Unfit or disliked: how descriptive and prescriptive gender stereotypes lead to discrimination against women

Manzi, Francesca ORCID: 0000-0002-6074-4680, Caleo, Suzette and Heilman, Madeline E. (2024) Unfit or disliked: how descriptive and prescriptive gender stereotypes lead to discrimination against women. Current Opinion in Psychology, 60. ISSN 2352-250X

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Abstract

Decades of research attest to the role of gender stereotypes in the emergence of gender-based discrimination. Placing a focus on recent studies, we provide evidence that gender stereotypes continue to negatively affect women's career outcomes in jobs and fields that are seen as male in gender-type. We identify two pathways through which gender stereotypes bring about discrimination: Whereas descriptive gender stereotypes lead to gender discrimination through negative performance expectations produced by lack-of-fit perceptions, prescriptive gender stereotypes lead to gender discrimination through social penalties elicited by perceived stereotype violation. We end by discussing how characteristics of women and those evaluating them may amplify or ameliorate discriminatory behavior, and by considering how organizations and policymakers can leverage research to promote gender equality.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© 2024 The Authors
Divisions:	Management
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman
Date Deposited:	11 Oct 2024 11:06
Last Modified:	31 Oct 2024 08:48
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/125692

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