Many obstacles inhibit women from realizing their leadership potential: confusion about giftedness, psychological and cultural barriers to owning and displaying one's abilities, and ambivalent attitudes toward exceptional ability in women. Encourages feminist psychologists to respond to gifted women's unique affective needs, and focuses on…

"Dumb jocks" are not born, they are being systematically created. Black student athletes suffer from the outset from disadvantages: the myth of innate Black athletic superiority, the stereotype of the dumb Black, and social forces determining a vulnerability to exploitation. (MSE)

Discusses the images and stereotypes of mathematics and mathematicians among mathematicians, mathematics teachers, and nonmathematicians. Provides examples from literature and the arts, and explains how and why a certain image of mathematics is formed at school. (Contains 27 references.) (MDH)

A commonly held bias in American society is that being an old woman is not a desirable state. One variety of this bias is stereotyping, which involves a restrictiveness of attitudes, so that old women are seen as possessing a limited and circumscribed set of qualities or characteristics. Restrictiveness also is associated with distortion and…

Individuals may be stigmatized (discredited) if their attributes make them less than what is expected for the social categories into which they are placed. A tentative typology of situations can be developed, based on their potential for producing the stigmatization of old age. In daily situations that do not demand excessive physical or mental…

Discusses the stereotyping of librarians in terms of interactions which may lead to stereotyping, perpetuation of stereotyped image by the mass media, and whether the image problem is any worse for librarians than for other professionals. A public awareness campaign by the American Library Association (ALA) is described and suggestions are made…

Examines some of the behavioral aspects of teaching sociology in professional schools. Maintains that teaching in a professional school means that one's scholarly accomplishments must impress two different audiences with distinctly different values and expectations. By-products of this situation are overspecialization and a sense of intellectual…

Our society categorizes people by age, sex, work role, and attractiveness. Children easily absorb these stereotypes of certain groups, particularly the old. If we are to build a life-oriented society, parents and schools must change their own attitudes and teach children to value human beings, not roles. (SJL)

Because negative stereotypes have direct implications for social scientists' functioning and inclusion on multidisciplinary teams working in international development, rural sociologists should be aware of these stereotypes, identify their sources and modes of perpetuation, and utilize strategies to dispel unflattering characterizations.…

Four books about college presidential spouses and the evolving dilemmas of their roles are reviewed, and the growing discussion about this role is examined. (MSE)

This review of the literature discusses the image of librarians in popular culture, the importance of projecting a clear and positive image of reference librarians and their work to encourage users to seek reference help, and ways to improve users' understanding and image of librarians. (25 references) (Author/CLB)

Argues that the concept of "librarian as teacher" is an organization fiction, and that this fiction is dysfunctional being both harmful and costly. (Author/CWM)

Presents several central themes about aging which may prove useful in interpreting art works and increasing students' awareness of the human qualities of aging. Indicates that, when the artist represents the physical changes of aging, he or she equally characterizes cognitive, emotional, social, and spiritual levels of aging. Includes seven…

The role of self-perception and other personal characteristics in women's leadership abilities and acceptance of leadership roles is discussed. The importance of replenishing one's emotional and physical resources to function at high professional and personal levels is emphasized. (MSE)

Reading is one way that children can get a current and accurate view of agriculture; farms; and today's educated, technologically-oriented farm family. Discussion of 25 children's books on farms and farming compares stereotypical books and books offering accurate portrayals of farm life, animals, and activities. Contains 28 references. (SAS)