STEREOTYPES

The definition of a stereotype is any commonly known public belief about a certain social group or a type of individual.

Stereotypes are often confused with prejudices, because, like prejudices, a stereotype is based on a prior assumption. Stereotypes are often created about people of specific cultures or races.

Almost every culture or race has a stereotype.

Stereotypes are not just centered on different races and backgrounds, however. Gender stereotypes also exist. For example, if you say that men are better than women, you're stereotyping all men and all women. If you say that all women like to cook, you are stereotyping women.

Sexual orientation stereotypes are also common. These stereotypes occur when you have negative views on gays, lesbians, and transgender individuals. People who have these negative views are often known as homophobic.

Any time you group races or individuals together and make a judgment about them without knowing them, it is an example of a stereotype. Racial remarks, sexual remarks, and gender remarks are the biggest stereotypes.

Common Stereotypes

Racial Profiling - One of the more common stereotype examples is stereotypes surrounding race. For example, saying that all Blacks are good at sports is a stereotype, because it's grouping the race together to indicate that everyone of that race is a good athlete.

Gender Profiling There are also some common stereotypes of men and women, such as:

• Men are strong and do all the work.
• Men are the "backbone."
• Women aren't as smart as a man.
• Women can't do as good of a job as a man.
• Girls are not good at sports.
• Guys are messy and unclean.
• Men who spend too much time on the computer or read are geeks.

Cultures - Stereotypes also exist about cultures and countries as a whole. Stereotype examples of this sort include the premises that:

• All white Americans are obese, lazy, and dim-witted. Homer Simpson of the TV series The Simpsons is the personification of this stereotype.
• Mexican stereotypes suggest that all Mexicans are lazy and came into America illegally.
• All Arabs and Muslims are terrorists.
• All people who live in England have bad teeth.
• Italian or French people are the best lovers.
• All Blacks outside of the United States are poor.
• All Jews are greedy.
• All Asians are good at math. All Asians like to eat rice and drive slow.
• All Irish people are drunks and eat potatoes.
• All Americans are generally considered to be friendly, generous, and tolerant, but also arrogant, impatient, and domineering.

Groups of Individuals

A different type of stereotype also involves grouping of individuals. Skaters, Goths, Gangsters, are a few examples. For example:

• Goths wear black clothes, black makeup, are depressed and hated by society.
• Punks wear mohawks, spikes, chains, are a menace to society and are always getting in trouble.
• All politicians are philanders and think only of personal gain and benefit.
• Girls are only concerned about physical appearance.
• All blonds are unintelligent.
• All librarians are women who are old, wear glasses, tie a high bun, and have a perpetual frown on their face.
• All teenagers are rebels.
• All children don't enjoy healthy food.
• Only anorexic women can become models.
• The elderly have health issues and behave like children.

Sexual Stereotypes - Sexual stereotypes, on the other hand, suggest that any feminine man is gay and any masculine woman is a lesbian. Those who believe gay stereotypes may also believe that homosexuality is immoral, wrong and an abomination.

 

Stereotyping is not only hurtful, it is also wrong. Even if the stereotype is correct in some cases, constantly putting someone down based on your preconceived perceptions will not encourage them to succeed.

Stereotyping can lead to bullying from a young age. Stereotyping is encouraging bullying behavior that children carry into adulthood.

Stereotyping can also lead people to live lives driven by hate and can cause the victims of those stereotypes to be driven by fear. For example, many gays and lesbians are afraid to admit their sexuality in fear of being judged. It is a lose-lose situation, both for those who are propagating the stereotype and those who are victims.