The Spread of Gender Stereotypes in Italy During the COVID-19 Lockdown

Stereotyping is a recurrent mind process through which our brain easily stores a large amount of information synthesising them through simplifications and generalisations. Stereotypes, particularly those related to gender, are internalised during growth, offering a rigid perspective on male and female roles within a society. Two nation-wide surveys were carried out by the MUSA research group of the National Research Council of Italy within the Ongoing Social Changes- COVID19 Observatory. This work compares the changes in the acceptance of gender stereotypes occurred between the first and the second survey. The study highlights the great strength of the "hidden persuasion" produced by gender stereotypes. Since the family and domestic environment are the main contexts where gender stereotypes grow and reinforce, the lockdown period of close and intense cohabitation of household' members during COVID 19 pandemic has exacerbated gender stereotypes acceptance. This is especially true for women who spend most of their time at home. Future studies will be able to verify the possible chronicity of this phenomenon and the cultural regression that it may have triggered. There is a risk that this social dynamic could revitalise forms of exclusion and self-exclusion of women from the labour market, reinforcing the idea of women's inadequacy in relation to specific roles still associated to male supremacy.