The average person is composed of multiple characteristics that help to create his/her identity. In today’s society each one of these characteristics have specific generalized ideas linked to them called stereotypes. Gender stereotypes are defined as “simple generalizations specifically about gender attributes and differences and roles of individuals and/or groups.” (Webster’s Dictionary) There are multiple different stereotypes because of the ability to target certain characteristics such as sex, nationality and race. Gender stereotypes can influence multiple aspects of one’s life. Although no stereotype is truly good they can be distinguished as positive or negative. Positive gender stereotypes are assumptions that generalize a group of people within the same gender and describe them in a positive light. For example a positive stereotype would be that boys are good at playing sports. Not all boys are good at sports but the assumption is positive even though untrue. A negative gender stereotype is the opposite. It is a generalized negative-based assumption about a group of people that are the same gender. An example of a negative gender stereotype would be all blonde girls are dumb. It assumes that all girls are dumb based upon the color of their hair. This assumption is wrong and illogical.

Another type of stereotype is gender stereotypes. These stereotypes are generalized assumptions about one’s sex. For instance telling someone they play like a girl is a gender stereotype because the person is assuming that girls are bad at sports based upon ones gender. Even though gender roles are the easiest way to avoid being standing out in a group, my opinion is that people should not conform to gender roles because they should be able to express themselves. Society should talk about different common stereotypes and individuals should slowly break the mold so that these stereotypes will be no longer exist in the future. I also believe people should be able to distinguish the different gender developmental stages that result in a child who is confident with their own gender identity. Lastly, the people should be able to identify different gender roles seen in different situations and be able to evaluate them so that we know how they affect families within their households. Altogether, I believe that discussing and addressing traditional gender roles, theories and socialization by action are just a few ways to help encourage people to branch out of their shells and oppose future gender stereotypes.

Baby boys have blue nurseries while little girls have pretty pink ones. Little boys play with trucks and action figures while little girls play with Barbie dolls and kitchen sets. Even from birth, children are trained to conform to gender roles. Gender specific toys are just one element that can influence the way stereotypes can affect young children. A Barbie doll can change how much effort a girl puts into her appearance because she wants herself and the doll to look pretty. On the contrary, a fighting action figure can encourage boys to want to be like the aggressive action figures they see on tv or play with their friends. As children grow up, these stereotypes are only further affirmed by things such as gender-based dress codes, test scores, and aggressive behaviors which often lead to bullying. When a kid enters high school they are automatically labelled and sent off for the next four years to conform to whatever stereotype they are given. It is an inevitable cliche and everyone knows it. But, it stills finds a way to thrive off of the insecurities of the people that are labelling others along with the effect of general peer pressure. A few of the common stereotypes in a high school situation would include “the cheerleader”, “the jock” and “the nerd.” First up is the cheerleader stereotype. Complete with all of its supposed promiscuity and hairspray, the cheerleader stereotype is a popular one. This stereotype claims that all cheerleaders are popular, dumb, promiscuous snobs whose only purpose is to dance in a wildly inappropriate short skirt. This could not be further from the truth. Students at Gonzaga University are tearing through this stereotype by maintaining their grades, pursuing their majors and balancing their busy schedules. One girl said “Actually it helps me get better grades,” “I have to be much more focused.”(Campbell and Felton, p.2) The dedication shown by these cheerleaders is hard to overlook and it helps to regulate and educate people about the falsities of the stereotype. Big, dumb and stupid are the most common words used to describe this next stereotype. The typical jock. It is commonly perceived that students who are major athletes do not succeed in academics. But, this stereotype is changing; at Harvard 20 percent of students are athletes. Considering that Harvard is known for its thriving academics and difficult acceptance rate, there is an increasing number of student-athletes already breaking through the stereotype. These “jocks” balance a 20 plus hour practice and game schedule along with a 5 day school week. If anything these student-athletes are setting an example for others by showing dedication on and off of the field. The last high school stereotype that is often seen is “the nerd.” Scrawny, weird and ugly often come to mind when someone thinks of a stereotypical nerd. But, no one is breaking down this stereotype like Danica McKellar. A young, gorgeous actresses who doubles as a mathematician! Danica once said “I love acting. Acting is a true love of mine, acting and math. Although they are both creative, they use very different sides of your brain. And I love both.”(McKellar n/a) Danica believes that you can be obsessed with hair and makeup and still have a passion for mathematics just as she does. She truly defeats any stereotype that connects being odd with having a knack for math. Acting mathematicians, dedicated cheerleaders and studious student athletes all help to break the common stereotypes seen in society. Educationally, we face the stereotype that men are better in subjects such as math and are created for specific genders. An example of this would be that a woman has to be a nurse, secretary or hairdresser. While a man would be a truck driver, doctor or lawyer. Recent studies show that the stereotype of gender-specific jobs is still present. A study conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau states that men held 90 percent of jobs in 106 professions. The professions that had the highest rate for men were in the industrial, construction and machinery fields. As for women they held 90 percent of the jobs only in 14 occupations. Out of these 14 occupations women predominantly excel in kindergarten and preschool jobs. Based off of this study theassumption follows that these genders are given roles based purely off of stereotypes. People believe that women should work in jobs pertaining to caregiving rather than physical work and vice versa with men. This is because of what they have seen and been taught. Collectively, these factors create what is referred to as a stereotype threat. A stereotype threat is "the risk of confirming negative stereotypes about an individual's racial, ethnic, gender, or cultural group."(Zheng, p.137) The gender specific jobs do exactly that. They reaffirm people’s stereotypes because they are afraid of what others think. Another example of this would be in another study where students who took AP calculus tests were asked to give their gender. Women who were asked this before their test performed lower than women who were asked after the test. The reverse was true with males. These facts prove that the stereotype threat is true and that women often feel threatened because they believe they are not "biologically cut out” for certain subjects. In a physical sense the common stereotype suggests that men are physically stronger than women. But this depends on how strength is measured. In terms of overall muscle mass, men are able to build it more rapidly. But in terms of amount of muscle mass needed to lift dead weights it is proven that women can build the same amount. Proving that the stereotype "women are weaker than men" is not a stereotype threat but rather just a common misconception. In the last few years sociologists formed many different developmental gender theories. These theories were created to help better explain questions about gender development. There are three main theories that are important today. They are the following: the social learning theory, the gender schema theory and Kohlberg's cognitive developmental theory. The social learning theory is the idea that gender ideas and roles are a set of behaviors that are learned throughout the environment. They observe the people around them and encode others’ behaviors which they later imitate. Children are more likely to imitate people who have similar qualities. Due to this, the children’s beliefs are then influenced and they are then scolded by their parents because they are not acting within the gender appropriate norm. A sufficient example of this theory in action is the following: "James (4 years), John (5 years) and Sarah (6 years). Sarah and John play ‘dressing up’ and both put on dresses. Their dad reinforces Sarah for this, by saying she looks pretty but punishes John by saying he looks silly and boys should not dress that way. In the future, Sarah is more likely to wear dresses, and John is less likely. James, who has been watching all this, is unlikely to imitate the behavior of wearing a dress because he has seen his brother (who he perceives as similar to himself) getting punished for doing it."(Sammons p.1) Ina basic scenario where there are no changing genders, the social learning theory works. But in a case where genders change over time, it is not sufficient. The second theory that sociologists believe in is the "gender schema theory." The gender schema theory states that children learn the concepts of appropriate gender behavior and other gender related information from their cultural backgrounds. They then apply these concepts to everyday life in order to evaluate and learn new information; their earlier views then affect how the new information they obtain is received. This results in girls that have limited perspectives about the potential of women. In the case of physical strength, girls are no longer associated with the trait of being strong and this results in a differentiation between the sexes. An example of the theory in action is similar to the following: "a 6-year-old boy may have a schema that contains information about which types of clothing are for girls and which types of clothing are for boys. Since dresses are for girls, the boy would refuse to wear one if presented the opportunity."(Williams n/a) From a positive perspective, this theory somewhat agrees with the social learning theory because they both stem from the principle of mimicking others. The theory has proven to be reasonable and beneficial, but flaws include stereotyping. This is because it requires women and men to be separated based upon gender. It also places men in a higher status than women because it suggests males have more favorable characteristics and that their "maleness" proves them to be more superior. An equally important theory used to identify developmental gender behaviors by sociologists is Kohlberg's cognitive developmental theory. This theory is intricate and extensive as it includes three primary stages that are each divided into two separate stages creating a total of six stages of development. The three primary stages are the pre-conventional level, the conventional level and the postconventional level. The first stage is referred to as Punishment- Obedience orientation. Bluntly, this first stage says that rules should be obeyed in order to avoid punishment and physical consequences that are then determined by positive and negative actions. Following the first stage is Instrument-Relativist orientation. In this stage interest shifts, and the main focus becomes whether the said action is in the person's best interest. The Good-Girl Nice Boy orientation follows this. In this stage, people conform in order to be accepted socially. Stage four is the Law and Order orientation. This says that the law is absolute and that it has the power to override family if needed. Following the Law and Order orientation is the Social Contract orientation. In this stage, the rules are recognized as before but whether the rules are to be followed blindly should be considered. The final stage is referred to as Universal Ethical Principle orientation. This stage is based upon one’s personal morals, and it states that rules should be applied to various situations and based upon morality. This theory’s purpose is to help stress the importance of gender roles and children's places within them. As the children begin to better understand gender-specific information, they fill in their gender picture. All of these theories are based on the way children develop their gender. It is known that gender isn’t always accepted when it’s assigned, these theories help to provide a basis of what may be developing behind the scenes. Unfortunately, these theories are currently experimental as they would require an excessive amount of time and effort. Along with the fact that people would have to be able to 4 willingly volunteer to test these theories. But it currently stands that gender development is transitional and the journey through this transition helps to promote gender identity, stability and consistency. Socialization helps to clarify gender roles in the way we interact, think and engage. Through this we gain a sense of identity (gender or otherwise) as well as learn behavioral norms, values and social skills. The process begins from the moment we are born when the hospital classifies us into a gender specific group based upon physical anatomy. Our parents also contribute in this process when they decide to give us gender-specific names, creating a basis for what is referred to as primary socialization. This is a type of socialization that focuses specifically within a family. It is used often by parents, whether it is intentional or not. For example, "children who grow up in a family with the husband a breadwinner and the wife a homemaker will tend to accept this as the social norm."(Boundless n/a) Likewise children who grow up in environments where both of there parents are authoritative figures or where the husband is considered the leader, tend to see their experiences as the norm. Within a household is not the only place where socialization occurs. We also see this pattern in career settings. Specifically from a standpoint of women in the workforce, the gender socialization tends to correlate with gender inequality. In the U.S. alone, it is a norm for women to be paid significantly less than men regardless of the profession. Due to the fact that it is considered a norm, it is automatically characterized as a part of gender socialization. This gender socialization also affects those within a religious setting. A norm that we see within some churches is that two people of the same sex should not be married. This affects the socialization because if a child's parents believe it, they teach this same belief to their children. Therefore, the parents are influenced by the religion through socialization. We are all judged within society whether it is by choice or not. We are judged on the type of car we drive, the clothes we wear and are the main factor in how you are treated. It is the way we react, feel and confirm that affects the overall outcome. And, it is whether we choose to believe to reinforce these stereotypes that society has created for us, or whether we take the knowledge we have and are able to prove these stereotypes wrong by using the flaws of traditional gender roles, theories and socialization as solid points of argument.