Gender Stereotypes In High School

Stereotypes in Education

One classical scene defines any movie depicting high school: the lunch room scene. Imagine this typical scene. The main character weaves through a series of tables with each table dedicated to a specific stereotype. A table consists of the jocks tossing a football, another of the preps fighting over their appearance, and the nerds huddled over a textbook. After maneuvering through the stereotypical tables, the main character finally arrives at the table consisting of their own group.

This scene runs a common thread among many high schools. High school students would agree this scene is more accurate than fictional. Stereotypes thrive in high schools all across the country. Naturally, students with similar interests

Society weaves stereotypes in the most basic human interaction. Stereotypical examples arise in countless forms of media. In the television series The Simpsons, Homer Simpson amplifies the image of white Americans being increasingly obese, dim-witted, and lazy. In addition, news programs make every Muslim and Arab seem like a terrorist waiting to attack. Furthermore, black, male actors in movies such as The Wire and Training Day depict drug dealers and criminals, implying all black males are criminals. These stereotypes remain only a few of endless stereotypes surfacing in the media. With the saturation of stereotypes, stereotypes intertwine into culture and the life events of ordinary people. Stereotypes appear everywhere. In schools, in jobs, and even in politics, stereotypes are unavoidable in American

Naturally, people make friends based on shared interests and abilities. In schools, once a person joins a clique or stereotypical friend group, students stick to that stereotype. Students yearn for feeling accepted, and stereotypes fill that desire. During high school, students lack a sense of identity. A clique provides not only the sense of acceptance, but also an identity. With the feeling of acceptance comes the need for conformity. Once a student is accepted into a clique, that student feel that he or she needs to act a certain way to remain a part of the clique. Students of the same clique adopt certain values and norms. If student rejects a value or norm held by the clique, the student risks reject by the clique, creating a fear inside of the clique. Even with a fear of rejecting looming in the air, many students find conforming to the clique relatively simple. Kory Williamson, who holds the Assistant Lennox Junior and Senior High Principle position with nine previous years of teaching high school history and a Master’s degree in education, emphasizes, “In that stereotype, people feel comfortable because it’s people who are alike them” (Williamson ). In making this comment, Williamson asserts, “You can’t escape the similarities” (Williamson). The essence of Williamson’s argument resides on the fact that students overwhelmingly choose stereotypes