A belief or anticipation about what will happen in the future, shaped by prior experience and current information.
From Latin 'expectatio' meaning 'an awaiting,' from 'expectare' (to await, look out for).
Expectations are your brain's predictions about what comes next — they shape what you see, feel, and even taste!
Historically women faced narrower, prescriptive expectations (docility, domesticity, appearance) enforced by law and social custom, while men's expectations focused on ambition. Language encoded these power asymmetries.
Use 'expectation' for all people equally; examine whose expectations are normative and whose are questioned.
Women's resistance to limiting expectations—from education access to workforce participation—reshaped language about ambition and self-determination.
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