Week 3: Gender Stereotypes and Sexism

Prior to beginning work on this discussion forum, read Chapter 6 in in Understanding the Psychology of Diversity (Blaine & Brenchley, 2021), and the article “It’s a Man Who Runs the Show”: How Women Middle-Managers Experience Their Professional Position, Opportunities, and BarriersLinks to an external site. (Einarsdottir et al., 2018). Read the McKinsey and Company report Women in the Workplace 2021 OverviewLinks to an external site..

As noted by Blaine and Brenchley (2021), “The problem with gender stereotypes is not merely that women and men are presumed to be different; it is that men’s qualities are more positively valued than women’s qualities” (p. 120). In this discussion forum, you will explore the stereotypes associated with women and how these stereotypes contribute to sexism and discrimination in the workplace.

In an initial post of at least 350 words and citing at least two required resources,

• Explain how cultural stereotypes of people by gender can lead to prejudice and bias.
  • Identify common stereotypes of women in society, and how these stereotypes can lead to discrimination in the workplace.
• Identify a situation in which you personally experienced discrimination or you perceived discriminatory behavior against a woman or group of women in the workplace.
  • What did you do, or did you do anything, in reaction to this discriminatory behavior?
• Critique an example of a well-known organization that has recently taken a stand against sexism in the workplace and has actively worked to level the playing field for women.
  • How successful has this effort been?

Tutorial for Gender Stereotypes and Sexism