by Aris Jameson

Created on: May 18, 2009   Last Updated: April 03, 2010

The intent of this essay is to analyze several stereotypes regarding women that are perpetuated both knowingly and unknowingly by commentators, journalists, public officials, movie directors, and others through various media outlets. In addition, statistics illustrating the detrimental effects of these stereotypes on women will also be featured.

Researchers working for the Management Issues Group recently conducted a survey of men of all ages in cities and rural locations across the United States, and determined that the following female stereotypes are extremely pervasive: (1) Men are the breadwinners; the job of women is to raise children, cook, and clean the house. (2) Men are smarter, stronger, healthier, and more athletic than women. (3) Men are better problem solvers and work better in teams than women. Women are too emotional and sensitive to think rationally in these situations (www.management-issues.com)

The majority of this group's research on gender stratification focuses on the first aforementioned stereotype, and their report is appropriately titled Women Take Care, Men Take Charge. Disturbing statistics released in the report accentuate this societal pattern, as fifty-seven percent of surveyed women stated that raising children affected their careers. Furthermore, the report also indicates that many ambitious women who ask their husbands to stay home and raise the children are reproached by family members and co-workers alike (www.management-issues.com). This expectation that women stay home and raise children has been tremendously detrimental to women who aspire to have careers in prominent fields.

The second aforementioned stereotype asserting that men are smarter than women can be easily dispelled by data provided by several sociologists working for ABC News. Their studies reveal that, on average, women and men have the same Intelligence Quotient of 100. (www.sq4mg.com/male-femaleIQ). However, despite this information, Sociologist Russ Long, who has written several essays about patriarchy, androcentrism, and sexism in the United States, has highlighted that men hold the majority of positions in high-paying occupations (www.delmar.edu/socsci). These include political, executive, engineering, legal, and professional sport related occupations. Long also revealed that women hold the majority of positions in lesser paying, subservient occupations in the United States, such as nursing, teaching, secretarial, assistant, and paralegal positions

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