Blog #4 - Men and Women

Option 1:How do the media images & stereotypes of men & women impact how we view each other professionally (at school, at work, in politics, etc.)?

Whether or not we admit it, we all use stereotypes to help us with different scenarios through the course of our lives. Stereotypes aren't always a bad thing, but they can be very hurtful and most of the time they are false. Women in society are always thought to be submissive to men, as if they aren't as strong or worthy as men. Back in the day, women were confined to the home and weren't able to branch out and be the individual they wanted to be. In the media, women are portrayed most like an object of sex or defeation. Most women seem vulnerable and most ads are selling sex, which doesn't give us women a very good image professionally. When thinking about women in the work place, they might not recieve the credit they deserve because of the stereotypes talked about above. Another great example would be Sarah Palin and even Hilary Clinton. Both are very strong and successful women who were involved in the recent presidential election. Many people labeled them as incapible for the job and snickered when either of their names were mentioned. I know it definitely bothered me when people shot down Sarah Palin. I thought she was an exceptionally stong woman and she seemed very qualified. Men in the media are portrayed as strong, macho, and sometimes even heartless. Men are always thought of to be the boss or in charge. When focusing on the workplace, men are usually expected to hold the higher more authoritative jobs. Men have always been the dominant gender in politics, too. Jobs dealing with politics hold great power and status in our nation. I think these stereotypes are quite silly but people will always believe in them. I think it will take a very big effort to overcome these labels we have as men and women.