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Male Stereotypes: How Women React to Them
One day I was watching Tyler Perrys: A Family Reunion and in that movie I was
presented with a woman who was deeply conflicted in her new relationship because of her
previous assumption about men. She was convinced that all the men in her life would eventually
bring her pain and it would all end the same. Her beliefs and attitude towards her main love
interest was based on the stereotypes she developed growing up. The male figures in her life
either abandoned her or caused her emotional and deeply physical trauma. These events happen
not only in a fictional movie world but also in real life. In my essay, I am making the claim that
stereotypes are fundamental to the way certain women react towards men.
The idea of a masculine man is commonly associated with a figure that is tough and
aggressive; one who possesses sexual prowess and lacks emotional maturity and understanding.
The way certain women see, experience, and understand thea stereotyped male is based on the
common and inaccurate stereotypes.heir own personal background. Stereotypes have constantly
affected the way we see other people in obvious and hidden ways. TheNow the phrase dont
judge a book by its cover is continuously being flushed down the drain, when it should instead
be taken into considerationspecifically in the case of male stereotyping and as a result men are
judged.
A common stereotype would be that men are emotionless especially in cases that involve
children. If a woman were to believe this stereotype, then it could influence would the basis for
her decision to have a baby with a man. Jennifer Weber confirms the existence of this stereotype
as well. She writes, In addition to negotiating the stigma often associated with teen pregnancy,
teen fathers also confront stereotypes that label them as selfish and uncaring..
1
This may seem
trivial in the adolescent sense but it carries on to the more mature stage of life. Men are assumed
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to be incapable of developing a mature, emotional relationship with the women they with which
they are involved with. So women are put off by this because it shows that possible suitors are all
in danger of being emotionally unavailable. And having the picture perfect family becomes
tainted by these assumed characteristics.
Theres a reason why so many men are deemed as unfit fathers and it all comes down to
the assumption of them being uncaring and emotionless. I claimed before that women judge men
based on these established ideas but a court official also judges these men in the same way.
According to Noah Berlatsky, men receive custody of children in only about 10 percent of
divorce cases in the United States.
2
This only feeds the idea that men are incapable of being
good fathers. In addition to court decisions, the rarity of male babysitters is also a factor as well.
Men arent assumed to being able to handle situations when it comes to home life and families,
yet the general assumption could be fueled by female gender roles as well. When told to make a
choice between having a female babysitter or a male babysitter, a woman could most likely
choose the female. So women have helped contribute to these norms of men being unable to care
for their children by affirming their own roles in society as the housewife and caretaker.
As was shown in the Tyler Perry movie, the main female character rebuffs the advances
of her main love interests because of her own personal experiences confirming negative male
qualities. She denied his attempts to take her on a date and reacted negatively towards him
predicting he was after only one thing. She mentioned her having two kids, in an attempt to scare
him off. From these reactions we see her assuming that he is after sex and would be unable to
continue a long term relationship because of her children. With the idea that men only want sex
and that they lack consideration for others, she would be unwilling to even consider creating any
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new relationships with any man. So with these assumptions and expectations, a womans choice
and opinion will be affected.
Assumptions are normally made from information already known and in this case,
stereotypes would be that information. One might say that not all women are the same in their
judgment and behavior but nonetheless everyone is affected by their beliefs. Research has been
done to show that our expectations often influence our reactions to other peoples behavior.
3

That being said, its evident that stereotypes lead to assumptions and expectations which also
leads to an impact on a womans actions towards a man.
So all in all, the way society portrays men is negative and would cause concern for
femaleswomen. Women are afraid of the dangerous possibilities of being involved with men who
possess these stereotypes. The emotionally unavailable man isnt an option for someone who
wants to settle down and have a family. The inequality that would arise in a relationship, if the
man did have these basic stereotypes, would cause a woman to be wary of any smooth talker that
comes her way. Stories are exchanged and women are being given an idea that men are very
capable of causing them harm and the search for a decent partner is challenging. In the Tyler
Perry movie, the main female character could have lost a suitable partner because of her
preconceived notions. Societys presumptions about the male gender shouldnt cloud a females
judgment.



1
Jennifer Beggs Weber, Becoming Teen Fathers: Stories of Teen Pregnancy, Responsibility, and Masculinity,
Gender and Society, Vol. 26, No. 6 (December 2012) (pp. 900-921)
2
Noah Berlatsky, When Men Experience Sexism, The Atlantic
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3
Sarah L. Hutson-Comeaux and Janice R. Kelly, Gender Stereotypes of Emotional Reactions: How We Judge an
Emotion as Valid, Sex Roles, Vol. 47, pg. 2