Gender stereotypes persist based on what we see in society: study

An image of two women in the workplace. (Pexels/Photo by Tirachard Kumtanom)

A recently published multinational study suggests that gender stereotypes persist, even in countries like Canada, which are considered to be gender equitable.

The goal of the study, published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), was to understand how gender stereotypes across the world relate to roles women have in their respective societies, according to data.

Part of that data was based on a 1995 Gallup public opinion poll of 22 nations, which was replicated in a 2023 survey and expanded to 40 countries.

The research found that across nations, men were viewed as being more “agentic” – or ambitious and competitive - while women were looked at as being more “communal” – or warm and caring.

And while female leadership has become more commonplace in many nations over the years, men remain overrepresented when it comes to high status roles, like CEOs and CFOs.

Christa Nater, the lead author of the study, explains that’s because women tend to enter leadership roles that are more communal, such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or domains that have a more communal mission.

However, the strength of those stereotypes ranged between different nations, depending on how “segregated” workplaces were. The notion of segregation related to women in more communal roles, like childcare facilitators or educators.

“The more women that are in those domains, the more people think, in a nation, that women as a group are the more communal gender,” Nater told CTV News. “What we … observe in our every day lives, really reflects the stereotypes that we hold about women and men as a group.”

In other words, the stereotypes aren’t fictious or made up, but a reflection of what we see in the workforce.

How does Canada fare?

Another aspect of the research focused on competence around each gender’s intelligence and creativity. The study found that, relative to men, women were viewed as more competent in societies where more women received higher education.

“When we see more women going to university and getting degrees, we then have the cultural belief, as a society, or what we base on stereotype, that women are more competent,” she said.

Nater adds that Canada was one of the more economically developed and gender-equal nations in the study, where more women obtain higher education, relative to men.

However, the stereotypes of men being more agentic and women more communal were persistent in Canada too, which the study claims is based on how women are reflected in the workplace.

“It’s precisely because of women and men, and their roles, that the stereotypes existed,” she said. “Canada is no exception. It’s also in Canada where what people see in their society informs their beliefs about women and men.”

Even if a country like Canada has become more gender equal, with more women entering the workforce and obtaining university degrees, the stereotypes persist because women continue to take more communal roles.

“Women have not really become CEOs to a higher extend, but they have become teachers, professional child care takers and so on,” Nater said.

Efforts to end stereotypes, like the #EndGenderStereotypescampaign launched by the European Union in 2023, aren’t easy apply, according to research.

“Stereotypes are reflected in what we see in everyday life,” Nater said. “It’s really the positions of women and men that need to become more similar in a specific society in order for stereotypes to change.”

Nater stresses that stereotypes have real world implications, particularly for people who might stray from what’s expected. For example, a man who comes across as caring might face biases because he doesn’t fit the stereotype.

“Research has shown that he can face obstacles and discrimination when he applies for a child care position because he doesn’t fit the stereotype” she said.

Similarly, women who aspire to become leaders are often met with obstacles because they’re seen as being more communal, and not as ambitious or courageous as men.

“It’s not just the belief we have in our mind,” said Nater. “It really has consequences, especially for people who deviate from traditional roles.”