Understanding Stereotype Threat and Labeling Theory
Stereotype threat occurs when a person or people feel they have to conform to stereotypes about their social group. This phenomenon is very close to the labeling theory—if a person is labeled as smart, they will seek to perform better (Baisu & Phalet, 2019). Likewise, if a person is viewed as hopeless, they would adopt the label as their own. Stereotype threat is informed by gender and race since these particular factors provide the reasons for social and other types of stratification.
Gender Stereotypes
Sets of beliefs about what men, women, and people of various races are capable of are often utilized to force people out of industries that they do not conform to. Gender stratification due to stereotype threats can be seen in various examples. Women are notoriously underrepresented in STEM jobs due to a long-enduring legacy of the field being dominated by men (Baisu & Phalet, 2019). With equal educational opportunities being given to everyone relatively recently (from a historical perspective), the stereotype is not yet broken.
Women are viewed as “out of place” in areas like engineering, construction, or the military, which forces them out. A similar situation happens to male teachers in schools – the enduring social stereotype is that male teachers are unsuccessful financially or are sexually abusive towards students, which makes people view them in a suspicious light (Baisu & Phalet, 2019). Many men hesitate to follow their teaching calling because of the stereotype threat.
Race Stereotypes
The examples of race being used as a basis for a stereotype threat are manifold. The stereotype about black people being more prone to violence and criminality makes even law-abiding blacks view the police with distrust and avoid working with them. In so doing, they are being cajoled into following a stereotype of a non-compliant black person, to the detriment of their community and the law enforcement system as a whole (Baisu & Phalet, 2019). Therefore, stereotype threat is deeply rooted in and relies on bias toward gender, race, and other social qualities to exist.
Reference
Baysu, G., & Phalet, K. (2019). The up‐and downside of dual identity: Stereotype threat and minority performance. Journal of Social Issues, 75(2), 568-591.