Do you think gender stereotypes are annoying?

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AsahiPto17
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04 Sep 2015, 11:55 pm

...do you think it is? I think a more androgynous society would make more sense. A lot of expectations placed on males and females are really stupid imo. It kind of seems like in a hundred or so years it might be more androgynous maybe. </reallyshortvaguepost>



jk1
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05 Sep 2015, 12:07 am

Yes. I hate it. I'm biologically male and have no problem with that. But I hate the gender expectations/roles/obligations that come with it. Many people are so hypocritical. They often talk as if they fully supported gender equality etc but their actions/gossip etc show they don't.



Moccu
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05 Sep 2015, 12:19 am

It can be, but I think it was more apparently annoying for me when I was a young and tomboyish girl. Now I kind of grew into the girly stereotype a bit more, but I still have some of those tomboyish tendencies.

I think that it would be helpful if there was more flexibility in equal opportunities in traditionally masculine/feminine activities. I had to play girl's softball because there was no baseball offered, only for the boys. I wanted the real-deal.


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AsahiPto17
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05 Sep 2015, 12:59 am

Moccu wrote:
It can be, but I think it was more apparently annoying for me when I was a young and tomboyish girl. Now I kind of grew into the girly stereotype a bit more, but I still have some of those tomboyish tendencies.

I think that it would be helpful if there was more flexibility in equal opportunities in traditionally masculine/feminine activities. I had to play girl's softball because there was no baseball offered, only for the boys. I wanted the real-deal.


That's the kind of thing that makes no sense whatsoever. Who cares if a girl plays baseball? It's stupid....

I've seen statistics that women have a harder time getting jobs than men with the same qualifications, that's just wrong. I think that the radically different looks and behaviors male and female people are supposed to have is weird too. It definitely applies to both sexes, you must look/be/act like xyz. I didn't have a lot of pressure to be fill a gender role growing up, which I think is nice; less imprinting from old weird sociological constructs. Even then though I can really feel an expectation from the outside world about things sometimes, even if it's completely indirect.

I really see how this sort of thing deeply shapes people as they grow and interact with the world. It makes me wonder what would happen if somehow people created a mini society from scratch without most of the cruft that's followed us for thousands of years. Not just gender roles, there are a lot of things that you could change for the better I imagine.



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05 Sep 2015, 1:15 am

I grew up with my grandparents and mother. They allowed me to watch Transformers, Dragon Ball Z, and other action-y shows without worrying about me being influenced or disturbed by me wanting to have some of the toys from them. I think I ended up well-rounded and versatile in my interests because I was allowed to be exposed to what boys AND girls were doing at my age.

Of course, I spent time doing things away from the tv too, but I think you get the gist.

It doesn't make sense to me to limit a child from exploring more, and it's definitely stupid for girls to only specifically play softball around here.

I think they (grandparents and mother) were pretty fair with me. Although, I noticed on my dad's side (culture) that the girls were groomed to be a certain way, and overly sheltered on top of that. I'm glad I didn't have to endure his side of the family, I would have rebelled so hard.


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D0gbert
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05 Sep 2015, 1:36 am

Gender stereotypes aren't just annoying. They are obsolete and destructive.

Suicide rates among males are higher, because in many societies, dudes are supposed to "tough it out" and "act hard". So instead of talking to someone about our emotional problems, we are told to "can it!". Combined with social expectations (at least with Chinese society) that males should take initiative, there is no small wonder why most nutters who go around a murder swaths of people are dudes.

And there, IMO, there is the potentially a practical aspect we are missing due to stereotypes. Precisely because males and females think differently (evolutionarily, it makes sense), many industries etc heavily dominated by one sex may get people who can easily "think outside the box". Think of all that wasted talent because "he/she should be doing something else associated with their sex".

Back when warfare was conducted by men pummelling each other with sharpened pieces of metal and childbirth was effing deadly, those stereotypes made sense, but times have changed...

I think the reason this ancient tripe still lingers is because it's a matter of control. Most of the world's leaders are still dudes. Of course they would rather continue this status quo at the cost of everybody else...



AsahiPto17
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05 Sep 2015, 1:42 am

D0gbert wrote:
Gender stereotypes aren't just annoying. They are obsolete and destructive.

Suicide rates among males are higher, because in many societies, dudes are supposed to "tough it out" and "act hard". So instead of talking to someone about our emotional problems, we are told to "can it!". Combined with social expectations (at least with Chinese society) that males should take initiative, there is no small wonder why most nutters who go around a murder swaths of people are dudes.

And there, IMO, there is the potentially a practical aspect we are missing due to stereotypes. Precisely because males and females think differently (evolutionarily, it makes sense), many industries etc heavily dominated by one sex may get people who can easily "think outside the box". Think of all that wasted talent because "he/she should be doing something else associated with their sex".

Back when warfare was conducted by men pummelling each other with sharpened pieces of metal and childbirth was effing deadly, those stereotypes made sense, but times have changed...

I think the reason this ancient tripe still lingers is because it's a matter of control. Most of the world's leaders are still dudes. Of course they would rather continue this status quo at the cost of everybody else...


Control! That is exactly what I have thought too! Give the masses weird unspoken rules to follow along and pacify them with weird social crap.



D0gbert
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05 Sep 2015, 3:17 am

AsahiPto17 wrote:
Control! That is exactly what I have thought too! Give the masses weird unspoken rules to follow along and pacify them with weird social crap.


Worst thing is no one questions it. I sometimes ask my female friends why they have to hurt themselves with those ludicrous high-heel shoes to look "pretty". Awkward silence...



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05 Sep 2015, 7:48 am

In real life, I am a female in that I have looks/voice of female and that I'm attracted to males,
Other than that many times I thought I should've been born as a male. As I enjoy what is typically considered as men's roles such as taking responsibilities on my own shoulders, building something out of nothing.. and protecting weak beings like a superman.. But I don't watch TV, I don't read News, I don't mind which names society calls things ..so it's hard for me being annoyed about something I don't care.


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05 Sep 2015, 9:18 am

I think gender stereotypes suck, but I also think that's precisely what they're for, so I don't expect them to go away. We need some way of screwing one another's life and keeping our potentials frustrated and wasted, and our minds clouded, as much as possible. Any kind of irrational adherence to some dogma or other is a valuable tool for this noble purpose.


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05 Sep 2015, 9:49 am

Yes, yes, yes and yes again!



glebel
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05 Sep 2015, 10:12 am

The most annoying aspect of this to me is when somebody says "That's a woman's job" or "That's a man's job". I think it's the job of whoever is willing to do it and can do it well. That being said, there seems to be a hard-wired difference between women and men as far as reactions to our surroundings go. This may be natural or it may be somewhat influenced by nurturing.


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05 Sep 2015, 10:29 am

I guess they are useful if you play by the rules.
If a woman wants to look hot to a man, all she needs to do is put on a nice dress or skirt. Instant femininity upgrade.
If a man wants to look cool to a woman, all he needs to do is put on a leather jacket and sunglasses. Instant masculinity boost.
Just like that.

But otherwise, if nobody gets hurt except due to having specific worldviews that others must partake in, just do your thing.



Spiderpig
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05 Sep 2015, 10:46 am

glebel wrote:
The most annoying aspect of this to me is when somebody says "That's a woman's job" or "That's a man's job". I think it's the job of whoever is willing to do it and can do it well.


Indeed. For example, if your co-workers shun you for breaking their favorite stereotypes and are hostile to you, you probably won't be able to do the job well, so they're right after all: it's not for you.


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lostonearth35
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05 Sep 2015, 1:31 pm

Yes, they often annoy me a lot. Especially the stereotype that girls aren't supposed to like video games, be interested in frogs, bugs and insects, want to be a police officer or a doctor, or like action figures and not just dolls. My parents have no problem with such things, but the rest of the world seems to still do. But I think society goes easier on girls who like "guy things" that guys who like "girl things" because society thinks "girl things" are inferior. Just look at a certain franchise of cute little animated ponies. It's getting so old. The hate I mean, not the franchise.



glebel
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05 Sep 2015, 1:57 pm

Spiderpig wrote:
glebel wrote:
The most annoying aspect of this to me is when somebody says "That's a woman's job" or "That's a man's job". I think it's the job of whoever is willing to do it and can do it well.


Indeed. For example, if your co-workers shun you for breaking their favorite stereotypes and are hostile to you, you probably won't be able to do the job well, so they're right after all: it's not for you.

Nuts to that concept. Whatever I do, I do to the best of my abilities. It doesn't matter what other people think, it's what we bring to the game.


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