Analysis Of Gender Stereotypes

Given a list of aesthetic features such as, makeup, long hair, dresses and jewelry, what is the first thing that pops into your mind? If you pictured a female, you’re not alone. That’s because in many cultures, including our own, gender stereotypes are abundant. As a matter of fact, the majority of cultures around the world only recognize two genders: man or woman. Those individuals who deviate from these gender norms are sometimes considered to be social outcasts and are subject to discrimination and ridicule. But the reality stands that there are more than just two genders recognized among humans. Which leads to the argument that gender is not universal, and that it is just a social and or cultural construction. A brief analysis on social …show more content…
So much of what we learn comes from each other, which suggests a built in social mechanism that seems to be important to humans. Thus, we tend to conform to social norms because we want others to like and accept us. In addition, humans have a tendency to gravitate towards specific groups, which align with their individual beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors. Interestingly, these social norms vary cross-culturally, and people’s behaviors change accordingly. For example, when a female in the Unites States goes out in public, it is considered normal for her to have on a dress and make-up on her face. However, if a male were to do that, he would most likely be teased. With that being said, most people accept and practice these social norms due to a fear of negative social consequences. In India, similar to the United States, men and women are the dominant genders, and similar social norms are practiced. However, there is a socially and culturally recognized group called the hijra. The hijras, also known as the third gender, consider themselves to be neither man nor woman. This third gender is not recognized in the United States, yet has been renowned in Hindu culture for centuries. Furthermore, Indian culture not only accepts the hijras, their religion legitimizes …show more content…
Social influences such as, gender roles, social norms, and religion, are just a few of the mechanisms for the social, and or cultural construction of gender. Furthermore, a brief comparison of U.S. and Indian culture adds to the argument that gender is not universal, and that what each society defines as masculine and feminine, or none of the above is arbitrary. As a final point, if gender truly is socially constructed, than that means that gender can be taught. And if more individuals can realize that gender is much broader than what our society teaches us, then we as a society will gain a better understanding of what gender really