Had a bit of a debate about stereotypes yesterday, it followed a discussion about children's behaviour, well girls friendship issues to be precise.
The consensus was that the behaviour was just what girls do. Girls are bitchy, snide, manipulative, nasty Etc.
I bloody hate stereotyping, especially negative ones such as these, so called them on it. Talked about socialisation. The language being used to describe children!
But the reaction was one of defensiveness and repeated assertions that this was their experience. It was also said that it's lazy to put it all down to social conditioning.
I don't know why there is so much defensiveness re stereotypes, why do people want to reinforce them? In this case it was all mums talking about girls.
It saddens me I guess, what hope is there if parents are reinforcing these ideas?
So some good arguments against these stereotypes?
And also why is the language about girls and these stereotypes so negative, it's horrible. There are no equivalent terms for boys? The ones for boys I can think of, wimp, gay, etc are all words that describe feminine traits in a negative way. How has language evolved this way?
I am not saying there are no differences between the sexes,maybe there are but a lot of it is socialised. Do these stereotypes vary around the world? I read how in ancient Greece to be seen as emotional was a good thing, to cry was to be manly! So the opposite of now. Any others like that?
Yet they are so engrained and if you challenge them you are met with resistanice.
Why are we so keen to put people in boxes and reinforce negative stereotypes, as far as I can see they only do harm, reinforce prejudice?
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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions
challenging stereotypes help please
22 replies
5madthings · 13/05/2015 08:29
OP posts:
BuffyNeverBreaks ·
13/05/2015 08:58
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BuffyNeverBreaks ·
13/05/2015 09:30
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