FAMILY - AN ESENTIAL FACTOR IN THE APPEARANCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF GENDER STEREOTYPES

Stereotypes are a natural part of life, one that assure in most cases an efficient manner for the individual to adapt to the enormous quantity of informations that blows his mind, being a positive factor in his everyday existence. Many times, however, they get to influence people's evolution in a negative manner, leading to the blocking of the native potential the individual was endowed with. The sources of theese stereotypes are diverse, from the family to the school, from children's literature to the media and video games accessed by children, from the group of friends to the society as a whole. This paper aims to highlight the role of family environment in the emergence and perpetuation of these social representations, emphasizing the importance of a balanced gender education, designed to allow each individual to make the most of the qualities he was endowed with.