Sociologists— have girls pretend to be stupid Bashny.Net

A new sociological study by Dr. Maria do Mar Pereira shows that girls feel the need to downplay their intelligence to not intimidate boys.

A researcher from Warwick University found that boys at the age of 14 years become more confident, if girls their age look stupid. Pereira says: "There are very strong pressures in society that dictates that an actual man and the actual woman. Young people try to adapt their behaviour according to these pressures to fit into society. One of these criteria – young people need to be more dominant, more clever, stronger, taller, funnier-than young women, otherwise they will undermine their masculinity."





To conduct the research Dr Pereira observed three months the everyday life of students inside. She participated in all aspects of school life: attended classes, did homework, took exams, had lunch in the dining room. As a result, she was able to observe aspects of youth interactions, feelings and behaviors that teachers and parents often do not know.

Based on this experience, the sociologist, said: "Our idea of what constitutes a real man or woman are not natural. This restrictive norms that are harmful to children of both sexes. The belief that men should be dominant over women makes boys constantly worry to be under pressure to prove his strength, to suppress emotions.

Girls believe they must downplay their own abilities, pretending that they are more stupid than they actually are, not speaking out against persecution, and not to do things that might seem unfeminine."

Pereira is convinced: "the Attempt to live these unreal ideas of masculinity and femininity leads to a range of issues: low self esteem, bullying, physical and verbal violence, health problems and a tragic loss of potential in young people. Therefore, we should promote other ideas, less rigid and say that there are many ways to be a man and a woman."

Source: nauka24news.ru/