After Watching And Reflecting On The Video, Answer The Follo

After watching and reflecting on the video, answer the following questions.

After watching and reflecting on the video, answer the following questions. 1. According to Ferree and Wade "Our gender binary glasses, acquired as we learn the ways of our culture, “help us see the world the way most other people around us do, but they also help us preserve the binary itself." How are we complicit in “gendering” the world around us? 2. According to Ferree and Wade “Whenever stereotypes are activated, those stereotypes influence our attention, thinking, and memory, and they do so in their own favor.” Stereotypes are so powerful, in fact, that they are a source of false memories. What do the authors mean by this?

Paper For Above instruction

The process of gendering the world refers to the ways in which societal norms, cultural expectations, and ingrained stereotypes shape our perceptions, interactions, and structures around us to conform to a binary understanding of gender — male and female. Ferree and Wade highlight that as individuals learn and internalize societal norms, we develop "gender binary glasses" which function as perceptual filters enabling us to see and interpret the world through a gendered lens. These glasses help us understand and relate to the social environment in ways that align with cultural expectations, but they also serve to perpetuate and reinforce the gender binary, often unconsciously or implicitly.

We become complicit in gendering the world around us through everyday actions, language, and assumptions that reflect and reproduce gender norms. For example, when we categorize certain behaviors, roles, or objects as "male" or "female," we reinforce the idea that gender is a strict binary. These categorizations influence how we assign tasks, careers, clothing, and even emotional expressions based on perceived gendered expectations. By participating in such behaviors—whether consciously or unconsciously—we affirm existing gender norms and maintain the societal structure that enforces gender differences.

Moreover, media representations, education systems, and social interactions all contribute to the process of gendering. For instance, media often depict men as assertive and dominant while portraying women as nurturing and passive, thus reinforcing stereotypical gender roles. When individuals accept and normalize these stereotypes, they contribute to a cycle where gender binarism becomes deeply embedded in social institutions and cultural practices. This complicity is often unintentional, yet it sustains social inequalities and limits individual expression by confining people within predetermined gender categories.

Regarding the activation of stereotypes, Ferree and Wade suggest that stereotypes influence mental processes such as attention, thinking, and memory in ways that favor the stereotypes themselves. When stereotypes are activated—either consciously or unconsciously—they bias the information we focus on, the way we interpret events, and what we remember. For example, stereotypes may lead us to pay more attention to behaviors that confirm existing beliefs about gender, while ignoring or dismissing evidence that contradicts these beliefs.

This biased processing creates a feedback loop where stereotypes are perpetuated and reinforced over time. In terms of memory, stereotypes can lead to false memories—recollections that are distorted or fabricated based on stereotypical expectations rather than actual events. For example, a person might falsely remember a man being more competent in a technical task simply because stereotypes associate men with technical skills. This phenomenon illustrates how stereotypes not only shape current perceptions but can also distort our recall of past experiences, further solidifying stereotypical beliefs.

In summary, Ferree and Wade emphasize that our cultural immersion in gender norms makes us active participants in gendering our environment, often inadvertently, through social behavior and language. Simultaneously, stereotypes act as cognitive filters that shape our perceptions and memories, sometimes leading to inaccuracies and reinforcing gender binaries. Recognizing these processes is crucial in challenging gender stereotypes and working toward a more inclusive understanding of gender and individual identity.

References

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