Media Stereotypes’ Effect on Women in the Workplace

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She’s blond so she must be dumb. He is wearing glasses so he must be smart but socially awkward. She is not dressed very feminine so she must be a man-hating lesbian. He is fat so he must be lazy. He has fashion sense so he must be gay. He is wearing a turban so he must be a terrorist. These are just a few of the many stereotypes that are portrayed by the media. A stereotype is an oversimplified conception that you put on someone because of the way they look, what gender they are, or countless other categories that we put people in. Many people fail to realize how the media influences the way they think about people of a different nationality, race, religion, or gender. This widespread belief in stereotypes has adversely affected women in the workplace.

Ann Hopkins is a prime example of the negative impact stereotyping has had in the workplace. She was a consultant for Price Waterhouse, a large consulting firm. She billed 34 million dollars in consulting fees, more than any other candidate that was being considered for a partnership. She was denied the partnership because she didn’t wear makeup, and she didn’t ‘walk or talk femininely. She didn’t fit the media stereotype of a successful professional woman and suffered for it. If a woman is an aggressive go-getter then there is something wrong with her, where as a man would be praised for the same behavior. On the flip side of the coin women are often kept out of the higher echelon jobs because they are not aggressive enough. (Kelly, Young, and Clark) Men and women should be treated equally in the workplace. Women work just as hard as men and should have the same opportunities for those high end jobs when they have the same experience and educational backgrounds...

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