Gender Stereotypes and Discrimination
Nowadays, gender stereotypes and sexual discrimination make people confront various issues which may lead to negative consequences. For instance, Sandberg (2010) discusses why men reach top positions in the workforce much more often than women. During her lecture, Sandberg addresses this problem by providing current statistics on the male and female employment gap, suggesting that it is highly more challenging for women to choose between personal life and career success. Overall, the Ted Talk is highly insightful, offering the viewers a chance to reflect on modern gender inequality difficulties. 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. From my perspective, this is a vital issue, and I would like to explore the possibilities for addressing it.
One of the most critical reasons for inequality is related to gender differences established in society. Brown et al. (2022) discuss so-called gender roles, which are “differences in how men and women are supposed to act” (para. 9). Such a phenomenon should not exist in the first place because men and women might presume that there is a particular script they should follow while living their lives. As such, this issue is especially important for me, as I strongly believe that every individual is free to choose their path in life regardless of their gender. However, I know several people who believe that women should spend more time at home doing housework while men should work more and make money for the family. Thus, my question for the class is: how can society alter the current views on gender roles to promote equality?
Additional Activity
A wrong understanding of gender differences has resulted in even more crucial issues, such as gender stereotypes, discrimination, and sexual harassment. These phenomena are highly common nowadays, and many people are forced to endure these negative events in adolescence. For example, Brown et al. (2022) reported that most teenagers suffer from unwanted touching and various jokes, becoming victims of sexual harassment and discrimination even before finishing high school. I am certain that such circumstances can negatively affect people’s mental state and future life, and society should pay more attention to how gender stereotypes and discrimination influence individuals.
References
Brown, C. S., Jewell, J. A., & Tam, M. J. (2022). Gender. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds), Noba textbook series: Psychology. DEF publishers.
Sandberg, S. (2010). Why we have too few women leaders [Video]. TED. Web.