Common (Gender) Stereotypes
Assalamu'alaikum wbt and hey, y'all!
It's rather cloudy today, looks like it's going to rain soon.
Before writing this post, I did lots and lots of thinking about what I'm going to post next on this blog. So many ideas, so little time, and my mood was not coherent with my head either. But this post was inspired by some people (not going to mention names) and it makes me wonder, there are still some people who think of the world this way. This way I mean common stereotyping. Yes, stereotyping.
'Stereotype' (noun), if according to my own understanding, it's the way people would normally view or common perspective the society see in certain thing or person. That is how I view it. And according to Mr. Google, stereotype (noun) means "a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing." Stereotyping does not only happens in our country, it also being practiced all over the world. Each and every society have their own common views on some things or people. Exhibit A, if in Malay culture, men would always be the breadwinner of the family and would always for the family, while women would always stay at home, taking care of the house and children. If we ask the elderly that lived in the olden days, they would say the same thing. But nowadays the world is getting more and more advanced and sophisticated, even women would go out and become the breadwinner of the family while men stay at home, doing what women would suppose to be doing.
One of the most common stereotypes in this world is of course gender stereotype. Men should do this, women should be this, boys should act like this, girls should not be allowed to do this, etc.. Even in the working world, stereotypes are normal. Women would always need to work twice or many times harder than men in order to get promoted. It is because of this 'glass ceiling', an invisible barrier that people had made up in order to hinder some people i.e. women to get promoted. They would always say "Women are not cut out for this job", or "They would not be able to accomplish anything", or even "She's a working single mother, how would she even juggle between work and home." Yes, things like this exists. People, we need to open our eyes and minds and ears and see the world clearly. Not everyone is the same. You may see one woman are incapable of doing this work, while there are tons of others who can. Give chances to them to show their true potential, and not judge them by what they physically and biologically are.
Same goes to stereotype towards (gender) appearance. We see a person, regardless man or woman, wearing expensive and branded clothing and accessories, driving a very expensive and un-affordable (to some of us) vehicle, and living in a big mansion, and we would always say "Oh, he/she must be living luxuriously happy with his/her family. What a lucky man/woman." Or even seeing a man or a woman sitting on the sidewalk, wearing worn-out clothes would be thought as someone who is miserable and poor. People, sometimes the richest of the richest would not be living in joy and happiness. Or the poorest stray would even be happy by the streets, seeing people and animals pass by him, enjoying the views of life. We don't know what's going on in their head.
And lastly, stereotype towards (gender) attitude. "Guys are strong". "Men should not cry". "Women must be lady-like". "Girls should not be doing heavy work or lifting weights". "Boys should not act like girls, or vice versa". "Guys are insensitive as always". "Girls should wear make up and dress up". And there's a lot more where that came from. This is what is happening in our society, long before and even now. They would tell you this, reprimand you that, scold you this, advice you that, but none would understand deeply what the other person feels or meant. Every person is unique and every person is different from each other. Even twins are not a hundred per cent complete copy from each other. Just accept them for who they are (unless it goes against what our religion tells us, then tell them politely and nicely).
People, people, people. Stop with this stereotyping. Don't change people just because they don't flow with your version of social stigmata. If the people would be doing the same thing without any uniqueness and variety in what they're doing, that this world would be a boring stop. Learn from these different people. You might see the difference between you, him/her and the world. Because the world does not only consist of dirt and water. There are more to it than meets the eyes.
That's all for now. This is for myself as well to grasp and understand. Hope you would, too.
Thanks for reading!
It's rather cloudy today, looks like it's going to rain soon.
Before writing this post, I did lots and lots of thinking about what I'm going to post next on this blog. So many ideas, so little time, and my mood was not coherent with my head either. But this post was inspired by some people (not going to mention names) and it makes me wonder, there are still some people who think of the world this way. This way I mean common stereotyping. Yes, stereotyping.
'Stereotype' (noun), if according to my own understanding, it's the way people would normally view or common perspective the society see in certain thing or person. That is how I view it. And according to Mr. Google, stereotype (noun) means "a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing." Stereotyping does not only happens in our country, it also being practiced all over the world. Each and every society have their own common views on some things or people. Exhibit A, if in Malay culture, men would always be the breadwinner of the family and would always for the family, while women would always stay at home, taking care of the house and children. If we ask the elderly that lived in the olden days, they would say the same thing. But nowadays the world is getting more and more advanced and sophisticated, even women would go out and become the breadwinner of the family while men stay at home, doing what women would suppose to be doing.
One of the most common stereotypes in this world is of course gender stereotype. Men should do this, women should be this, boys should act like this, girls should not be allowed to do this, etc.. Even in the working world, stereotypes are normal. Women would always need to work twice or many times harder than men in order to get promoted. It is because of this 'glass ceiling', an invisible barrier that people had made up in order to hinder some people i.e. women to get promoted. They would always say "Women are not cut out for this job", or "They would not be able to accomplish anything", or even "She's a working single mother, how would she even juggle between work and home." Yes, things like this exists. People, we need to open our eyes and minds and ears and see the world clearly. Not everyone is the same. You may see one woman are incapable of doing this work, while there are tons of others who can. Give chances to them to show their true potential, and not judge them by what they physically and biologically are.
Same goes to stereotype towards (gender) appearance. We see a person, regardless man or woman, wearing expensive and branded clothing and accessories, driving a very expensive and un-affordable (to some of us) vehicle, and living in a big mansion, and we would always say "Oh, he/she must be living luxuriously happy with his/her family. What a lucky man/woman." Or even seeing a man or a woman sitting on the sidewalk, wearing worn-out clothes would be thought as someone who is miserable and poor. People, sometimes the richest of the richest would not be living in joy and happiness. Or the poorest stray would even be happy by the streets, seeing people and animals pass by him, enjoying the views of life. We don't know what's going on in their head.
And lastly, stereotype towards (gender) attitude. "Guys are strong". "Men should not cry". "Women must be lady-like". "Girls should not be doing heavy work or lifting weights". "Boys should not act like girls, or vice versa". "Guys are insensitive as always". "Girls should wear make up and dress up". And there's a lot more where that came from. This is what is happening in our society, long before and even now. They would tell you this, reprimand you that, scold you this, advice you that, but none would understand deeply what the other person feels or meant. Every person is unique and every person is different from each other. Even twins are not a hundred per cent complete copy from each other. Just accept them for who they are (unless it goes against what our religion tells us, then tell them politely and nicely).
People, people, people. Stop with this stereotyping. Don't change people just because they don't flow with your version of social stigmata. If the people would be doing the same thing without any uniqueness and variety in what they're doing, that this world would be a boring stop. Learn from these different people. You might see the difference between you, him/her and the world. Because the world does not only consist of dirt and water. There are more to it than meets the eyes.
That's all for now. This is for myself as well to grasp and understand. Hope you would, too.
Thanks for reading!
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