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Children are raised with certain rules on how they will dress, the toys that they should play with, and even how they will behave. Most of the time, parents would teach them these things because it is how society taught them before. For instance, girls should always wear dresses and clothes that are feminine while boys should wear shorts and T-shirts.
Aside from that, these gender roles and stereotypes have taught us several gender-based concepts. For instance, some certain jobs or careers are only applicable to men, women should only wear ‘appropriate’ clothes so they do not be sexually assaulted, men should not be emotional, and many more. As a result, children are not able to express themselves the way they want. They are even restricted to things they want to do.
Gender roles have been in the society for the longest time. It dictates how people should act and is present everywhere. An article by HipLatina, a report found that gender stereotypes in television shows and movies are more than persistent. The researchers analyzed more than 150 articles, books, interviews, and other social-scientific research.
Impacts of Gender Stereotypes on Children
Stereotypes exist everywhere in the world that are mostly based on the beliefs, norms, and beliefs that are socially constructed. It tends to be prejudicial to the point that it affects their individuality, opportunities, and their environment. Several norms negatively impact the behaviors of both men and women.
For instance, the statement ‘Real men don’t cry,’ keeps men from expressing what they feel. Most of the time, they would keep their problems on their own because they should appear tough. Men who are crying are mostly associated with feminity and weakness. However, crying shouldn’t be associated with a weakness for any gender since it is a normal human emotion. In Jack Fisch’s article entitled 7 Positive Phrases We Should Be Teaching Americas Boys About Masculinity,’ he said, Despite this cultural stereotype, science shows that crying helps regulate emotional stress and is widely considered a healthy outlet.
Women, on the other hand, are expected to be quiet and passive. Most of the time, society only sees them as being well-behaved and anything more than that makes them less of a woman. However, according to an article by One Love, psychologists stated that most females grew up being quiet for several reasons such as low self-esteem. Associate professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Kristin Mmari, the attitudes and beliefs of children dramatically change when girls and boys enter the adolescent period.
As a result of these stereotypes of women, they would often suppress their feelings just like boys. This can be very difficult especially when they encounter a bad experience like sexual harassment or sexual assault. They would have a hard time opening up about their experiences.
Both men and women suffer from these gender stereotypes. It only justifies gender discrimination which can affect children’s behaviors in the future. For instance, men who are forced to conform to masculine roles, are deprived of joys that freely express who they are and becoming a better person.
How to Teach Kids About Gender Equality
According to an article by CNN, a recent report by Common Sense Media entitled ‘Watching Gender: How Stereotypes in Movies and on TV Impact Kids’ Development’ showed stereotypes play an integral role in teaching both boys and girls the expectations of the society to them. Unfortunately, these gender stereotypes are continuously being reinforced not just inside the home but also in schools.
One of the best ways to end these gender stereotypes is through parents and teachers. They should make sure that they teach them to not follow those gender norms. For instance, boys can wash the dishes while girls can be talkative, too. Aside from that, they should discuss what these gender roles are all about and how they can affect people.
Parents can also provide their kids with toys that will not sync up with what society says. They should allow their kids to also dress in a way that they can express themselves. At a young age, kids need to be educated about gender roles so that they will be open enough to accept that there are other gender identities and sexual orientations.
Additionally, parents should let their kids explore and make sure that their environment reflects diversity in gender roles and encourages opportunities for everyone. They should be allowed to have their own choice of friends and make sure that they learn about their preferences.
Parents can also show children’s books or let them watch movies and television shows that portray men and women in non-stereotypical and diverse gender roles. At the same time, they should also be provided with a wide range of toys such as baby dolls, toy vehicles, action figures, blocks, and many more so they can freely choose what they want.
Importantly, children need to learn that regardless of gender, people should be treated equally and have the same opportunities. They should not be treated less of a man or woman if they are restricted by gender norms.
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