Deductive essays. Deductive essay example.

A stereotype is a cognitive tag. It allows your brain to make a hasty conclusion based on directly visible characteristics such as age, race or gender. Human brain makes quick calls. The problem appears when those stereotypes are applied beyond that snap judgement. It is bias, which is basically a conviction that a stereotype is correct.

A gender stereotype is an abstract view or prejudice about characteristics or attributes that are typical of women or men. Such a stereotype is harmful when it limits the capacity of women and men to develop their personal flairs, achieve their professional goals and make decisions concerning their lives.

The “acting like a woman” or “being a man” behavior patterns do not only concern the attitude but also physical expectations that are associated with these stereotypes. Unconsciously trying to live according to the stereotypes, we can harm ourselves both emotionally and physically.

A boy with a very thin build wants to be muscular: he fights against himself trying to change his constitution to fit in and be a stereotypical male. This leads to the emotional and physical harm, that often can’t be reversed. A smart and self-confident girl may be told to speak less or be quiet because it is not feminine. Then she focuses on her looks instead. It’s an example of an emotional harm caused by gender stereotypes.

Sometimes magazines, movies and TV shows portray men and women in very similar ways. Such portrayal also affects how we see ourselves. Gender stereotypes depict contradictory, unrealistic and limiting ways to be a girl/ woman or a boy/man etc. They get physical as well: they demonstrate a perfect face, body, an ideal build. Those images are considered totally cool. They can influence the way individuals feel about themselves, which leads to damage of self-esteem as individuals feel they want to appear or act like someone else, instead of appreciating their own selves.

Stereotypes can lead to antipathy, which can assume a form of violence, as beliefs and actions become negative consolidations and strengthen the idea of not being pretty enough, well-built, good enough, etc. People think  that they should live up to these stereotypes, as a result they try to fit themselves into these boxes. But this can ruin everything.

References:

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