Question

For this week's topic: "Valuing Workforce Diversity & Inclusion", please visit your Week 12 Required Resources folder and view the PBS Frontline classic program entitled: "A Class Divided". Discuss your reactions to the program as it pertains to this week's topic of the importance of being sensitized to the negative and toxic effects of stereotyping people according to race, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation. Next, please also discuss ways that negative stereotyping can be reduced, both personally and professionally.

Answer 1

Gender identity refers to the sex that an individual is born in; male, female or transgender. Sexual expression refers to what a person truly feels. In the conventional society we live in, an individual whose gender identity is male from birth, but feels very feminine from within, cannot express themselves being sexually interested in other men. Gender identity refers to one sticking to their conventional roots in terms of sexual expression. A man may not necessarily fall in love with a woman or vice versa. Gender identity tends to contribute to sexual expression where one is expected to be attracted to opposite gender. However, this may not always be true. A man can be attracted to another man and woman to another woman. Gender identity has little to do with sexual expression.

Gender stereotype is etched in the minds of young children. One of the major stereotypes is, boys wearing blue and girls wearing pink. Blue denotes masculinity and pink denotes feminity. That's where it begins from and continues to women being home-makers while men the bread winners.

In the conventional, traditional society that we are bound by, gender roles are fixated. Women are meant to be shy, timid, while men are supposed to be more outgoing and bold. Yes, there can be a different perception. It is not a textbook solution wherein it has to be abided by. There are umpteen women out there who are so bold, fierce and outgoing. They are anything but shy. There are quite a number of men who are shy. They cannot be macho. Being shy, timid, bold, fierce, introverted or extroverted are personality traits. It has little to do with gender roles, gender expression or what the society asks you to be.

I reckon, the stereotyping, can be reduced both personally and professionally by not being so judgmental of others and being more open to accepting new ideas and thoughts.