Stereotypes

What is a stereotype? A stereotype is a kind of boiler plate description of anything. Stereotypes commonly (not always) refer to people. Stereotypes are used by humans! In other words, different people have different stereotypes, so there is no real "stereotype", only a set of stereotypes, that sometimes overlap.

For example, stereotypes in the goth scene (which I frequent) are different than stereotypes in the "beer drinking, football wanker" scene. For example, the goth scene has stereotypes of "prettyboi", which doesn't really exist so strong outside of it.

This article also talks about acceptability of a stereotype. A point I'm going to make later on, is that for females, what is acceptable is far broader than what is for males.

My observance

So, my view, is that males as boys, are not seen to be able to be self reliant, and independant. For a male to be independant, he has to "become a man". Which means becoming something that isn't a boy. To lose his boyish ways, to be expected to not value boyishness.

It certainly has a lot to do with aging. "Men" are supposed to look older than boys, a bit rough and a little crinkled around the edges. Having a "baby face" doesn't make you a "man". Guys with baby faces, are usually expected to do something about that to be considered a man (usually like grow a beard!). A guy without a baby face, doesn't need to grow a beard, or do other things (grow muscles?), to be considered a man.

So, males really are given a one dimensional stereotype. Boy to man. In fact, thats a popular theme in fiction and music, theres even been a crummy pop (surely thats redundant description) band called "boys to men", in England. "Boy to man" is often the central theme in stories and film, exactly following the stereotype charted here! "Boy" and "man" are acceptable stereotypes.

Although generally society places a time limit on how long it is acceptable for a male to be a boy. Females don't get given this time limit to the same extent, the societal pressures on them to "grow up" (lose their youth) are much weaker, and in fact there are also societal pressures on them to stay young! A beneficial pressure is known as "encouragement", and that is what females get.

As the diagram shows, males get forced into a one dimensional stereotype, the other variants are considered unacceptable or impossible.

The "non acceptable" variants of this stereotype chart, are "dependant men", who might look and seem like a man, but doesn't want to be anything independant, living off benefits or a working wife. These are seen as "dossers", or "losers", and so aren't acceptable.

The other variant is "self reliant boy". This stereotype is often not acceptable, although less unacceptable than the "dosser man" stereotype. Many parts of society will call them "fags", or "wusses", or simply claimed that it is not possible for him to exist! Women who want a protector/providor (Most women) will shun them as a partner, unless they happen to be visibly rich. Although some "protect-me" type women may decide they find young-boyish looking males attractive for sex, for a long term partner they will shun them.

A 2D stereotype chart, using indepdendance as the X-Axis, and manlyness/boyishness as the Y-axis. The elf picture is there as I think elves are a good stereotype of what kind of being would exist at that combination of stereotypes. (Diagram notation: SRI = Self-Reliant and Independant)

Now, I want to compare this to the female stereotypes. The female independance stereotypes, to me, seem to have exactly one extra dimension (two in case you can't count).

Theres "the girl child", the "tough working woman", the "independant confident sassy lass", and "the housewife".

Remember I'm only sticking to stereotypes that represent, independance/unindependant, and girlyness / the equivalent of "being manly" for a woman (a tough working woman?).

Not all of these stereotypes are so glamourised, but all are accepted, and respected. Some are glamourised more in different segments of society. Magazines and HollyWood glamourise the "independant self reliant girl" (yet call her "woman"). Day time TV here in England (while hubby is working and kids are at school) glamourises the "house wife" (also called "woman").

The "tough working woman" doesn't get so glamourised by media, but is well supported by the media and society in general. Think of your average woman who works 9 to 5, doesn't doll herself up or look vaguely hot... they don't get outcast by society, there are far too many of them for a start!

In fact, most of these stereotypes in society, get covered under the umbrella term "woman". Only the girl child escapes that. This means that being a woman, has 2 extra acceptable stereotypes that being a man doesn't.

Conclusion

So, from what I see, there are 2 acceptable dimensions for females, but only one for males.

I've noticed, that the people in their 30s and upwards, that look very young for their age, to the point that they can fool people they are 20, are almost ALL female. Curious coincidence that there is a set of stereotypes that supports this?? Or not a coincidence? I think not.

Of course I don't suggest males stick to these limited stereotypes, its just easier to break free from something when you know what it is you are trying to change. You can't change something before you are aware of it.