Gender Perception

Sex is the biological difference between a man and a woman and the variants in between. Gender is the internal perception of being a male or female, and can be displayed to others through the expression of masculinity and femininity. Sex and gender do not always match up. For example, a man may feel that he is a woman trapped inside a man’s body. His sex however is masculine but his gender is that of a woman. All perceptions are filtered through the human brain, and the male brain and female brain are very different in their needs and desires once you get above the basic human needs. Perception is the representation of what is perceived. There is a difference how people’s perception can influence their treatment of people. The definition of a stereotype is any commonly known public belief about a certain social group or a type of individual. Stereotypes create expectations regarding emotional expression and emotional reaction. Many studies find that emotional stereotypes and the display of emotions “correspond to actual gender differences in experiencing emotion and expression.” Stereotypes generally dictate how and by whom and when it is socially acceptable to display an emotion.

There are many stereotypes created by society based on how gender is perceived. When someone hears about a child getting into trouble, if it is a boy you will hear, “Oh he is a boy and boys will be boys.” But in the same situation if it is a girl, she is a trouble maker. People think it is okay for boys to act up. But when a girl does it, she is either a tomboy or a problem child. Women are more emotionally expressive and responsive. They are more empathetic, are more sensitive to others’ feelings. Women express their feelings without constraint. They pay more attention to body language. They judge emotions from nonverbal communication better than men do. They express more love, fear, and sadness. They laugh, gaze, and smile more.

Women anticipate negative consequences for expressing anger and aggression. Men are overwhelmed by women’s expressions of emotion. Men express more anger. They are supposed to be the leader of the house. Men don’t like to talk about their feelings. Men are less emotional, and rarely make decisions based on “feelings”. Men separate their lives into compartments and work on one at a time (work and personal life are separate). Women love talking about how they feel, can get very emotional, and always talk about their personal life at work. Stereotyping is not only hurtful, it is also wrong. Even if the stereotype is correct in some cases, constantly putting someone down based on your preconceived perceptions will not encourage them to succeed. It is strange how people perceive things that may or may not be true. Everything depends on the person and not the sex of the person.