draws connections between workplace and birthplace among American women
• New economic research from Harris School of Public Policy’s Kerwin Kofi Charles, an affiliated scholar of BFI’s Ronzetti Initiative for the Study of Labor Markets, looks at “How Sexism Follows Women from the Cradle to the Workplace”
• Research from Harris School of Public Policy’s Kerwin Kofi Charles, an affiliated scholar of BFI’s Ronzetti Initiative for the Study of Labor Markets, cited in discussion on the growing wage gap between white and black men

How to win every sexist argument: an 11-point guide

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Making sense of everyday sexism: Young people and the gendered contours of sexism

2016, Women's Studies International Forum

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Many feminist scholars have traced the discursive effects of postfeminism with concern, noting that its ascendency has made sexism difficult to name and to challenge. As feminist critiques of persistent, pervasive gender inequalities trickle into media and popular consciousness, we ask whether and how possibilities for identifying and accounting for sexism might be transformed. We draw from an action-oriented research project that explored whether (and how) feminist ideas offered secondary school students critical purchase on their everyday experiences. Participants described copious examples of everyday sexism directed at women and girls and very few instances of “sexism” towards men and boys. Even so, interviewees often spoke about sexism in ways that prioritised the experiences of boys and men while downplaying sexism towards girls and women. In this article we explore how young people made sense of everyday sexism, attending to the discursive and interactional effects of their talk.

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This Is How Everyday Sexism Could Stop You From Getting That Promotion

By Jessica Nordell and Yaryna Serkez Oct. 14, 2021

By Jessica Nordell Graphics by Yaryna Serkez

Jessica Nordell is a science and culture journalist. Yaryna Serkez is a writer and a graphics editor for Opinion.

When the computer scientist and mathematician Lenore Blum announced her resignation from Carnegie Mellon University in 2018, the community was jolted. A distinguished professor, she’d helped found the Association for Women in Mathematics, and made seminal contributions to the field. But she said she found herself steadily marginalized from a center she’d help create — blocked from important decisions, dismissed and ignored. She explained at the time : “Subtle biases and microaggressions pile up, few of which on their own rise to the level of ‘let’s take action,’ but are insidious nonetheless.”

It’s an experience many women can relate to. But how much does everyday sexism at work matter? Most would agree that outright discrimination when it comes to hiring and advancement is a bad thing, but what about the small indignities that women experience day after day? The expectation that they be unfailingly helpful ; the golf rounds and networking opportunities they’re not invited to ; the siphoning off of credit for their work by others; unfair performance reviews that penalize them for the same behavior that’s applauded in men; the “ manterrupting ”?

When I was researching my book “The End of Bias: A Beginning” I wanted to understand the collective impact of these less visible forms of bias, but data were hard to come by. Bias doesn’t happen once or twice; it happens day after day, week after week. To explore the aggregate impact of routine gender bias over time, I teamed up with Kenny Joseph, a computer science professor at the University at Buffalo, and a graduate student there, Yuhao Du, to create a computer simulation of a workplace. We call our simulated workplace “NormCorp.” Here’s how it works.

NormCorp is a simple company. Employees do projects, either alone or in pairs. These succeed or fail, which affects a score we call “promotability.” Twice a year, employees go through performance reviews, and the top scorers at each level are promoted to the next level.

NormCorp employees are affected by the kinds of gender bias that are endemic in the workplace. Women’s successful solo projects are valued slightly less than men’s , and their successful joint projects with men accrue them less credit . They are also penalized slightly more when they fail . Occasional “stretch” projects have outsize rewards, but as in the real world, women’s potential is underrecognized compared with men’s, so they must have a greater record of past successes to be assigned these projects. A fraction of women point out the unfairness and are then penalized for the perception that they are “self-promoting.” And as the proportion of women decreases, those that are left face more stereotyping .

We simulated 10 years of promotion cycles happening at NormCorp based on these rules, and here is how women’s representation changed over time.

Simulation of Normcorp promotions over 10 years, with female performance undervalued by 3 percent

Simulation results over time

These biases have all been demonstrated across various professional fields. One working paper study of over 500,000 physician referrals showed that women surgeons receive fewer referrals after successful outcomes than male surgeons. Women economists are less likely to receive tenure the more they co-author papers with men. An analysis at a large company found that women’s, as well as minority men’s, performance was effectively “discounted” compared with that of white men.

And women are penalized for straying from “feminine” personality traits. An analysis of real-world workplace performance evaluations found that more than three-quarters of women’s critical evaluations contained negative comments about their personalities, compared with 2 percent of men’s. If a woman whose contributions are overlooked speaks up, she may be labeled a self-promoter, and consequently face further obstacles to success . She may also become less motivated and committed to the organization . The American Bar Association found that 70 percent of women lawyers of color considered leaving or had left the legal profession entirely, citing being undervalued at work and facing barriers to advancement.

Our model does not take into account women, such as Lenore Blum, who quit their jobs after experiencing an unmanageable amount of bias. But it visualizes how these penalties add up over time for women who stay, so that by the time you reach more senior levels of management, there are fewer women left to promote. These factors not only prevent women from reaching the top ranks in their company but for those who do, it also makes the career path longer and more demanding.

Small change, big difference

Even a tiny increase in the amount of gender bias could lead to dramatic underrepresentation of women in leadership roles over time..

Women’s performance is valued 3 percent less

Women’s performance is valued 5 percent less

Half as many women at level 7 and

only 2 percent of women at C-suite.

Half as many women at level 7 and only 2 percent of women at C-suite.

Women’s performance is valued 3% less

Women’s performance is valued 5% less

When we dig into the trajectory of individual people in our simulation, stories begin to emerge. With just 3 percent bias, one employee — let’s call her Jenelle — starts in an entry-level position, and makes it to the executive level, but it takes her 17 performance review cycles (eight and a half years) to get there, and she needs 208 successful projects to make it. “William” starts at the same level but he gets to executive level much faster — after only eight performance reviews and half Jenelle’s successes at the time she becomes an executive.

Our model shows how large organizational disparities can emerge from many small, even unintentional biases happening frequently over a long period of time. Laws are often designed to address large events that happen infrequently and can be easily attributed to a single actor—for example, overt sexual harassment by a manager — or “pattern and practice” problems, such as discriminatory policies. But women’s progress is hindered even without one egregious incident, or an official policy that is discriminatory.

Women’s path to success might be longer and more demanding

Career paths for employees that reached level 7 by the end of the simulation..

successful projects

“William”

started at the entry-level and reached level 7 in 4 years.

It took “Jenelle”

8.5 years to get

to the same level.

Entry level

1 year of promotions

started at the entry-

level and reached level 7 in 4 years.

8.5 years to get to the same level.

It took “Jenelle” 8.5 years to get to the same level.

Gender bias takes on different dimensions depending on other intersecting aspects of a person’s identity, such as race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability and more. Another American Bar Association study found that white women and men of color face similar hurdles to being seen as competent, but women of color face more than either group.

Backlash, too, plays out differently for women of different racial groups, points out Erika Hall, an Emory University management professor. A survey of hundreds of women scientists she helped conduct found that Asian American women reported the highest amount of backlash for self-promotion and assertive behavior. An experimental study by the social psychologist Robert Livingston and colleagues, meanwhile, found that white women are more penalized for demonstrating dominant behavior than Black women. Our model does not account for the important variations in bias that women of different races experience.

So what’s to be done? Diversity trainings are common in companies, educational institutions and health care settings, but these may not have much effect when it comes to employees’ career advancement. The sociologists Frank Dobbin and Alexandra Kalev found that after mandatory diversity trainings, the likelihood that women and men of color became managers either stayed the same or decreased , possibly because of backlash. Some anti-bias trainings have been shown to change behavior, but any approach needs to be evaluated, as psychologist Betsy Levy Paluck has said, “on the level of rigorous testing of medical interventions.”

We also explored a paradox. Research shows that in many fields, a greater proportion of men correlates with more bias against women . At the same time, in fields or organizations where women make up the majority, men can still experience a “glass escalator,” being fast-tracked to senior leadership roles. School superintendents, who work in the women-dominated field of education but are more likely to be men, are one example. To make sense of this, we conceptualized bias at work as a combination of both organizational biases that can be influenced by organizational makeup and larger societal biases.

What we found was that if societal biases are strong compared with those in the organization, a powerful but brief intervention may have only a short-term impact. In our simulation, we tested this by introducing quotas — requiring that the majority of promotions go to women — in the context of low, moderate, or no societal bias. We made the quotas time-limited, as real world efforts to combat bias often take the form of short-term interventions.

Our quotas changed the number of women at upper levels of the corporate hierarchy in the short term, and in turn decreased the gender biases against women rising through the company ranks. But when societal biases were still a persistent force, disparities eventually returned, and the impact of the intervention was short-lived.

Quotas may not be enough

In the presence of societal biases, the effect of a short-term program of quotas disappears over time..

Societal bias has moderate effect

100% of executives

Quotas are introduced. 70% of all promotions go to women.

Majority of executives are men

YEARS OF PROMOTIONS

Societal bias has no effect

Equal representation

representation

What works? Having managers directly mentor and sponsor women improves their chance to rise. Insisting on fair, transparent and objective criteria for promotions and assignments is essential, so that decisions are not ambiguous and subjective, and goal posts aren’t shifting and unwritten. But the effect of standardizing criteria, too, can be limited, because decision-makers can always override these decisions and choose their favored candidates.

Ultimately, I found in my research for the book, the mindset of leaders plays an enormous role. Interventions make a difference, but only if leaders commit to them. One law firm I profiled achieved 50 percent women equity partners through a series of dramatic moves, from overhauling and standardizing promotion criteria, to active sponsorship of women, to a zero-tolerance policy for biased behavior. In this case, the chief executive understood that bias was blocking the company from capturing all the available talent. Leaders who believe that the elimination of bias is essential to the functioning of the organization are more likely to take the kind of active, aggressive, and long-term steps needed to root out bias wherever it may creep into decision making.

Search Utah State University:

Sexist comments & responses: stereotypes and undervaluing women.

Although sexist comments and remarks are prevalent and normalized in everyday conversation, public discourse, and virtually every other social setting throughout the world, researchers at the Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) wanted to understand how women experience sexist comments in Utah. Here we present the results of an extensive study designed to collect and analyze both the wide variety of sexist comments Utah women experienced and the responses women made (or wish they had made) to such comments. The goal of this series is to educate both men and women on the many forms that conscious and unconscious sexist comments can take, from shocking statements to those that are more subtle. Additionally, we aim to equip women with the tools to confront the sexism they experience more successfully.  

Findings – Comments & Remarks  

Stereotypes  .

The analysis of the responses within the Stereotypes theme produced six categories:  

• Gender stereotypes (general) : Generalizations about the characteristics and qualities of men and women based solely on their gender. For example, ““I overheard my supervisor tell the boss once that he wished they didn’t have to hire any women as women ‘just cause drama.’”  
• Women should prioritize homemaker roles : Comments indicating that women’s highest priorities should be connected to marriage, motherhood, and homemaking. For example, “I was told no woman who had children under the age of 6 had any business being outside the home.”  
• Women’s internalized sexism : Sexist beliefs/attitudes held by women about other women or about themselves. For example, “One woman said this to me at a football game (in complete earnestness): ‘Oh, I just love football. It’s like a microcosm of life. The women stand on the sidelines and cheer while the men are battling it out on the field.’”  
• Motherhood penalty : Situations when women in professional settings are penalized (e.g., loss of opportunity, pay, advancement) once they become mothers. For example, “My male manager said, ‘You are not to be seen by clients while you are visibly pregnant.’”  
• Benevolent sexism : Comments or behaviors that treat women differently in what seems to be a positive way but that can undermine or otherwise penalize them. For example, “I was told by a manager, ‘You are really smart for someone as pretty as you are.’”  
• Double bind/double standard : Circumstances in which women are expected to exhibit or shun certain behaviors relating to gender stereotypes and are punished when behaving contrary to gender norms. For example, “I was told by a male manager, ‘As a woman, you are too aggressive.’”  

Undervaluing Women  

The analysis of the responses within the “Undervaluing Women” theme produced five categories:  

• Undervaluing women’s contributions : The belief that women are less capable, intelligent, and competent than men solely due to their gender, including holding low expectations of women because of their gender. For example, “I was told that I could participate in a vendor meeting, but I should not comment. If I have information to share, I should talk to my male peer and have him provide my feedback.”  
• Infantilizing/condescending : Comments in which women are treated as if they are children or otherwise need to be taken care of, including when men treat women as if they cannot take care of themselves. For example, “My boss makes comments such as, ‘I can’t believe your husband lets you have such a demanding job,’ and ‘What does your husband think of this?’”  
• Assumed incompetence : Comments indicating the expectation that women are less competent or capable than men in various areas. For example, “He said, ‘I hired a woman, and she is doing a really good job. I never expected this. I might hire more.’”  
• Sexist language/terms : The use of language that demeans women in a variety of ways. For example, “I’ve been called ‘hun,’ ‘sweetheart,’ and even ‘beautiful’ as a greeting from various employees, customers and clients.”  
• “Affirmative Action” assumption : Comments that indicate the speaker believes women only achieved success or position due to a quota or affirmative action policy. For example, “A male manager said, ‘You were hired because we had to add a female, but you broke up our bromance.’”  

Findings – Responses  

Direct Responses : A majority of the women’s replies incorporated a direct response to the sexist comment. Some asked the commenter a question, while others provided information or education, offered a rebuttal, or used humor to respond.   No Response : Women shared that many times they were so shocked or stunned that they did not say anything in response to the sexist comment.  Internal Afterthoughts : Many participants reported responses they wish they had made, once they had time to reflect. These afterthoughts ranged from clever comebacks, to providing information, to wishing they had reported the comment.  Indirect Response : In some cases, women responded to sexist comments indirectly, by changing the subject, laughing, or even agreeing with the commenter when they did not know how else to respond.  Emotional Response : Next, some of the responses were designated as an emotional response. Women shared that they had felt ashamed, embarrassed, hurt or angry, or wished someone had stood up for them in the moment.  Other Responses : In addition to the five categories of responses above, eight other types of responses emerged: discussed with others, experienced backlash, proved them wrong, reported to a superior, successful response, third-person response, unsuccessful response, and walked away. 

Conclusion and Recommendations  

The purpose of this brief series is twofold: First, we hope to educate readers on the various ways that language and related behaviors can demean and disempower women, especially for those who may not realize their words are problematic. Second, by showing the types of responses women make when confronted with sexist behavior, we aim to equip women with the tools they need to better combat the sexism they experience. Based on the findings of how Utah women experience sexist comments, we offer the following recommendations for women and male allies:  

• Prepare: In the moment, it can be difficult to think quickly enough to respond. Having a go-to phrase such as “What makes you say that?” can give you time and shifts the focus to the person to explain their thinking.  
• Take Action: When you hear offensive comments or jokes, push back (preferably within the first two to three seconds). Possible retorts include saying, “Ouch,” or, “We don’t do that here.”  
• Call Out the Behavior: When you observe a man repeatedly interrupting a woman, or when you see only women being asked to take on “office housework” such as note taking, point it out and offer an alternative.  

Speaking up against sexism can be a powerful force for reducing gender inequity. Further, being prepared about how to respond to everyday sexism can help women feel more confident in their interactions with others. By raising awareness of the widespread occurrence and damaging effects of sexist language, comments, beliefs, and behaviors, we hope to reduce the frequency of sexism in our homes, neighborhoods, communities, and the state as a whole.  

To learn more about sexist comments and responses regarding stereotypes, read the full brief and to learn more about sexists comments and responses regarding undervaluing women, read the full brief .  

Posted by Robbyn T. Scribner, Dr. April Townsend, and Dr. Susan R. Madsen on March 2, 2022

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — The Color Purple — Gender Roles and Sexism

The Theme of Sexism and Gender Roles in The Color Purple

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How to Talk About Sexism in the Classroom

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Recently, I found myself in unfamiliar territory as a teacher. This was sparked when I found myself in an argument with some students during an unplanned whole class discussion. Though I was out of my comfort zone, the conversation seemed deeply important—to me and the students. Eager to make the most of the learning opportunity, that evening I turned to my community on Facebook of all places. What followed was more learning and still more questions! As I plan my next steps, I want to share the conversation here.

Here’s what I posted to my community on Facebook:

“Educators and others who think about social issues— I can use some help: I got into a conversation with students in English class today about sexism, brought up by a pattern (out of the classroom, but among our students) of middle schools boys making critical comments about girls’ bodies .

In the course of an energized, basically positive conversation, some boys brought up that girls can be sexist, too. In a moment that I could have handled better, I argued against this, instead of probing further.

I explained (“teacher-splained”?) that sexism is a system that gives males power and undermines women and that is bigger than any one person’s actions; that individual girls or women can stereotype men, be prejudiced toward them and can be oppressive toward individual men, but that men don’t experience sexism, because it’s a system that by definition gives them privilege. Many girls expressed agreement with this idea, but many vocal boys had a very hard time with the idea, and shared some examples of what they perceive as sexism by females in their lives.

We didn’t get to finish, so we will continue the discussion tomorrow, but this pushed some buttons and I’ll need to be thoughtful when I approach it tomorrow.

As I reflect, I’m wondering... doesn’t this same system confine men to narrow, sometimes harmful definitions of masculinity? Is that sexism or heterosexism or just stereotyped gender roles? Is it a matter of degree? Do the -"isms” on some level affect everyone in a negative way, though power is totally uneven? Does the argument rely on looking at the history? Is violence a key factor?

Any help would be great because we will pick the conversation right back where we left off tomorrow.”

What I got back in the form of comments from my assortment of friends and colleagues, not only helped me to think through a complex issue, but it showed me the great value of a diverse online community that includes teachers and non educators.

Here is the discussion that followed:

Molly, a filmmaker and author of the amazing new book Gamechangers: The Unsung Heroines of Sports History (English and History teachers take note!) wrote: “You could do a writing exercise where all students list the past 10 tv shows they have seen and 10 movies. From there have them list the main characters and describe the roles they played.......They might be surprised.”

Jenna, a literacy program director said, “I feel like this could be an entire research and debate mini-unit. Could also be a great opportunity to read a bit from what other sources/writers/bloggers are saying about the topic and examine author bias. So great that you’ve opened this up for discussion. Good luck!”

This got me thinking. I replied, “I know! It would take us “off track"—I mean, my curriculum is a track I created so I do have the power to change course... I could actually turn it into a writing thread concurrent with our reading plan which will deal with stereotypes as well as racism (Sherman Alexie next).”

Bill, a teacher leader at a girls’ school adds: “Two good film resources if you want are “Miss Representation” (on how patriarchy affects girls and women) and “The Mask You Live In” (on how patriarchy affects boys and men). I’ve done the first with my kids, and it’s amazing. They’re both from the same people.

I also find that patriarchy is often a useful term as it focuses on the system and not the individuals within it. I also tend to use the terms gender bias and gender stereotypes when talking at the individual level. My school being a feminist girls school, these kinds of issues tend to come up. “

Adam, ELA instructional leader in NYC, adds, “Lots of thoughts. Among them, different words have different meanings to different people. There could be an inquiry into whether power impacts whether “ism” applies, as we both would argue. That’s an interesting intellectual exercise but could distract from issue of IMPACT, which seems most relevant here, along with causes of behavior in terms of where we get messages about what behavior is acceptable and how we decide to act - or just succumb to behaviors without making a conscious choice or perhaps because of felt social pressure... Also, it could be interesting to consider with respect to loved ones, and how people would feel about comments being directed towards mom or sister (and if different if directed towards dad or brother). I could go on but will leave it there for now.”

I replied: “Yeah, the boys felt up in arms when I said they don’t experience sexism. But it bothered me not so much that they felt this way, but that their reaction was so string, it completely overshadowed or distracted them from reflecting further about their own actions; meanwhile girls were nodding at what I was saying, in a relieved way, not a gloating way at all. The response couldn’t have been more contrasting. The male students’ responses reminded me a bit of how “white fragility” is being used in the issue of race conversations. Except that in this case, I do think gender stereotypes are quite damaging to adolescent boys. That’s the part that is tripping me up. Anyway, understanding the impact is a good place to focus. And I think we will do much better if I step off the podium and let them investigate.”

Amanda replied: “So curious to hear how it goes today. Will you update us Ariel?! I think it’s a good practice to step back and see where the students take the discussion, as long as it remains a safe space for dialogue.”

Brielle, a math teacher in NJ writes, “I agree with your explanation as it is consistent with how I frame racism and who is racist versus prejudiced. But when we talk about racism, there’s an opportunity for people to be anti-racist. Do the boys in your class see themselves in a way that could be considered anti-sexist? Or what would that mean to them?”

Amber, former ESL teacher, shares this lesson plan on diagramming sexism from teaching tolerance. She adds, “Could be interesting to have them look up various definitions of sexism-for example the one in the lesson above states it is only against women, but the Merriam dictionary says ‘especially ' women but not necessarily.”

Liliana, ELA teacher in NYC writes: "...that it “confines men to narrow harmful definitions of masculinity” stands out to me and feels important. I once saw a TED talk that spoke beautifully about this... I’ll see if I can find it. Beautiful that you’re having these conversations. All the best tomorrow.”

Suzanne, ELA teacher in California, adds, “Maybe too late for tomorrow, but check out react-text: 1150 http://therepresentationproject.org/ /react-text . Misrepresentation is a good documentary about gender stereotypes and representation of females in media and how it can affect. More recently she made The Mask You Live In, a documentary about stereotypes and cultural norms around masculinity and how they affect teen boys. The Mask You Live In has been on my Netflix queue for over a year now, and I still haven’t watched it for no good reason. (Waiting to be pedagogically in that mind space?) I suspect both films would be fantastic to spend a lot of time on in class along with other readings.

Dalnirys, a guidance counselor in Dominican Republic, explained that she doesn’t the stereotypes and discrimination toward women and other groups of today doesn’t differ too much from that of the past. She also sees that feminism can sometimes be taken too far to seemingly promote inequality.

Marie, who teaches in Michigan offered, “I did a visual rhetoric unit this year with a focus on power structures/ roles. A quick look at children’s toys/ ads can establish both the message and the messenger that kids absorb at an early age... Mermaids in bikinis?”

“Another access point is Disney,” adds John, an art teacher and education professor in North Carolina.

Deanna, who teaches at a Jewish Day School in Chicago brings up an important point: “The first thing I thought about was the gender gap in education: that girls graduate HS, and enroll in and graduate college at higher rates than boys in the US. What is it about the system that could be behind this? This might be another area for your students to research. Here’s one article that quotes a relevant study: Boys vs. Girls: What’s behind the college grad gender gap?

Nat, a playwright, sparked my thinking with another excellent point: “Sexism against men is a form of misogyny. Toxic masculinity requires that anything deemed “feminine” must be cut away from male-bodied people. If boys say ‘But girls get to ____ and we don’t!’, ask them why they aren’t allowed to do those things. The answers will come down to “it’s girly/weak and therefore bad. Girls are actually permitted a much fuller range of gender expression because we have fought to gain masculine space and expression, while boys have it categorically denied. Think about how a mom is accused of child abuse if her son wears a dress, but making an analogous claim about a girl in pants is actually laughable. Masculinity is associated with freedom. A girl in pants can do more and move more. Femininity is associated with limitation. A boy in a dress = why? What can he do in it? He’s not allowed to be considered beautiful or to be objectified. Femininity is seen as taxing, so impossible to be employed for net gain.”

I chimed in, “I’d add... by patriarchy. There are many who can find power in their own sense of femininity, though it’s impossible to detangle from cultural constructs that influence us, there are authentic responses which can challenge power structures. I know you’re not denying this but still wanted to say it!

Jon shares, “As a mom who raised boys, i can see where your boys would make an objection to such a closed definition of the word sexism...”

Glenda suggested designing kind of simulation experience that could help students reflect on the issue. Shebah responded, “Yes, the “walk in my shoes” simulation would be highly effective in creating empathy and cementing comprehension on a visceral, and not simply theoretical/mental level...you could do this based on historical timelines, where boys experience the subjugation of not being able vote, for example.”

Sarah, a poet in Washington, hit on an important factor in the debate with students: “It’s also interesting that in their own daily lives boys often experience authority figures who are mostly women. So there’s some cognitive dissonance to see larger cultural dynamics at the same time.”

I responded, “This tension came up today. A male student shared a story of a teacher in elementary school who behaved in a way that’s hard not to view as sexist. She apparently didn’t teach the boys to tie their shoes because they “don’t care” to learn. And because, as the student recalls, she said the girls were smarter. 😠 hard to hear of this kind of thing coming from a fellow teacher.”

Bill added, “One point I didn’t bring up this morning but which your kids might have mentioned is how all of this relates to non-binary identities and gender non-conforming people. Both of those identities and ways of being are defined in opposition to something and not from within. What are the implications of that? What does society’s reaction to the expansion of the gender spectrum tell us about society? about patriarchy?”

This conversation totally opened up my thinking on these big, pressing questions of adolescence and adulthood!

I posted this update the next day:

“Quick update: we talked for a whole period and they did not want to stop. I mostly just facilitated. I promised we would continue, but probably dividing into small groups to look into different subtopics that came up and which were NOT resolved! There is so much interest and need to discuss these issues. I’ll try to update more specifically on some of the conversation later. Thank you for the discussion and ideas! It’s been so helpful and encouraged me to keep giving the students space. The participation by students has been overwhelming. I think even if we don’t arrive at some of the key understandings I want to see, they are getting a huge lesson about the value of a community/ democratic(?) forum, where they are able to speak and listen to a diverse group--not just their friends-- on a topic that matters.”

It’s been about a month and students have continued asking for more time to discuss this. So now I’m revisiting and planning how to do that. If you have any resources, comments or suggestions, please share!

Image by Flickr user arno_bxl licensed under Creative Commons

The opinions expressed in Teaching for the Whole Story are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

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Writing Prompts about Sexism

• 🗃️ Essay topics
• ❓ Research questions
• 📝 Topic sentences
• 🪝 Essay hooks
• 📑 Thesis statements
• 🔀 Hypothesis examples
• 🧐 Personal statements

🔗 References

🗃️ sexism essay topics.

• The pervasiveness of sexism in contemporary society.
• The role of media in perpetuating sexism and the effects on society.
• Sexism and its intersection with race.
• The impact of sexism and derogatory slurs on individuals and society.
• Sexism in politics and leadership.
• Exploring sexism in STEM fields and efforts to promote inclusivity.
• Gender discrimination against women in the workplace.
• The role of men in combating sexism and promoting gender equality.
• Sexism and the #MeToo movement.
• Sexism in advertising and marketing.
• The effects of sexism and beliefs on mental health and well-being.
• The impact of sexism on women’s career progression.
• The main issues in Olivia Butler’s “Kindred”.
• Stereotypes and sexism in the media.
• The role of education in combating sexism.
• The portrayal of gender roles and sexism in literature and film.
• The impact of sexism on mental health and well-being.
• Sexism and its influence on body image and self-esteem.
• The role of social media in perpetuating sexism and misogyny.
• Racial and gender discrimination in the workplace.
• Challenging traditional gender norms and breaking free from sexism.
• The role of men in dismantling sexism and promoting gender equality.
• The impact of sexism on relationships and intimate partner dynamics.

❓ Research Questions on Sexism

• How does sexism contribute to the gender wage gap persistence?
• To what extent does media representation reinforce or challenge sexism?
• How does sexism manifest in educational settings?
• What strategies and interventions have been effective in addressing workplace sexism?
• How does the intersectionality of race and gender influence experiences of sexism?
• What are the long-term effects of experiencing sexism on women’s career trajectories?
• How does sexism contribute to the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions?
• What role does social media play in the propagation and perpetuation of sexism?
• How does sexism influence individuals’ perceptions and expectations of gender roles?
• How does sexism affect men’s mental health and well-being?
• How do sexism and behaviors impact romantic relationships and dynamics?
• How does sexism manifest in healthcare settings?
• How does sexism intersect with other forms of discrimination?
• How do cultural and societal norms perpetuate and reinforce sexism?
• What are the attitudes and perceptions of men regarding sexism?

📝 Topic Sentences about Sexism

• Sexism remains prevalent in the workplace, perpetuating gender disparities and hindering professional growth for women.
• The detrimental effects of sexism on mental health and well-being are evident, as marginalized individuals often face discrimination, prejudice, and stereotyping based on their gender.
• Sexism in education manifests in biased curriculum, limiting opportunities and reinforcing gender-based expectations, thereby hindering students’ personal and academic development.

🪝 Hooks for Sexism Paper

📍 definition hooks on sexism for essay.

• Sexism, a pervasive societal ailment, refers to the prejudiced belief in the inherent superiority or inferiority of individuals based on their gender. This toxic ideology manifests through discriminatory attitudes, actions, and systemic structures, perpetuating inequality and limiting opportunities for marginalized genders.
• Sexism, an insidious form of discrimination, can be defined as the prejudiced treatment or unequal valuation of individuals based on their gender. Rooted in deep-seated biases and stereotypes, sexism reinforces power imbalances, restricts personal freedom, and hinders the progress toward a truly egalitarian society.

📍 Statistical Hooks for Essay on Sexism

• Startling statistics paint a grim picture of the enduring prevalence of sexism. According to recent studies, women earn, on average, 82 cents for every dollar earned by men, highlighting the persistent gender pay gap that undermines economic equality and perpetuates systemic discrimination.
• Empirical data exposes the stark reality of sexism in various spheres of life. Surveys reveal that a staggering 97% of women have experienced some form of sexual harassment or assault in their lifetime, demonstrating the urgent need for comprehensive societal changes to eradicate this pervasive issue and create safer environments for all.

📍 Quotation Hooks on Sexism

• “Sexism is the social disease that turns the rich potential diversity of humankind into rigid categories of ‘male’ and ‘female,’ constraining us all.” – Naomi Wolf.
• “Sexism is the belief system that one sex is inherently superior to the other, a destructive ideology that denies the full humanity of individuals and perpetuates inequality.” – Emma Watson.

📑 Top Sexism Thesis Statements

✔️ argumentative thesis about sexism.

• Sexism persists as a pervasive societal issue, hindering gender equality and perpetuating harmful stereotypes. By acknowledging its existence, challenging discriminatory attitudes, and implementing systemic changes, we can strive for a more inclusive and equitable society.
• Sexism is an entrenched problem that undermines progress toward gender equality, reinforcing damaging stereotypes and limiting opportunities for women. Addressing and combating sexism through education, legislation, and cultural shifts is imperative for creating a fair and inclusive society.

✔️ Analytical Thesis on Sexism

• Sexism is deeply ingrained in societal structures, influencing power dynamics and perpetuating inequality. By critically examining the roots and manifestations of sexism, we can gain insights into its impact on individuals and communities, and work towards dismantling oppressive systems and promoting gender justice.
• Sexism is a complex social phenomenon that requires a nuanced analysis to understand its underlying causes, manifestations, and consequences. By examining the intersections of sexism with other forms of oppression, we can develop a deeper understanding of its multifaceted nature and work towards comprehensive solutions.

✔️ Informative Thesis Examples on Sexism

• Sexism, a deeply ingrained social problem, hinders progress toward achieving gender equality by perpetuating harmful stereotypes, limiting opportunities for women, and perpetuating power imbalances in various spheres of society.
• Sexism, a pervasive form of discrimination, manifests in various social domains and adversely affects individuals’ opportunities and well-being. By analyzing its underlying causes, harmful consequences, and potential remedies, this study aims to raise awareness and promote gender equality in society.

🔀 Sexism Hypothesis Examples

• Sexism negatively impacts the mental health and well-being of individuals, particularly those who are targets of discrimination.
• Sexism in educational settings hinders academic achievement and career aspirations among marginalized genders.

🔂 Null & Alternative Hypothesis on Sexism

• Null hypothesis: There is no significant difference in career advancement opportunities between genders in the workplace, suggesting that sexism does not play a role in hindering professional progression.
• Alternative hypothesis: Sexism significantly affects career advancement opportunities, leading to disparities between genders in the workplace and impeding the progress of marginalized groups.

🧐 Examples of Personal Statement on Sexism

• I am deeply concerned about the issue of sexism and its impact on our society. Witnessing the gender inequalities and discriminatory practices prevalent in various domains has ignited my determination to address this pervasive problem. I believe that education and awareness are key to dismantling sexist norms and creating a more equitable future. Through my academic journey, I aspire to study gender studies and actively contribute to challenging and eradicating sexism in all its forms.
• I have been deeply impacted by the pervasive issue of sexism. As a student, I am committed to confronting and dismantling these harmful attitudes and practices. I am determined to contribute to the fight against sexism by pursuing studies in sociology and actively engaging in advocacy work. Through my academic journey, I aim to raise awareness about the detrimental effects of sexism, promote gender equality, and empower marginalized individuals.
• Religiosity and ambivalent sexism: the role of religious group narcissism
• The role of sexual orientation and the perceived threat posed by men in the acceptance of sexism
• Sexism, Actually? Analysis of Ambivalent Sexism in Popular Movies
• The Effects of Sexism on American Women: The Role of Norms vs. Discrimination
• Hostile and Benevolent Sexism

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The Relationship Between Video Games and Sexism?

There is little evidence, but findings get hyped anyway..

Posted March 30, 2017

A study published in Frontiers on Psychology claims to find links between video game playing and sexist attitudes. But a close look at the study suggests it may be a better example of how crude science with weak results is often hyped for extravagant claims.

The study, published by a collaboration of French researchers with the Iowa State group (which has a history of controversial claims exaggerating media effects), used a survey of an impressive sample of about 13,500 adolescents in France. They assessed TV viewing and video game use, both of which the authors claim contain considerable sexist content. They also looked at religiosity , as well as some basic control variables like gender , age and socioeconomic status (SES).

For sexism , they asked only a single question: “A woman is made mainly for making and raising children.” This is where things begin to break down for me. First, I’m not wild about using a single question to represent something both as important and complex as sexism. Single item outcomes can produce a wide variety of problems, as they can tend to be unreliable and we don’t know much about the reliability of this single item. Also, and perhaps it’s the translation to English, but the wording of that statement is awfully clumsy, particularly the “is made” part. A counterpart question for men might be, “A man is made mainly for making sperm to create children,” or something like that. It’s possible this item may pull somewhat from sexism, but it’s possible too that people may interpret the item as a statement about biology, given the “is made” part. Again, we know nothing about the validity of this question or whether people really understood what it was trying to ask.

The second problem is, far from the hype, the results for video games are weak. Okay, a little statistics here: the bivariate correlation (i.e., with nothing else controlled) between video game playing and “sexism” was r = 0.15… which is rather ho-hum but not uncommon for psychological research (which is often ho-hum despite a lot of flashy headlines). But once a few variables are controlled… age, gender, religiosity, SES and TV viewing… that relationship drops to .07. Given that correlation coefficients go from 0 to 1.00 (and can be negative) that outcome isn’t much different from zero. That corresponds to 0.49 percent (less than half a percent) overlapping variance, in statistical parlance.

One admittedly rough way of thinking of this is, if you had to guess which teenagers were sexist, and the only thing you knew about them was their gaming habits, your chance of being right would be about 0.49 percent better than chance alone. Those are pretty trivial findings, even if we assume they’re true. But findings that are this small often reflect “noise” in the studies… people sometimes guess at hypotheses, or extreme scores can create small but spurious results, or even the choice researchers make when running statistics can create spurious outcomes. Maybe some teens were being whimsical and gave what they thought might be offensive answers to be funny, rather than reflect what they actually thought. We don’t know. So, with a result this tiny it would have been better to give it a shrug and move on, rather than hype it.

That’s particularly true given that the relationship between TV (which the authors also said contains lots of sexist content) and sexism was non-significant in this study once other factors were controlled. So, this feels a bit like cherry picking a mixed bag of results, perhaps capitalizing on some chance findings. Presumably, the authors would have been happy to hype the relationship between TV and sexism, had results been reversed.

Interestingly though, it was religiosity that was the biggest predictor of “sexism” (with an effect size of r = 0.20, or 4 percent overlapping variance with other factors controlled… still very small, but far larger than the puny video game findings.) So, for religious conservatives eager to speak to the evils of video games, I’d hold off relying on this study.

Overall, though, this study highlights the continued problem our field has in dealing with tiny and inconsistent results. Still, we have the problem of focusing on “statistical significance” while ignoring trivial effect sizes as well as inconvenient null results that ought to give us some pause before firing off the press release.

Granted, journalists make things worse. “Gaming makes teenagers more likely to hold sexist and stereotypical sentiments about women, a new study as (sic) found” proclaimed The New York Times, now asserting causality for a study of correlational data. Authors can’t be blamed for that. And, in fairness, in one interview, the lead author does seem to have tried a bit to tamper down the enthusiasm a bit: “Begue cautioned that despite the ‘statistically significant’ link between sexism and video games, the influence of gaming on teenagers’ attitudes remains limited,” noted a Yahoo Health article. But this could have been made clearer in the study’s own abstract, for instance. And, overall, research linking video games to sexism has been a mixed bag at best, with one recent (and much better) longitudinal study finding no evidence for long term effects.

None of this takes away from the observation that there’s a real issue of the under-representation and sexualization of female characters in many video games. Improving such representations is a moral issue I support. But that isn’t an excuse for shoddy science or exaggerated claims. If we are going to learn anything from the smoking ruins of the video game violence research field it is that scholars need to proceed with caution when making claims about links between video games and behavioral outcomes.

Copyright Christopher Ferguson .

Christopher J. Ferguson, Ph.D. , is a Professor of Psychology at Stetson University.

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124 Gender Stereotypes Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Whether you are writing an argumentative paper or an essay about your personal experience, you’ll find something useful on this page. Check out this list of 120 gender stereotypes research titles put together by our experts .

💭 Top 10 Gender Bias Essay Topics

🏆 best gender stereotypes essay topics, 🎓 simple & easy gender stereotypes research titles, 📌 most interesting ideas for a gender stereotypes essay, ❓ research questions about gender stereotypes.

• Gender roles and how they influence the society.
• The gender pay gap in white collar occupations.
• The harms of gender stereotyping in school.
• Inequality between men and women in politics.
• Differences in gender stereotypes in the East and West.
• Gender representation in children’s media.
• Breaking gender stereotypes through education.
• Sexism and gender bias.
• Traditional gender roles in Western society.
• Gender discrimination in healthcare.
• Gender Stereotypes in the “Frozen” and “Shrek” Movies The motivations of female characters in Disney movies are directly tied to the development of goals and ambitions because it is the source of these notions.
• Little Red Riding Hood: Breaking Gender Stereotypes On refusing marriage to the Roman prefect of the province, she was fed to Satan who came in the form of a dragon. By the time the wolf arrives, he cannot of course convince the […]
• Gender Stereotypes in Advertisement In addition, I think that this example has a negative contribution and can become harmful for limiting gender stereotypes due to the downplaying of the importance of women.
• The Smurfette Principle: Gender Stereotypes and Pop-Culture After watching “The Little Mermaid”, and reading “The Cat in the Hat”, Sophie is left disgusted by the peripheral role that female characters play in the media.
• Gender Stereotypes in Disney Princesses The evolvement of the princess image in the films of the studio represents the developing position of strong independent women in the society, but the princess stereotypes can harm the mentality of children.
• Dr. Stacy Smith’ View on Women Gender Stereotypes Stacy Smith, the author is unfortunate that despite the fact that population of men and women is equal, the womenfolk, the society is not really to accept this equality in assigning roles, even when a […]
• Gender stereotypes of superheroes The analysis is based on the number of male versus female characters, the physical characteristic of each individual character, the ability to solve a problem individually as either male or female and both males and […]
• Gender Stereotypes Found in Media The chosen image represents one of the most common gender biases women are obliged to do the chores because it is not men’s responsibility.
• Gender Stereotypes and Sexual Discrimination In this Ted Talk, Sandberg also raises a question regarding the changes that are needed to alter the current disbalance in the number of men and women that achieve professional excellence.
• Gender Stereotypes About Women Still Exist Given the fact that this is a whole intellectual sphere, the capabilities of males and females are equilibrated to the greatest extent.
• Media and Gender Stereotypes Against Females in Professional Roles Within the Criminal Justice The first and a half of the second episode were chosen as the pilot episode often reflects the essence of the entire show.
• Disney Princesses as Factors of Gender Stereotypes This research focused on determining the impact of Disney Princesses on of preschool age girls in the context of the transmission of gender stereotypes.
• Gender Stereotypes in Modern Society However, in this case, the problem is that because of such advertisements, men tend to achieve the shown kind of appearance and way of thinking.
• Femininity and Masculinity: Gender Stereotypes In conclusion, it is necessary to admit that femininity and masculinity are two sides of the same medal, and neither should be neglected.
• “The Blue Castle” by Lucy Maud Montgomery: Social Construction and Gender Stereotypes In the past decades, a female child in society had to be prepared for the roles of a mother and a wife to help her take care of the family when she gets married in […]
• Sex and Gender Stereotypes: Similar and Different Points To conclude, the works by Devor and Rudacille touch upon the controversial topic of gender identification in the modern society. Nevertheless, both works are similar in their focus on the issues of sex, gender, sexuality, […]
• Problem of Gender Stereotypes in Weightlifting The Change paper is a combination of all the recommendations that can be useful in dealing with the problem of gender stereotypes in weightlifting.
• How Gender Stereotypes Affect Performance in Female Weightlifting One can therefore see that this decision reflected common perceptions among several stakeholders in the weightlifting industry and that the same is likely to occur in the future.
• Gender Stereotypes and Human Emotions One of the easiest ways to check the connection between gender and emotions is to ask a person who prefers to demonstrate their emotions in public, a man or a woman.
• Gender Stereotyping Rates in the USA I do not feel that gender stereotypes in America are still strong because many women make more money than their husbands do nowadays, whereas men like to do housework and cook for their families.
• Gender Stereotypes: Interview with Dalal Al Rabah Women need a passion to succeed, to be of influence, and to make a difference in the daily living of their loved ones.
• Toxic Relationships and Gender Stereotypes According to the patient, they believe that a woman is responsible for the psychological climate and the psychological well-being of her husband.
• Confronting Gender Stereotypes It is imperative to confront the careless use of male and female stereotypes in order to preserve decency, community, and the lives of children and teenagers.
• Gender Stereotypes in the Classroom Matthews notes that the teacher provides the opportunity for his students to control the situation by shaping the two groups. To reinforce the existing gender stereotypes in the given classroom, Mr.
• Gender Stereotypes in “Million Dollar Baby” Movie In order to enter the world of boxing, Maggie, the main heroine of Million Dollars Baby, had to overcome the adversities connected with gender stereotypes.
• Influence of activating implicit gender stereotypes in females The results revealed that the participants who were subjected to the gender based prime performed relatively poorly compared to their counterparts on the nature prime.
• Towards Evaluating the Relationship Between Gender Stereotypes & Culture It is therefore the object of this paper to examine the relationship between gender stereotypes and culture with a view to elucidating how gender stereotypes, reinforced by our diverse cultural beliefs, continue to allocate roles […]
• How contemporary toys enforce gender stereotypes in the UK Children defined some of the physical attributes of the toys.”Baby Annabell Function Doll” is a likeness of a baby in that it that it has the size and physical features of a baby.
• Gender Studies: Gender Stereotypes From what is portrayed in the media, it is possible for people to dismiss others on the basis of whether they have masculinity or are feminine.
• Gender Stereotypes on Television Gender stereotyping in television commercials is a topic that has generated a huge debate and it is an important topic to explore to find out how gender roles in voice-overs TV commercials and the type […]
• How Gender Stereotypes Are Portrayed On The Television Series
• Hollywood is a Vessel for Enforcing Gender Stereotypes
• Gender Stereotypes Of Early Childhood Education
• Gender Stereotypes Among Children’s Toys
• Color and Female Gender Stereotypes: What They Are, How They Came About and What They Mean
• An Analysis of Gender Stereotypes in Boys Don’t Cry, a Film by Kimberly Peirce
• The Role Media Plays In Relation To Gender Stereotypes
• Gender Stereotypes Of Media And Its Effect On Society
• English Postcolonial Animal Tales and Gender Stereotypes
• Gender Stereotypes : The Ugly Truth
• Gender Stereotypes and Discrimination in Sports and the Lack of Women in Leadership Position in Professional Sports
• Female Development and the Impact of Gender Stereotypes
• The Hidden Gender Stereotypes in the Animations the Little Mermaid and Tangled
• Gender Stereotypes In The Ordeal Of Gilbert Pinfold
• Gender Stereotypes And The Gender Of A Baby
• Gender Stereotypes in Advertising and the Media
• An Overview of Gender Stereotypes in the United States
• An Overview of Gender Stereotypes During Childhood
• The Issue of Gender Stereotypes and Its Contribution to Gender Inequality in the Second Presidential Debate
• The Impact of Gender Stereotypes in Commercial Advertisements on Family Dynamics
• How Does Gender Stereotypes Affect Today ‘s Society
• Gender Stereotypes on Television, Advertisements and Childrens Television Programs
• Gender Stereotypes in Non-Traditional Sports
• The Importance Of Gender Stereotypes
• How Do Gender Stereotypes Affect The Decisions Our Youth
• Gender Stereotypes in Movies and Their Influence on Gender Nonconforming Movies
• Stereotypes And Stereotypes Of Gender Stereotypes
• The Effects of Advertising in Reinforcing Gender Stereotypes
• Gender Differences and Gender Stereotypes from a Psychological Perspective
• An Analysis of Gender Differences and Gender Stereotypes
• Female Discourse and Gender Stereotypes in Eliot’s Novel
• As You Like It and Gender Stereotypes Based On Rosalind
• Gender Stereotypes Of Harry Potter And The Sorcerer ‘s Stone
• Gender Stereotypes in Achebe’s Dead Men’s Path
• Gender Stereotypes And Stereotypes Of A Child ‘s Play Sets
• Advertising and Gender Stereotypes: How Culture is Made
• Gender Stereotypes Are Challenged By Children And Adolescence
• Gender Stereotypes Of Advertising And Marketing Campaigns
• Does Mainstream Media Have a Duty to Challenge Gender Stereotypes
• A Social Constructivist Approach on the Heterosexual Matrix and Gender Stereotypes
• Gender Stereotypes of Women in Society, Sports, and Workforce
• The Factors That Influence Gender Roles, Gender Identity and Gender Stereotypes
• Gender Stereotypes And Its Effect On Society
• Are Gender Stereotypes Perpetuated In Children’s Magazines
• Gender Stereotypes And Gender Discrimination
• An Explanation of Gender Stereotypes from a Scene in the Movie, Tootsie
• An Analysis of Gender Stereotypes in Today’s Society
• Gender Stereotypes And The Credibility Of Newspaper Articles Associated
• Gender Stereotypes And Behaviors Of Men And Women
• Gender Stereotypes In Boys And Girls By Alice Munro
• Media Affects How We View Gender Stereotypes
• Media and Its Effects on Gender Stereotypes
• How Does Advertising Reinforce Gender Stereotypes?
• Are Gender Stereotypes Perpetuated in Children’s Magazines?
• How Do Contemporary Toys Enforce Gender Stereotypes in the UK?
• Can Gender Quotas Break Down Negative Stereotypes?
• How Do Gender Stereotypes Affect Today’s Society?
• Are Sexist Attitudes and Gender Stereotypes Linked?
• How Does Ridley Scott Create and Destroy Gender Stereotypes in Thelma and Louise?
• Does Mainstream Media Have a Duty to Challenge Gender Stereotypes?
• How Does the Proliferation of Gender Stereotypes Affect Modern Society?
• Why Do Children Learn Gender Stereotypes?
• How Do Gender Roles and Stereotypes Affect Children?
• Do Men and Women Differ in Their Gender Stereotypes?
• How Are Gender Stereotypes Depicted in “A Farewell to Arms” by Hemingway?
• What Are the Problems of Gender Stereotyping?
• How Have Gender Stereotypes Always Been a Part of Society?
• What Are the Factors That Determine Gender Stereotypes?
• How Do Gender Stereotypes Warp Our View of Depression?
• What Influences Gender Roles in Today’s Society?
• How Do Jane Eyre and the Works of Robert Browning Subvert Gender Stereotypes?
• What Is the Difference Between Gender Roles and Gender Stereotypes?
• How Do Magazines Create Gender Stereotypes?
• Where Did Gender Stereotypes Originate?
• How Does the Society Shape and Stereotypes Gender Roles?
• Why Do Gender Roles Change Over Time?
• How Do Gender Stereotypes Affect Students?
• What Is the Role of Family in Gender Stereotyping?
• How Can Gender Stereotypes Be Overcome?
• Can Stereotypes Be Changed?
• How Does Culture Influence Gender Stereotypes?
• How Can We Prevent Gender Stereotypes in Schools?
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IvyPanda . "124 Gender Stereotypes Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." October 26, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/gender-stereotypes-essay-examples/.