Stereotypes

How did you know that you were being unfairly judged? Why do you think these assumptions were made about you? How did this experience make you feel? How did you respond and/or how do you wish you had responded?

A few more points about stereotyping Stereotypes often intersect with racial, ethnic, religious, and other stereotypes Not all stereotypes are negative Stereotypes frequently acquire legal status Those who do not conform face discrimination and violation Stereotypes about men can hurt women, and vice versa. ***Stereotypes/discriminations hurt people who do not fit into defined expectations of gender

Reasons why we stereotype Maximize simplicity and predictability in complex world Assign difference Script identities

It is important to name stereotypes Exposes “hidden harm” Important because Exists subconsciously Frequently accepted as “normal” Two key questions How does a law, policy, or practice stereotype men or women? How does the enforcement of such harm women? Step 1 - identify Step 2 – ID how it is perpetuated Step 3 – name the harm

Examples Women should be mothers and, therefore, they and not men ought to be concerned with matters relating to the bearing and rearing of children. Constitution of Ireland recognizes that a woman’s life is in the home From what I can tell, Article 41.2 is still there Talk about changing to parent in home

Examples Women should dress modestly and therefore an immodestly dressed woman is responsible for her own sexual assault. Recent SlutWalk demonstrations organized in response to advice to women to avoid dressing provocatively to avoid rape

Stereotyping and violence What is the connection between stereotyping and violence?

GAVIN https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2XFY00UV-s

Objectification the seeing and/or treating a person, as an object there to satisfy a particular need not thinking about the whole person

Objectification Sexual objectification occurs when a woman’s body, body parts, or sexual functions are isolated from her whole and complex being and treated as objects simply to be looked at, coveted, or touched (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997) Women frequently face sexual objectification in daily interpersonal interactions and through the active and passive consumption of multimedia

Effects of objectification on women Can lead to self-objectification – internalize society’s perspectives on the female body and begin to view selves through that lens Self-objectification is correlated with higher rates of body shame and appearance anxiety, disordered eating Reduced states of productivity and flow

Relationship between objectification and violence

Study Hypothesis: the more men are exposed to objectifying depictions, the more they will think of women as entities that exist for men's sexual gratification this dehumanized perspective on women may then be used to inform attitudes regarding sexual violence against women

Methods and results Data were gathered from collegiate men sexually attracted to women (N = 187) associations between men's exposure to objectifying media and attitudes supportive of violence against women were mediated by their notions of women as sex objects A meditating variable explains the relationship between the independent variable (exposure to media) and the dependent variable (supportive of violence against women) frequency of exposure to men's lifestyle magazines that objectify women, reality TV programs that objectify women, and pornography predicted more objectified cognitions about women, which, in turn, predicted stronger attitudes supportive of violence against women

Relationship between advertisements and violence against women Advertising is largely subconscious Many ads objectify women Influences society’s view of women AND women’s views of themselves Creates a climate that normalizes sexual violence May even perpetuate myths about sexual violence

Exit ticket What is the relationship between advertising and violence against women?