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The influence of antiquated gender stereotypes in the media has had tremendous impact on our society. This paper explores a plethora of reinforced negative and sexist archetypes that appear in the media and how these can perpetuate gender role expectations and predispose harmful stereotypes in young children. Specifically, this paper narrows down the media's influence of specific behavior and qualities based on gender by recounting how Disney movies often show profound character development in men, while the heroines, often depicted as princesses, are shown repetitively with generic and unrelieved characteristics. The paper further explores the media's influence of specific gender-based parental roles which reinforce harmful gender stereotypes by playing on a paradigm arrangement of men and women's behavior that often belittle women. Additionally, this paper explores the media's influence on gender-based career choices by typically portraying men in high impact business roles such as CEOs, doctors, lawyers etc., and continuing to relegate women to 'supportive' and hypersexualized roles as the love interest or merely as an extension of the primary male character.
Keywords: gender, media, traditional stereotypes
Stereotyping in any context is problematic; not only does it limit a particular group to adhere to a societal expectation, but it continues to reinforce a quality about that group that may not necessarily be true or apply to everyone (Hilton & Von Hippel, 1996). Gender stereotyping overgeneralizes certain qualities, traits, and/or characteristics and attributes them to a gender group. While stereotyping can be broadly considered as a cognitive shortcut, it is important to remember that gender stereotypes can also be incredibly harmfill, derogatory, and limiting as it boxes men and women (Heilman, 2001). With this said, it could result in making men and women feel pressured to act and behave in a certain way due to prevailing stereotyped societal norms. Typically, gendered stereotypes are directed with a heteronormative and cisgender viewpoint, with descriptive and prescriptive stereotypes addressing behaviors of both genders (Eagly & Wood, 2012; Koenig & Eagly, 2014). Traditionally, these gendered stereotypes directed towards men and women were depicted as polar opposites. For example, traditional gender stereotypes would portray men to have agentic traits like drive, energy, power, and rivalry. On the other hand, women were stereotyped with communal traits like empathy for others, sympathy,...