Stereotypes are all around us, but we don't always notice them. How do they shape our relationship to femininity?
What Are Stereotypes?
Stereotypes are often described as ideas or beliefs about a group that are fixed (not easily moved or shifted), generally overly simple, and often false.
Stereotypes are the negative and positive beliefs we hold (often passed down to us) about the traits, attitudes, and behaviours of people who belong to particular groups — like racial groups, ethnic groups, religious groups, and gender groups (women, men, and nonbinary people).
Stereotypes are pretty widespread and difficult to get away from, so they have a way of shaping people's relationships to femininity — and not necessarily in good ways! (Hoskin & Whiley, 2024).
Activity: Your Relationship with Femininity
Activity: Your Relationship with Femininity Today
How would you describe your relationship with femininity today, as an adult?
- Is it something you embrace, resist, feel ambivalent about, or maybe all of the above?
- How does femininity show up in your daily life — in how you dress, speak, parent, or relate to others?
- Are there parts of femininity that feel authentic to you? Parts that feel imposed?
Activity: How Your Relationship Has Changed
Activity: How Your Relationship Has Changed
Think about how your relationship with femininity may have changed across your life. What stands out to you when you think of the people or events that shaped your relationship to femininity over time?
- Were there turning points — moments where your feelings about femininity shifted?
- Who were the people (family, friends, teachers, public figures) who influenced how you see femininity?
- Were there experiences that made you more or less comfortable with femininity?
Our stereotypes about femininity don't just live in our heads — they show up in the messages we send to children every day. In the next entries, we'll explore the myths that keep these stereotypes alive.
© We Are Family, 2026
