Synonyms
Definition
“Gender stereotypes are preconceived ideas whereby males and females are arbitrarily assigned characteristics and roles determined and limited by their sex” (Council of Europe, Gender Equality Commission 2015. Gender Equality Glossary: 10).
Introduction
Stereotypes have been defined in a variety of ways, but perhaps the most simple definition is the one offered by Peter Schneider, who writes that “stereotypes are qualities perceived to be associated with particular groups or categories of people” (2005: 24). They distinguish a particular group from others by describing differences among them. Gender stereotypes are beliefs about the characteristics or attributes of men and women, boys and girls. Since there are differences between women and men, stereotypes help us to anticipate and respond to these differences rather than having to figure them out in every single interaction, thereby saving time and energy. They thus function as a kind of...
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Vaidya, S. (2019). Gender Stereotypes. In: Leal Filho, W., Azul, A., Brandli, L., Özuyar, P., Wall, T. (eds) Gender Equality. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70060-1_27-1
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