Social representations: a look at gender stereotypes in university students.

Abstract

The study aimed to identify beliefs related to the feminine and masculine gender internalized by university students from the psychological perspective of social representations in order to analyze what gender stereotypes persist in the student body of a Higher Education Institution (HEI) in southeastern Mexico. Using a qualitative, descriptive approach with a cross-sectional design, the interview technique was used, through an instrument designed based on six a priori categories, directed at 13 participants. The findings highlight that university students have reproduced gender stereotypes about the characteristics of femininity and masculinity from their contexts, but are mostly aware that the limitations and opportunities of both genders are part of a cultural framework.