Gender Feminism Dupes the American Psychological Association
May 22, 2005
People who cannot recognize a palpable absurdity are very much in the way of civilization. - Agnes Repplier
The following can actually be found at the American Psychological Association (APA) website. The very fact that the APA does not understand they are stereotyping stereotypes is ironic.
STEREOTYPES THAT HURT
In every culture, people have certain ideas about what it means to be a man or a woman. These ideas are called stereotypes. When you first start going out seriously, stereotypes can get you really confused about how you or the person you’re going with ought to behave.
Boys often have the idea that it’s a “guy thing” to act tough and to treat girls like property, or like they own them. Guys often try to get their friends’ approval by acting like they don’t care about anything or anyone. Even a guy who likes a particular girl might show off for his friends by treating her badly or acting like she’s been put on earth just to have sex with him.
Girls often accept the idea that it’s a “guy thing” to push girls around, and so they should learn to go along with it. Girls also may believe it’s a “girl thing” to try to figure out and do whatever will keep their boyfriends happy. So, they may feel they have to do only what the guy wants, or they may put up with the guy ignoring them, treating them badly around other guys, being really possessive, or being violent or abusive.
Both girls and boys often have the idea that boys can’t control themselves when it comes to sex. They may believe that if a man forces a woman to have sex against her will, she was probably leading him on in some way.
Remember: There’s no “guy thing” or “girl thing” when it comes to violence and abuse in relationships. There’s just the “right thing” and the “wrong thing.” Violence and abuse are always the wrong thing.
The not so hidden ideological message is that teen aged boys are assertive, aggressive demonic creatures (the wrong thing) who prey on angelic innocent girls (who are doing the right thing). And of course men will do the same to women.
Not that the APA would actually or purposely stereotype the behavior of teen age boys or girls. No Way! The APA stereotype, heaven forbid such a thing take place in such an august and scientifically based organization. Surely the APA couldn’t be duped into believing the gender feminist ideology.
Let’s Check the Facts
Last time I checked I was, at one time, a boy. I have five children, two boys and three girls. Does the APA really want me to believe that when I was a boy or my two sons really view females as “property or things that they own?”
Does the APA really profess that the majority of males view women as “property they own?” There is little question that some boys and men may fit this mold cast for them by the APA. However, to paint boys and girls with the stereotypical gender feminist brush under a title that notes that “stereotypes that hurt” is so ironic it is almost satirical.
For the APA to assert that in dating boys are assertive and aggressive while girls are passive and docile is far beyond stereotyping, it is just plain wrong. And you would think that the APA would know better.
Perhaps whoever placed that bit of unacknowledged or misunderstood piece of irony on the APA website needs to visit another section of the same website. The article, Among young teens, aggression equalpopularity, can be found on the APA website.
The article concerns the use of relational aggression (excluding people, false rumors, verbal insults or physical threats) among teen age boys and girls. The study concluded that seventh and ninth-grade girls view the use of relational aggression as a way to become more popular while for boys it was not.
Perhaps the APA also isn’t aware of this report, “Date Violence and Date Rape Among Adolescents: Associations With Disordered Eating Behaviors and Psychological Health. The findings in the report were presented at the APA 109 th Annual Convention in San Francisco in 2001.
The study documents in the Minnesota public schools that nearly 9 percent of girls and 6 percent of boys report some type of abusive date-related experience. Approximately the same results can be found in each and every school in this nation.
In every culture, we have people who believe a message simply because it is repeated over and over again. The APA has fallen into the “great lie” trap. Among all of my male relatives and friends I do not believe a single one of them will view their wives or children as “pieces of property.” I know for a fact, my boys do not.
And of all people, you would think that the APA would be on the forefront of acknowledging that girls can be just as assertive or aggressive as boys. You would think so because it is a fact.
