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Trial
The labels male and female were once invented to indicate certain properties or energies, explains Jansen. “In groups, what is male and female then becomes the norm. When someone wonders whether that is really the case, you notice that the beliefs run very deep. Within your group you do not see the problem, because the term is maintained. If someone who is not in the immediate circle questions the beliefs, such as masculine and feminine energy, you first get an ‘us against them’ feeling. That can also polarize for a while. You feel threatened and think even more strongly about your own terms. They mean no harm, so they get defensive.”
The process of changing your mind takes a long time. “Especially if there is no good alternative. Labels are easy to use, everyone knows what you mean. Sometimes they are also used to avoid immediacy. Like, “She’s too dominant for me, so I’ll just say she’s too much into her masculine energy.” There is consensus in certain circles about what the terms represent. If you suddenly don’t use that anymore, what terms do you use? Therein lies the difficulty. That is not a process that changes overnight.”
Society
The terms used by Walter and Joy contribute to stereotyping about men and women, says the behavioral psychologist. “I don’t know if this program really has a big effect,” laughs Jansen, “but it does confirm existing associations with male and female. The association that women are gentle and men dominant is emphasized and confirmed. It reinforces and expands the ideas that are already there. At the same time, in this capacity, which is so striking, a social and societal debate can arise.”
As a society, there is a long way to go, Jansen emphasises. “There is something you can do yourself. If you notice that you have an unconscious association, but you don’t want to go along with it anymore, consciously look at it. There are studies that show that when you are rested and unstressed, you have enough cognitive capacity to question whether everything you think or say is correct. So choose a moment to think about this if you are not too tired, because when you are tired you unconsciously go along with processes.”
Experiment
Jansen suggests a way to find out for yourself where your prejudices lie with men and women. “It could be a good experiment for yourself to see: what do I see as typically feminine and do I also see that in men? If you think caring is a feminine character trait, check whether you know caring men. Just look around you, they are definitely there. Do this with some properties. Make a conscious search: can this actually be labeled as male or female? In this way we get rid of stereotypes step by step.”
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2023-08-22 18:39:33
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