Answer to Question #276579 in Sociology for Henry

Question

Give an example of gender, racial or ethnic stereotyping that you see in everyday life. Explain how does stereotyping contribute to institutionalized discrimination and what would need to happen for this to be eliminated.

Answer 1

Gender stereotypes refer to clichés which a man or woman is supposed to do or be like:

Examples

Women are nurses, not doctors

Men are doctors, not nurses

Women are supposed to cook and do house work

Men are supposed to have a job

Personal discrimination in HR-related decision-making

The practice of HR-related decision-making involves social cognition in which others’ competence, potential, and deservingness are assessed by organizational decision makers. Thus, like all forms of social cognition, HR-related decision-making is open to personal biases. HR-related decisions are critically important because they determine women’s pay and opportunities at work (e.g., promotions, training opportunities). Personal discrimination against women by organizational decision makers can occur in each stage of HR-related decision-making regarding recruitment and selection, role assignments, training opportunities, pay, performance evaluation, promotion, and termination.

Reducing gender discrimination in HR-related decision-making and enactment

The level of personal discrimination enacted by organizational decision makers can be reduced by formalizing HR policies, and by controlling the situations under which HR-related decisions are made. We have articulated how HR-related decisions involve social cognition and are therefore susceptible to biases introduced by the use of gender stereotypes. This can occur unwittingly by those who perceive themselves to be unprejudiced but who are affected by stereotypes or negative automatic associations nonetheless.