EDU 372 Journal: Stereotyping: Gender Roles

Gender Roles

EDU 372 Educational Psychology

Gender Roles

Explain a time when you might have either felt or observed gender stereotyping.

A group of friends, both men, and women, were out watching a movie. There was a scene in the movie where they were being romantic, and something happened to the female, where one of the men in our group started becoming emotional and shed a few tears during the movie.

How did it make you feel?

It made me feel as though men cannot be as emotional as women. At first, when I saw him crying at the movie, I labeled him as soft because what I was taught was, “Men are not supposed to cry.” They are reliable, masculine, and should not be weak, shy, or emotional.

How have gender schemas influenced your role in society?

I am not a fan of gender schemas at all. Although I grew up in a setting where my father was the provider, and my mother was also working, she took care of the household, both of them contributed to the home and their children equally. In society, I still believe that nonconformity shouldn’t play a role in how women and men act in society. If a woman wants to pursue a career, she shouldn’t be viewed as arrogant or bragging that she can be better than her husband or anyone else. A man should not be considered soft or emotional if he decides to be a stay at home dad and take care of his children while his wife has a career and takes care of the home.

How will you as a teacher ensure that you are not adhering to gender roles and stereotyping in your own classroom?

It’s essential to make sure I create a safe and positive environment for my students. Creating an identity-safe environment means that students see themselves individually, and they are valued. They feel comfortable with the different cultures of their peers and with themselves. There will be an understanding that there is no name-calling, no bulling, and no negative stereotyping behavior.