The Women's Rights Movement And Changing Gender Roles And Stereotypes
Throughout history, stereotypes have been detrimental to those whom they generalize. Most often applied to minorities, or those who are not in power, stereotypes help justify fear, mystery, and hatred of these demographic groups. Associate professor of applied psychology at New York University, Joshua Aronson discussed the impact of stereotypes on people's day-to-day operations and feelings with BU Today, finding that stereotypes can be severely dangerous. According to Aronson, stereotypes can severely impact the learning ability and day-to-day activities of those who fall victim to the generalizations. For instance, Aronson found that African American children perform at about the same level as white children when they are young, but as they grow older, the gaps between test scores increase. Aaronson concludes that this is because the African American children are exposed to stereotypes about themselves, and feel doomed to perform poorly ("The Impact of Stereotypes"). Although Aronson notes that every ethnic group, demographic group, or virtually any section of the population, is vulnerable to stereotyping, he notes that, in the United States, the generalizations are most often applied to "blacks and Latinos and to women."
While the National Organization for Women and other watchdog groups continue to advocate for women, the women's rights movement has definitely had an impact on gender roles and stereotypes. In fact, the professor goes on to name one stereotype that women often have to deal with-the feeling that they are not intelligent ("The Impact of Stereotypes"). Women were viewed as inferior to men in both strength and intellect because they stayed at home to care for the children and the household rather than going to work to earn a living. Stereotypes before the women's rights movement were much different than stereotypes after the movement. Instead of being viewed as the less intelligent, weaker sex, doomed to the home for all of their lives, women are now stereotyped as less capable than men in certain "male" subjects, such as math, less able to lead, and less able to perform "male" tasks, like driving. By discussing gender stereotypes before and after the movement, one can conclude that the women's right movement caused a change in women's roles, and therefore, in their stereotypes. Crusaders for women's rights still exist today in the form of men and women who work for special interest groups, represent states in congress, or serve on local political boards. Even as drivers, Molloy concluded that women today are affected by stereotypes, stating that, "calling women lousy drivers may be a self-fulfilling prophecy. This does not, however, mean new stereotypes have not arisen to fill in where the old stereotypes were once dominant. Among other ideas, she argued that women had the ability and desire to participate in intellectual endeavors such as occupations, church leadership, and higher education, were able to maintain and own property with the same degree of satisfaction as men, and had the intellectual ability and social consciousness to deserve a right to become involved in government and politics. In addition to changing expectations and opportunities for women, the women's rights movement caused gender roles and stereotypes to change. Current stereotypes related to women also define them as sex symbols, loose, and interested in beauty in fashion. Because women fulfilled the roles of wives and mothers they were seen as weak and unintelligent, stereotypes that helped perpetuate the vicious cycle of women's gender roles and lack of opportunity. Thus, the women's rights movements caused a redefinition in the gender role of women. Another view of women that prevailed even further into history was the stereotype of women as "the weaker sex," solidified in the traditional gender role of the wife and the mother.
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