What are gender norms?

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The Economic principle I’m exploring is “Institutions are rules of the game that influence choices”. My overall research question to help me explore the principle is - How do gender norms affect job opportunities/choices? As for this blog post, I will be exploring the question What are gender norms?. The article published on Monda.eu titled “Gender Roles, Norms, and Stereotypes” demonstrates this economic principle because it explains that gender stereotypes/norms are unfair and can influence the way a community will work.

First, Gender roles appear in every community. It is a “a set of expectations associated with the perception of masculinity and femininity”. Similarly, a gender norm is defined as a consistent pattern of what individuals do based on the gender they identify themselves as. As an example, women are stereotyped to stay at home to cook, clean, and take care of children. Although that is mostly behind us, it still distorts the positive image of women who have jobs and are successful.

Second, these ideas are important because they limit the opportunities of my men and women, especially in the job industry. Many people agree that the norms “limit individuals in their ambitions and life”. They also “influence the formation of skills and interests and affect deep dimensions of (subconscious) mental structures” which can hurt the success of women and men in the long run. These subconscious limits are formed based on how we treat and represent each gender on television, at home, and in the community.

In the next blog post I will be researching How difference in salaries relate to gender norms.