Gender Cognitive Skills and Stereotype Effect - Term Paper Example

Hassan M Alsolaiman Dr. Molly Brost ENG 301.002 9 April, Gender Cognitive Skills; Stereotype Effect A stereotype is a common occurrence in discussions that involve gender and equality. This has become a common source of debates in the streets to an extent of attracting national attention. Stereotypes in gender have risen to another level where scholars vast knowledge on gender as a subject, have been tasked with the role and mandate of keeping the general public informed. Karl Marx, in his many philosophical teachings, hinted that it is difficult to revolt against an informed mass, and this has been the case in a myriad of gender discussions. An informed generation is not an easy generation to deal with, especially in cases where people feel that their rights have been violated. Sex differences in certain cognitive abilities are well distributed in scholarly works that argue out these differences from a professional angle. In spite of cognitive performances of both genders, overlapping to a similarly large extent, a number of meta-analyses confirm this to be true that on a normal occasion, men outperform women in various spatial related functional roles. However, this has been linked to mental rotation, which is related to the visual representation of such rotation within the human brain. The feminine gender on the contrary has been known to succeed with ease in certain aspects of verbal abilities that range from fluency to verbal memory and other subjects that are perceived to be simpler and easier to comprehend. The source for these cognitive differences can be traced way back from an ambiguous collection of psychological, social and biological factors and seem to attract a lot of controversy within the public sphere. A critical and more noticeable socio-cultural factor is that which affects these cognitive differences. This factor revolves around gender stereotype, and can have adverse or benevolent effects on cognitive performance in both genders depending on the participant’s attitude towards cognitive performance. The stereotype effects refer to the perspective or notion that people draw from poorly executed tasks because they are afraid of accepting the truth like for instance, the truth about a personal group’s alleged inferior abilities. As a result, this paper will seek to highlight qualitative data, identify people’s opinions that have been raised through interviews and cumulatively discuss these beliefs with an aim of arriving at a consensus. A common, but striking observation that a fairly large number of people have is that science and mathematics related courses are intended for the men and a few women who have guts to brace through the technical subjects. However, this visionary misconception has been overwritten by today’s approach in the society where women are warming up for the same positions with the men. There are more women who have majored in mathematics and science related courses and this has posed a major challenge to these gender stereotypes. It is because people believed in the past that some subjects such as mathematics and the sciences are only made for men. Women have proved them wrong and continue to do so; people need to find ways of dealing with this kind of stereotype. For instance, there are several pilots who are women, a career that was originally to men only, now women are challenging them day in day out and breaking the gender stereotype. Parker et al. (23), write about gender, science and mathematics were in his book “Shortening the Shadow” they diffuses this argument deep into the mind of his readers by positioning himself in no position but a neutral position. He goes ahead to describe the relationship between gender and the effect that arises from stereotype in teaching science and mathematics where he observes that gender studies are being offered as separate courses and hence there is urgency for suitable scholarly works to provide resources for teachers and students that will infuse policies and practicability into their minds. Understanding policies of a given subject will help in determining the right place for individuals based on their skills and not because their gender but because indigence should be the most important thing to considered in any profession and not the gender of an individual. Leikin et al. (34), in their book “Development of Teachers Knowledge and Expertise in Practice” highlight the plight of teachers, as they are targets of stereotypes. Lekin approaches the debate by exploring how teacher’s knowledge is developed through teaching. Leikin addresses a diverse audience with diverse content in regards to teaching where they employ different methodological tools, and theoretical perspectives as they put into consideration teaching in different environments and varied gender. Nonetheless, the authors of this book highlight and analyze teachers learning processes and how they pass this knowledge onto their students. In brief, Lekin and others explore the interactions and relationships between the promotion of mathematical and scientific knowledge and the spread of the perceptions amongst the learners despite the gender. The stereotype effect has been experienced all over the globe because of the perception that certain subjects or jobs are specifically for men and not women. The approach always brings conflict in work places because women have ventured into different areas previously dominated by men. Resilience is a phenomenon that reflects relatively on positive or successful adaptation despite significant experiences or risks related to trauma. In this regard, it is imperative to note that resilience involves judgments of people’s lives and is never at any time, measured. Weiner (15) analyzes the psychological aspects that act as catalysts to attitudes and how women are taught to believe that they are inferior. Women are an unpredictable gender who can be very vulnerable when they are in their low moods and emotions. Therefore, Weiner (15) argues out that stereotypes in education can lead to this low mood and high levels of emotional breakdown. However, in what seems to be a dramatic turn, Weiner I. B provides the reader with a number of viable solutions that are applicable to both the teacher and the student. What are the workings of stereotypes in education? Gender cognitive skills are for another time determined and influenced by the effects of stereotypes. Any side of the gender divide is affected by stereotype and it is imperative that one outlines the effects that affect gender in their course of education. There is a general assumption that men have a positive attitude towards mathematical and scientific courses as compared to women. For instance, when women were informed that a math test produces sex differences, they performed poorly as compared to men while there was no significant sex difference when the test was described as gender neutral (Spencer, Steele, & Quinn, 1999). In the same way, women scored lower in mental rotation tests when they were told that men generally perform better in spatial abilities (Moe, 2012; Moe and Pazzaglia, 2006;Wwraga, Helt, Jacobs and Sullivan, 2007). In this regard, it is important to note that, the stereotype threat and boost can either increase or decrease cognitive skills depending on the sex variance. Teachers also are within the range and a scoop of stereotype effects bearing in mind that they are the ones in charge of the education system. Arguing out this point is a perfect explanation from Hill, Rowan, & Ball, 2005; Kahan, Cooper, & Bethea, 2003 that understanding what mathematics teachers know for instance can translate into enormous goals in mathematics education. However, this is influenced by the attitude that students possess when they see their mathematics teacher. The ambiguity of factors that can influence math performance is discussed by Singh, Granville, and Dika when they report that excellent performance in mathematics is a function of many variables that are linked to students, families and the society either directly or indirectly. A close stance at the student variables will disclose that attitudes are described as important factors to be put into consideration while making attempts to understand and explain a student’s performance in mathematics and science. Occupational inequality becomes prominent in areas where people are judged or treated based in gender or race in any environment instead of their brains, character and personality being the driving force in their categorization. In this case, the focus lies on the educational environment where trends in occupational inequality are usually concentrated in the distribution and allocation of patterns across groups of people. Consequently, the distribution of education patterns of men compared to women in an institution of higher learning may be questionable which different governments across the globe need to address. Lack of competence on the part of women is associated with time they spent in child upbringing, time that is needed for study and career development and this does not affect the men, at least not in the current world. As discussed earlier before, attitudes are described as important factors to be put into consideration while making attempts to understand and explain a student’s performance in mathematics and science (Feldman, Robert S, 2014). This comes in with a definitive explanation that the fact that women are emotionally disturbed with ease unlike men who struggle to achieve their target goals, this fact answers the question why men chose to persevere in their pursuit for mathematics and science related subjects. Attitude in this paper has been compared to a stereotype that blurs the visionary aspect of women in gaining interest in these subjects. As a result, since women have been found to be the greatly affected party, they are advised to change their negative attitude and cast aspersions towards the subjects and develop a positive approach towards the two subjects. This paper has explored the effect of stereotype on gender performance in regards to education and program that are linked to it. It has gone to an extent of critically analyzing experiences and studies from education programs where there are strong cultural beliefs on gender roles and perspectives. These roles form the main bone of contention whenever the subject of gender and their contribution to the society comes into discussion. This study has also put into consideration the fact that women are their own enemies when it comes to the choice of certain subjects as compared to men who have better cognitive skills when it comes to performance in mathematics and science related subjects. Works Cited Heid, M. K. Research on Technology and the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics. Charlotte, N.C.: Information Age Pub. 2008. Print. Leikin, R. Learning through Teaching Mathematics: Development of Teachers Knowledge and Expertise in Practice. Dordrecht: Springer, 2010. Print. Pahlke, E., J. S. Hyde, and C. M. Allison. "The Effects of Single-Sex Compared with Coeducational Schooling on Students Performance and Attitudes: A Meta-Analysis." American Psychological Association. 2014. Web. 6 Mar. 2015. Parker, L. H. Gender, Science, and Mathematics: Shortening the Shadow. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic, 1996. Print. Phillips, M. L. "Single-sex Schooling Called into Question by Prominent Researchers." American Psychological Association. 2011. Web. 6 Mar. 2015. Weiner, I. B. Handbook of Psychology. New York: Wiley, 2003. Print. Read More