Double Standards Essay

This short commercial explores the double standards and gender bias that many women face in the workplace. We’ve been looking at the idea of gender stereotyping and gender bias in the past few weeks; for example, how women are seen as more domestic, emotionally caring people while men are seen as rational, dedicated workers. A mother’s place is with her children, whereas the father should provide for his family. Women who decide to work are considered ‘selfish’. Men who work after hours are ‘dedicated’. Advertising and mass media play a huge role in social gender stereotyping, creating a standard for women to follow, concerning their appearance and behavior. The media are main information sources for self-presentation, where women are very

This advert shows that even if the men and women are characteristically identical: their behavior, gestures, etc. are the same. The only difference being their gender. Where a man is being assertive, he is considered to be a good boss and ‘persuasive’. Where a woman is being assertive, she is considered to be ‘bossy’ and ‘pushy’. Double standards negatively impact the position of female workers. Unfortunately, it is harder for businesswomen than for businessmen to keep their position and their image as a dedicated, hardworking employee, a high-level employee, or even as a person in charge. Underrating women in the workplace is a huge issue – women are getting paid less than men even with the same job, qualifications, and identical educational level. This issue is also heavily reflected in advertising and mass media, where women are very regularly shown in non-working roles, such as the domesticated house wife. In class, we have been talking about gender stereotypes and gender bias, and I feel that this video can help contribute to the discussion. Women are faced with the stereotypes of being small, modest mothers who should be focused on their children; unaccepted if they’re anything but. Mass media plays a huge role in the presentation of these stereotypes, and I feel that this commercial uses that idea to its advantage – illustrating that women should not be held back by the labels and stigmas