Gender Bias

Gender-Based Stereotypes

Notably, gender bias does not occur in isolation. Often driving gender bias in society is the influence of gender-based stereotypes. These are socially constructed overgeneralizations of particular behaviors attributed to a group, and they play a significant role in the formation of gender bias. These “traditional” gender stereotypes reflect expected feminine and masculine attitudes and behaviors attributed to women and men. Female stereotypes generalize women as emotionally supportive, irrational, physically inferior, and economically and socially dependent upon males. Conversely, male stereotypes generalize men as rational, intelligent, physically superior, and independent. These gendered stereotypes become part of a larger cultural belief system within a given society and serve as templates for how women and men should and should not behave in society. Simply, gender bias represents the culturally formed predispositions that individuals, groups, organizations, and societal institutions place upon women and men.

Consequences of Gender Bias

Economically, workplace gender bias contributes to the gender wage gap that exists between women's and men's earnings. For instance, in 2006, women earned 77 cents for every dollar a man earned. Women receive less pay than men, even when both have the same educational and occupational achievement. Another manifestation of gender bias is overlooking individuals for promotion or tenure. At universities, for example, when compared with male faculty members, female faculty members experience fewer opportunities for promotion and tenure. Female faculty members are also less likely than men to hold high-level administrative positions. These differences are especially significant when female faculty work within “male-oriented” fields of study, such as math and science. In addition, women collide with the “glass ceiling,” an invisible boundary that prevents them from moving up the occupational ladder. This happens in the workplace because of the patriarchal assumption that women provide child care; in turn, many women are overlooked for promotions and pay raises because employers do not want to “invest” in a worker who is going to leave the workforce temporarily or permanently.

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