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DOI: https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2023.64.04.3
How to Cite:
Yildiz, Y., & Bilgin, R. (2023). How do young generations perceive gender differences?: A case study. Amazonia Investiga, 12(64),
28-44. https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2023.64.04.3
How do young generations perceive gender differences?: A case study
Genç Nesiller Cinsiyet Farklılıklarını Nasıl Algılıyor?: Bir Örnek İncelemesi
Received: February 1, 2023 Accepted: April 3, 2023
Written by:
Yunus Yildiz1
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4471-457X
Recep Bilgin2
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3760-218X
Abstract
There is a difference between sex and gender.
Just as sex expresses biological differences,
gender also refers to the difference created in
mutual relations in social life. Different factors
feed the perception of gender socially. Therefore,
some stereotypes have developed between both
sexes against each other. How these stereotypes
emerged in the z-generation living in the internet
age has been shown in this study through the
sample taken. For this, the students were asked
how they approached some stereotypes about
their gender and the opposite gender, and the
results were compared. In the questionnaire,
there are multiple-choice questions and Likert
scale-type questions. The differences between
the students' answers were revealed statistically,
and it was also examined in the SPSS program
whether there were significant differences.
According to the results obtained, it was
concluded that although these students made
significant progress on gender stereotypes, they
still carry stereotypes on some issues.
Keywords: Sex and Gender, Stereotypes,
Gender Differences
Introduction
As a result of the struggles of women in the last
century against the male-dominated
understanding inherited from traditional society,
many judgments have changed, and women have
gained significant social and political rights.
However, some problematic situations still arise
in this regard. The stereotypes that different
1
Ph.D., Assistant Professor, English Language Teaching Department, Faculty of Education, Tishk International University, Erbil,
Iraq.
2
Ma, Instructor, English Language Teaching Department, Faculty of Education, Tishk International University, Erbil, Iraq.
sexes feed against each other in mutual social
relations play very active roles. There are many
different factors in the formation of these
stereotypes. The stereotypes that emerge in the
processes and are psychologically based and
nourished by social life can emerge in positive
and negative ways. In the modern world, women
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have many stereotypes against men and men
against women. Although these judgments have
undergone great changes over time, they
continue to exist.
In this study, it has tried to measure how much
high school and university students, known as the
Z-generation and especially children of the
internet age, carry these stereotypes within the
developing media tools. Thus, the point reached
by the women's struggle for equality, which has
been going on for nearly a century, was recorded
in this sample.
Literature Review
Sex and Gender
The concept of sex is related to the physical
characteristics of people and is used to show the
body features that distinguish men and women
(Nicholson, 1994). On the other hand, gender is
about the mental structures shaped in people's
mindsets in social processes, and these are
formed by social roles, identities and the
language used. Therefore, gender does not refer
to permanent differences like sex but to changes
that are in a state of restructuring within social
processes (Bowleg, 2013).
People are biologically divided into two different
sexes, male and female. However, the social
perception that emerges from people's social
relations with each other and their roles in these
social relations is expressed as gender
differences (Croson & Gneezy, 2009). Therefore,
it is possible to say that the concept of sex shapes
gender perception. However, although there is a
concept of gender defined through the difference
of sex, it should be noted that it is shaped in social
processes. It is a basic process that feeds the
gender perception that people want women and
men to adopt certain roles that are unique to them
in social life and divide the work accordingly.
Therefore, besides accepting that these roles and
responsibilities may change from society to
society, it is significant to accept that they are
also prone to change over time (Johnson &
Repta, 2012).
It is possible to see that roles are assigned to
people through biological sex in different
societies. However, searching for their roots in
psychological and social processes is necessary.
Although biological differences play important
roles in the distribution of social roles, it must be
accepted that psychological and social processes
shape them and are subject to change. From
traditional societies to modern ones, men and
women have been given responsibilities
according to their genders, and some behaviors
have been expected from them (Johnson &
Repta, 2012). In addition, the developmental
differences that emerged from a young age
strengthened these expectations. These
expectations are related to the developmental
structure revealed by gender differences and
generate some positive feedback (Hill & Lynch,
1983). However, in cases where social roles are
separated sharply, it is seen that people tend to
create some stereotypes over time. In this way,
regardless of people's differences, a
psychological process evaluates all women or
men in the same category and attributes the same
characteristics to them. As a result of this
process, some features seen as unique to different
genders are activated, sometimes resulting in
negative behaviors such as contempt (Strand,
1999).
As a collective peculiarity that reflects a society's
religion, way of life, and way of thinking, culture
is the total of the material and spiritual
characteristics that society produces in its
historical process and transfers to subsequent
generations (Celik & Yildiz, 2019). Stereotypes
formed over gender differences become
permanent over time and appear as cultural forms
by being transferred from generation to
generation. As such, in some cases, the features
attributed to gender can be seen as unique
features, and this situation can be accepted as
natural (Schmitt et al., 2017). In this case, while
the different genders are indicated by some
characteristic features that are considered unique,
some occupations are suitable only for them. In
this case, the idea that men should perform
masculine professions, such as politicians,
emerges. In addition, this understanding is
supported by people who think men will take on
more rational and active roles. On the other hand,
the understanding that sees women as more
emotional and passive thinks that some
professions are specific to women (Davey,
2008).
The reflections of gender differences do not
appear only in the choice of profession. While
some specific behaviors are expected from
different genders, a dress code specific to them is
also determined (Donner, 2016). However, this
approach also has positive consequences. For
example, it should be noted that it triggers some
initiatives to protect women (Peterman et al.,
2014).
This perception of gender differences also
strengthens some claims of superiority. The
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superiority revealed through gender differences,
especially in traditional societies, seems to be
active in distributing social roles and feeding
many other perceptions.
Gender Formation Theories
Gender formation is a psychological process.
Biological, cognitive, and social processes help
the formation of this perception in the minds.
Since the perception of gender differences is a
process called gender formation (Eckes &
Trautner, 2012). In fact, positive discrimination
campaigns are carried out in the modern world in
order to eliminate the negative perceptions
created towards women over time, and efforts are
made to change the gender perception formed in
people's minds positively (Agnes, 2008).
Different theories have been put forward about
how these perceptions are formed in humans.
Accordingly, the psychoanalytic approach
explains this process through sexual energy,
which he calls "libido". According to Sigmund
Freud, who developed this understanding, gender
roles emerge due to children's identification with
their parents in the first 6 years of their lives.
According to Freud, there are 3 different periods
in which children acquire gender roles. In the 1st
period, children cannot distinguish between
genders. In the next period, he begins to
understand the differences, and finally he enters
the oedipal period. In this period, children also
accept their own roles in accordance with the
gender of their parents and adopt the behavior of
their parents as role models in this process
(Diem-Wille, 2018).
According to Cognitive theory developed by
Jean Piaget, it is effective for children to be aware
of their gender and the other gender in learning
behavior appropriate for themselves. In the next
process, they adopt the behaviors that are suitable
for them in society and stay away from those that
are not suitable for them. It goes through some
processes. The first of these processes, labeling,
starts around age 3, and they realize their gender.
Around the age of 7, they realize they are
biologically different from the other sex. This
process is called the constancy of gender. In the
third stage, consistency of gender, they think
their gender is fixed and need to develop
behaviors accordingly (Martin et al., 2002).
Albert Bandura developed the social learning
approach, stating that children develop gender-
appropriate behaviors due to social relationships.
Thus, the theory states that social processes
rather than cognitive processes shape gender
identity. Within the framework of this
understanding, children observe and imitate the
models around them. As a result, they learn the
roles of their gender. At this point, positive and
negative reinforcements and observing
children’s environment have very effective roles
in understanding gender roles. When children
adopt and perform roles suitable for their gender,
these behaviors are rewarded by the society,
while contrary behaviors are punished. Thus,
gender roles are acquired in learning (Bussey &
Bandura, 1984).
According to biological approaches, gender roles
emerge over time due to biological differences
between men and women. In other words, the
most basic factor in the difference of gender roles
is the biological differences between men and
women. While this approach draws attention to
the biological differences of men and women, it
especially draws attention to genes, hormones
and brain structures (Shashaani, 1993).
On the other hand, sociological theories state that
gender roles are shaped within the social order,
in contrast to the biological approach. In social
processes, gender differences are understood by
stereotyping. In the process, gender differences
become more evident as people assign different
tasks to different genders in their perceptions.
Sociological theories focus more on similarities
than differences between men and women.
Accordingly, there are more similarities than
physical, mental and cognitive differences,
which are understood as an important factor in
determining gender roles (Bussey & Bandura,
1999).
Factors Affecting Gender Roles
Social roles indicate a person's position in the
social structure. Accordingly, this person's
responsibilities, privileges separated from others,
and the way s/he relates to other people emerge
within the framework of these roles (Shotter,
2019). In addition, a person can have many roles
in social life. Among these roles, the roles that
the society determines separately for women and
men are called gender roles. On the one hand,
these are assigned as a requirement of the
division of labor for the continuity of the social
order (Matthaei, 1995), on the other hand, they
can potentially affect the mutual relations
positively and negatively (Denissen et al., 2009).
It should be stated that a broader understanding
has developed in adopting gender roles than the
approaches mentioned above, because only one
factor does not play a role in determining gender
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roles. At this point, many different factors
emerge in social life.
The most important difference that separates men
and women from each other is seen in their body
structures. Therefore, we can say that gender
awareness arises from this difference. There are
also remarkable emotional differences (Levant,
2011).
One of the important factors in determining
gender roles is the family. The family is a
fundamental institution with varying symbolic
meanings across all cultures. As the child grows
older, the family's role in the child's emotional
and social development becomes increasingly
crucial. People learn these roles in the family
where they start their life (Celik et al., 2022). The
fact that the roles of men and women in the
family have been determined, especially from
traditional societies, has the same effect on
children and causes them to be transferred from
generation to generation. Families commonly
pressure children to adopt gender roles (Scott,
2006). In addition, the division of labor within
the family effectively adopts gender roles (Frank
& Hou, 2015). Moreover, the discourse adopted
by family members effectively forms gender
roles. It is also very influential for children to be
rewarded for their gender-appropriate behaviors,
to be warned or punished for inappropriate
behaviors in adopting these roles (Khan et al.,
2014).
Peer groups also have a great influence on the
formation of gender roles. Conversations and
games suitable for same-gender interests play
important roles within these groups. In addition,
character differences are clearly seen in these
games. For example, men become more
competitive and struggle with the ambition to
win. On the other hand, cooperation is more
prominent in girls' plays (Golshirazian et al.,
2015).
Both environmental and psychological variables
influence the development of a learning routine
in an individual’s life (Yildiz, 2020). Mass media
and education also have important effects on
adopting gender roles. Until recently, educational
materials contained content that encouraged
discrimination. This content has been changed
with recent studies. However, it should be noted
that educational materials played an important
role in previous periods (Papadakis, 2018).
Stereotyping
This word, which has passed from ancient Greek
to modern languages, consists of “stereo” and
“typos”. "Stereo" means "solid", and "typos"
means "impression". These two words together
mean solid impression one has about others and
is not prone to change. In modern times the word
was used by Holcombe (1922). For him, the
stereotype was just a misconception. The
formation of this perception takes place within
the process of illogical reasoning. Afterward, this
thought remains constant in people and does not
change. Stereotypes do not correspond to beliefs
and thoughts that people imply in any way. These
are traits that people explicitly attribute to others.
Stereotypes can be expressed negatively as well
as with positive connotations. These perceptions,
which are quite vague and inconsistent in
themselves, emerge as a typical description of the
targeted people. Stereotypes are situations that
look at people's psychological aspects rather than
logic. They are general definitions that people
develop for people who do not have enough
information but desire to know to some extent.
The important feature here is that all 0s of the
target group are defined similarly. People who
develop stereotypes often do not know other
people or groups closely and do not have any
social relations with them. Therefore, stereotypes
reduce or eliminate uncertainty about them and
increase self-confidence (Spencer et al., 2016).
Stereotyping is the evaluation of the entire target
audience within the same standard. There is no
objectively researched knowledge here, and the
person creating the stereotype makes general
judgments about the other party. Thus, they feel
more comfortable by creating a situation in their
mind about situations and people they do not
know. At this point, two concepts come to the
fore. The first of these, directionality, is
evaluated as the person's emotional approach and
shows the person's positive and negative
reactions towards the target group. The second of
these concepts, uniformity, is defined as
idiosyncratic behavior and the person who
develops the stereotype engages in strange
behaviors towards the target person or group
(Edwards, 1940).
Stereotypes are beliefs formed by one group of
people about another group. These beliefs are
emotionalized, simplified, and often caricatured,
little or hardly changed by experience. For this
reason, the blind spots where people cannot see
the truth appear in the form of unbalanced
reasoning, giving the other a position where they
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can relax psychologically and even justify their
position (Tarhan, 2022).
In fact, stereotypes emerge as a defensive
mechanism that people create to protect their
personalities. This understanding is not objective
and includes some prejudices. An important
reason for this is the effort not to fall into a lower
position from the other side (Snyder & Miene,
1994).
Stereotyping is more about the developer than the
target audience because the main purpose of
stereotyping is to reduce anxiety. Thus, people
develop a defense mechanism. With the
emergence of this emotional state, people feel
more comfortable (Donizzetti, 2019). Common
stereotypes are formed by the spread of this
understanding in the social field and its
acceptance by the majority. Therefore, producing
stereotypes has a personal aspect and productions
are supported within social processes.
The individual’s environment, friends, and even
teachers all have an equal impact on his or her
development as the education he or she receives
at home (Yildiz, 2022). The fact that the target
audience sets the agenda in social processes and
increases its recognition forces people to have
information about them. Although these people
or groups are on the agenda, it is uncomfortable
that they are not closely known. To overcome
this problem, people attempt a series of
typological definitions. Thus, an attitude that is
consistent within itself and guided by the
dominant ideology is developed about the target
audience (Plous, 2003).
Stereotypes can be defined as pictures formed in
people’s minds which are difficult to change. In
this aspect, stereotypes can contain positive or
negative qualities. Also, stereotypes are
pervasive, especially within the oral culture,
because they clearly reflect the values and beliefs
of that society. One of the most important
elements that feed stereotypes is people's
prejudices. Prejudices are psychological patterns
that are not based on clear reality. Stereotypes are
very difficult to change and highly resistant to
change. In addition, there are different
classifications and categorizations in stereotypes.
Placing target groups in these categories is much
easier than researching them. Thus, they are used
for the person to protect themselves and reduce
anxiety. Stereotypes do not have complex
content and contain very simple information.
Thus, people are comfortable getting to know the
target group better psychologically (Stroebe &
Insko, 1989).
Methodology
Design of the Study
Stereotyping is a psychological and social
process, and it shows its effect especially on
young individuals. This study conducted a survey
to see which stereotypes high school and
university students developed and how they
viewed the opposite sex based on gender. In this
questionnaire, there are multiple choice
questions as well as questions suitable for the
Likert scale. This research, which aims to
identify the stereotypes students have developed
for the opposite sex, investigated the positive and
negative adjectives and occupations attributed to
the opposite sex. In addition, the questions in the
questionnaire were designed to reveal positive
and negative thoughts about both the opposite
sex and their own sex.
Sample Selection
High school and university students were
selected because this study aimed to identify
stereotypes against the opposite sex in young
individuals. Students at Rise International High
School and Tishk International University in
Erbil city of Iraqi Kurdistan region were used for
this. In total, 95 students participated in this
questionnaire, and 58 of them (61%) were girls;
37 (39%) were boys.
Procedure and Data Collection
In this study, qualitative and quantitative
methods were used together. The results of the
questionnaire applied to the students were
evaluated and the statistics of the answers of the
girls and boys were taken separately. Comments
were made according to these statistics. In the
questionnaire used in this study, there are
multiple-choice and Likert-scale questions.
Findings
Stereotypes can manifest in many ways. These
can occur as positive adjectives for the target
group being attributed to them and the attribution
of negative adjectives to the whole group. In
addition, these stereotypes may appear in the
form of occupations deemed appropriate to the
opposite party. It is quite common for a nation to
develop stereotypes against another nation. In
addition, the perceptions created by gender
differences in society feed many stereotypical
behaviors. In this study, the stereotypes
developed by young individuals towards the
opposite sex were investigated. They also include
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ascribed adjectives, occupations, and common
ideas about each other.
Positive and Negative Attributes
Stereotyping is mostly a psychological process
and positive and negative adjectives can be
attributed to the target audience. That's why we
asked the students about the positive adjectives
attributed to women to get their opinions. The
answers received separately from girls and boys
are as follows.
Figure 1. Which adjective describes women the best?
The statistics show that both groups attributed
these positive adjectives to women. However, as
an example of stereotyping, it is necessary to
look at what percentage of students answered "all
of them". While 35% of the boys answered in this
way, 47% of the girls considered all of these
adjectives appropriate for women. In addition,
the fact that men also accept positive adjectives
for women shows that discrimination against
women is very low at this point.
On the other hand, the following statistics have
emerged when we look at how girls and boys
evaluate the positive adjectives attributed to men.
Series1
0
5
10
15 13
34
8 8
1
Boys
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
27
87373
Girls
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Figure 2. Which adjective describes men the best?
While 13 of the boys (35%) considered all these
adjectives suitable for boys, only 9 of the girls
(16%) considered these adjectives suitable for
boys. Therefore, we see that the positive
perception of girls towards boys is quite low. An
important reason for this may be that women
have struggled against discrimination in male-
dominated societies for long periods, and these
struggles are reflected in today's world. They
may have developed a negative attitude towards
boys in order to increase the awareness of girls'
own gender more. 12 of the girls (21%) claim that
none of these positive adjectives are found in
boys. In addition, girls do not see the courage
men attribute to themselves very much in the
same way.
Then, negative adjectives attributed to men and
women as an example of Stereotyping were
asked of the students. The statistics below show
how the girls and boys answered separately.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
7
1
13 10
24
Boys
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
8
16
975
12
Girls
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Figure 3. Which adjective describes women the best?
In addition, 8 (22%) of the students considered
all of these negative adjectives appropriate for
women. On the other hand, considering the
answers given by the girls, 25 (43%) of the girls
did not find any of these negative adjectives
appropriate for women. In addition, only 4 (7%)
of the girls considered all of these adjectives
appropriate for girls. In addition, 10 of the girls
(17%) said they were "not easily satisfied" with
women. These statistics show a significant
difference between girls and boys in attributing
negative adjectives to women. Although the
negative perception towards women is relatively
low among men, it is possible to see the existence
of some processes that feed this in these statistics.
In addition, it is seen that the awareness of their
gender is quite high in girls, and they do not find
negative adjectives appropriate for them.
On the other hand, girls and boys were asked
separately to what extent some negative
adjectives describe boys. The answers obtained
are as follows.
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
8
1
64
1
764
0
Boys
0
5
10
15
20
25
41571
25
10
13
Girls
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Figure 4. Which adjective describes men the best?
According to these statistics, 14 (38%) of men do
not consider any of these adjectives appropriate
for them because these adjectives are negative
adjectives attributed to men. On the other hand,
16 of the girls (28%) consider these adjectives
suitable for boys. In addition, 14 of the girls
(24%) state that none of these adjectives describe
boys. As reflected in these statistics, the
proportion of girls who develop positive and
negative stereotypes towards boys is very close
to each other. A remarkable proportion of men do
not find these adjectives appropriate for them.
As can be seen from these statistics, while girls
and boys are more prone to positive stereotypes
towards themselves, negative attitudes towards
the opposite sex are more common.
Occupations
One of the areas where stereotyping is most
common is the professions. Due to the difficulty
of some professions, it is quite common to be
attributed only to men. Likewise, it is common
for jobs requiring meticulous work to be
attributed to women. In addition, there may be
people who see some professions that seem
prestigious in society as more suitable for them
than the opposite sex. In parallel with this,
attributing low-prestige professions to the
opposite sex is a common example of
stereotyping. In this context, we asked questions
about the subject to see what stereotypes the
students developed about the professions. In this
context, in order to see how the professions that
are mostly attributed to women and men are
perceived by the students, first, the suitability of
the professions for men and then their suitability
for women were asked. The statistics obtained
are as follows.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
73 3 13 3 2
14
1
Boys
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
16
452353
14
2
Girls
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Figure 5. Which of the following occupations are more suitable for men?
20 of the boys (54%) considered highly
prestigious professions such as doctors and
engineers suitable for them. For girls, however,
the situation turned out to be quite different.
According to this, only 6 of the girls (10%)
considered a prestigious profession such as
doctor suitable for boys. In comparison, 41 girls
(71%) found professions such as engineering and
mechanics suitable for boys. Therefore, there is a
stereotyping of occupations in both groups.
In the same way, examples of stereotyping have
emerged where some professions that are
generally attributed to women and professions
that are seen as prestigious are asked about their
suitability for women. The statistics below show
this.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
doctor engineer mechanic nurse teacher chaffeur
11 9
5
2 2 0
Boys
0
5
10
15
20
25
doctor engineer mechanic nurse teacher chaffeur
6
21 20
234
Girls
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Figure 6. Which of the following occupations are more suitable for women?
The statistics show that 21 (57%) of men think
that nursing is a suitable profession for women.
However, only 5 (14%) men think that medicine,
a prestigious profession in society, suits women.
In addition, the number of men think that
teaching is suitable for women is 9 (24%). Here,
it has been observed that many men adopt
stereotyping about occupations. Similarly, when
we look at the girls, 23 (40%) of the girls
considered medicine as a suitable profession for
them. Here, there is a remarkable difference
between boys and girls. Therefore, there is
positive or negative stereotyping on both sides.
General Stereotypes about Genders
Apart from the findings above, people have other
stereotypes about the opposite sex or their sex.
Here, the questions asked to the students were
prepared according to the Likert scale and
numbered as follows:
1= strongly agree
2= agree
3= neutral
4= disagree
5= strongly disagree
The average of the questions asked to the
students here was taken and comments were
made accordingly. Averages were taken
according to the answers the girls and boys gave
over some selected stereotypes, and it was tested
whether there were significant differences in the
SPSS program.
0
5
10
15
20
25
chaffeur doctor engineer nurse teacher
151
21
9
Boys
0
5
10
15
20
25
chaffeur doctor engineer nurse teacher
1
23
5
12 13
Girls
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Figure 7. Women are stronger in a difficult situation.
It emerges as a stereotypical approach that
women are stronger than men in difficult
situations. The approaches here can be positive
as well as negative. Looking at this statistic, there
is a significant difference between boys and girls.
Since the p-value is less than 0.05, there is a
significant difference between the two.
Accordingly, while girls mostly approach this
statement positively, boys generally disagreed.
Therefore, it is seen that girls mostly find this
expression correct for the reason that we can
think of stemming from the pride of femininity,
while boys mostly find it wrong.
Another stereotyping is about women being
easily offended. Based on this stereotype, the
next question was asked to the students.
Figure 8. Women are easily offended.
In this question, while boys tend to agree more,
girls tend to disagree more. Therefore, this
negative attribute is less accepted by women.
However, since p = 0.36, it is seen that there is
no significant difference between the two.
Another example of stereotype is that women are
more sensitive than men. When we asked this
question to the students, we got the following
result.
3,51
2,01
0
0,5
1
1,5
2
2,5
3
3,5
4
Boys Girls
2,3
2,8
0
0,5
1
1,5
2
2,5
3
Boys Girls
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Figure 8. Women are more sensitive than men.
In this question, it is seen that men are more
inclined to agreement. However, since p=0.33, it
is seen that there is no significant difference.
Another example of stereotyping is the idea that
women try to establish authority over men. The
following statistics emerged from the answers
given to this question.
Figure 9. Women want to establish authority over men.
Again, while the girls' answers are inclined
towards disagreement, the boys' answers are
inclined towards agreement. However, since
p=0.237, there is no significant difference
between the two.
Some attitudes emerge from all these positive
and negative stereotypes. For example, men's
negative stereotypes about women can cause
problems in working with them or accepting their
superiority as a position in work life. As an
indication of this situation, the following result
emerged in the next question asking the students
whether they would accept a woman to be their
manager or not:
Figure 10. A woman can be my director; it is not a problem at all.
1,86
2,33
0
0,5
1
1,5
2
2,5
Boys Girls
2,78
3,03
2,65
2,7
2,75
2,8
2,85
2,9
2,95
3
3,05
Boys Girls
2,32
1,4
0
0,5
1
1,5
2
2,5
Boys Girls
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It is seen that the girls here strongly agree. While
the number of boys who accept this situation is
remarkable, it is seen that the answers of boys
tend to disagree. However, since the p-value is
less than 0.05, it is seen that there is a significant
difference between them. Thus, it is seen that the
stereotype on this subject is inclined towards a
negative outcome among boys.
Table 1.
Students' answers to this question
strongly agree
agree
neutral
disagree
strongly disagree
Boys
10
16
3
5
3
Girls
41
16
0
1
0
In fact, 70% of the boys agreed that a woman can
be their director, but as for the girls, their strong
agreement is so high that (98%) the SPSS results
gave a significant difference between them. This
again shows the girls’ woman pride.
Some social factors feed the negative feelings
towards each other in men and women. One of
the most important of these is that women
generally think they are unequal in society. One
of the points where this inequality is clearly seen
is that men earn more while doing the same work.
The next question revealed what these students
thought about this subject.
Figure 11. Men are paid better than women for the same job in this country.
Looking at the answers given, it is seen that the
girls approached this statement positively. Thus,
while girls are more inclined towards agreement,
boys are more inclined towards disagreement. In
addition, since the p value is less than 0.05 in this
question, there is a significant difference between
the two. This situation shows that there is a
compelling reason for women to develop some
stereotypes because women believe that there is
inequality in society.
An important reason that gives rise to all these
stereotypes is the belief that there is no social
equality. In this context, when we asked the
students whether there was gender equality in the
society, the following result emerged.
3,05
2,01
0
0,5
1
1,5
2
2,5
3
3,5
Boys Girls
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Figure 12. There is no gender equality in society.
As can be seen, while boys tend to think that
there is more equality, girls think that there is
more inequality. In fact, since p=0.01, it is seen
that there is a significant difference between the
thoughts of girls and boys.
Discussion
Stereotypes mostly emerge due to psychological
processes and become stronger with social
influence. They can be understood as the
judgments people make when they are not
informed about the subjects that are somehow of
interest. There are important reasons for the
development of these judgments. First, the desire
to have knowledge or the inability to place the
other person or community in their mind creates
such a need. Stereotypes can arise in many
different subjects.
This study was conducted to determine the
stereotypes high school and university students
developed towards the opposite sex. Looking at
the results, it was seen that people did not
develop stereotypes only for the purpose of
reducing anxiety, as seen in the literature review.
In the modern world where gender equality is a
very important problem, many factors feed this
problem. In the perception of different genders
towards each other, some problems from
traditional societies are effective, as well as
media tools, internet and social life in the modern
world.
The struggle of women to have the same rights as
men before the law has become quite evident in
the last century. Different reflections of this
struggle are apparent both in social life and with
media tools. The struggles of women against the
male-dominated society also aimed to destroy the
superiority of men at this point. However, the
woman pride that developed in the face of this
was also clearly seen at some points in this study.
For example, while positive adjectives
describing boys, girls often develop negative
stereotypes. Likewise, it was observed that girls
mostly developed positive stereotypes against the
positive adjectives describing girls. Conversely,
this is also true for boys. Therefore, gender-based
stereotyping is quite common among these
students.
Likewise, negative stereotypes that describe
women are mostly rejected by girls, but mostly
accepted by boys. However, it was also seen in
this study that boys developed some positive
stereotypes against girls. An important reason for
this may be that women's struggle for equality is
highly visible in modern society.
The stereotypes of different sexes towards each
other appear in other ways as well. For example,
the idea that women are stronger in difficult
situations reflects such a stereotype. When we
look at the answers given by the students here, it
is seen that the girls mostly think positively, and
the boys mostly think negatively. Thus, it is seen
that both sexes have opposite stereotypes on this
issue.
In addition, there were no significant differences
between the thoughts of girls and boys in some
stereotypes attributed to women. This shows that
the perception of equality in modern society is
spreading rapidly, especially with the media
tools. In this respect, we see that stereotypes tend
to disappear gradually in the process.
The idea that women can be managers of men
was mostly unsuitable for the boys who
responded in this study. Therefore, it is seen that
there is a strong stereotype in this regard. On the
0
0,5
1
1,5
2
2,5
3
3,5
Boys Girls
Series1 3,05 2,01
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other hand, the girls strongly agreed to a very
high rate.
One of the important factors that feed the
stereotypes of women and make them think
negatively about some issues is the idea of social
inequality. This study shows that most girls
believe there is no gender equality in society. We
can think that this belief feeds many stereotypes.
Conclusion
The advancements of modern media tools and the
internet are expected to contribute to the
reduction of stereotypes, particularly those
concerning women. This study provides
evidence of significant progress in this regard,
with noticeable changes observed in men's
stereotypes towards women. However, it is
important to acknowledge that certain
stereotypes still persist. Furthermore, the
ongoing struggle of women to overcome the
inequalities entrenched by male-dominated
societies has, in some instances, fueled a sense of
pride among women, counterbalancing the
notion of male pride. Consequently, this can
perpetuate the existence of stereotypes. While
there are processes working towards dismantling
stereotypes, there are also other factors that
continue to perpetuate them. Despite these
complexities, there have been significant
advances in challenging the prejudices and
stereotypes held by men against women.
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