"To gain an understanding of the world we need to make use of stereotypes"
The term "stereotype" is for sure commonly known, but just to make it clear - the dictionary stands that it's a thought construction which contains of a generalization and simplified convicion about different phenomenon, including nations, social groups etc.
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We say that the new generation has already got rid of creating stereotypes which can be really harmful or at least unpleasant. But is it really true? Lets start with the origins of stereotypes. They might be preconceived by the individual as a ruling truth. People accept them even without realizing that their minds are ruled by the truth imposed by the society. Second way is to gain them with experience. People make their own image of the whole, based on the adverse experience with the particular individual. Stereotypes are usually created because of the lack of knowledge about some particular issue. It can (and usually does) increase the hostility towards the stereotyped nation. How many times have you heard about the agression towards someone caused by the fake convicion about some characteristics impacted in advance?
On the other hand can you imagine the world deprived of the stereotypes? People too often associate stereotype only with its negative/pejorative tone, so let's look at this issue from another perspective. How can we create our own imagine of the world without bearing in mind all generalizations that we hear? I don't consider it as an exaggeration when we say that it's our natural spontaneous ability which has a strictly cognitive function. The pace with our generation has to live is so high that generalizations and stereotypes just simplifies it and thereby let us quickly judge the surrounding. The world is too complicated to present the differentiated attitude in regard to the same incentives. It simply means that people have limited ability to process the date therefore they use cognitive shortcuts - stereotypes.
"The concepts provide us with the useful hints, thanks to them we don't have to think about the next step while walking." (souce: Aronson, Wilson, Akert, 1997, s.132)
One of the effect of the categorization, which is the foundation of the stereotypes, was subjected to the experiment:
Randomly chosen people were divided into the small gropus, due to the some prosaic reasons like their art taste or simply by coin toss. It was proven that they were perceiving the members of their own group as much smarter, more kind and generally better than the ones outside their group, although they didn't even have chance to get into any interactions with each other. That's the example of how people treat what's "THEIRS" and how they respond to the "OUTSIDERS".
Comments
As I am a foreigner here in Poland I can still feel it myself. I know that here in Warsaw are many people from Ukraine and Russia, especially this year them became much more and not every person has special powers of intellect, I ashamed them . Unfortunately I noticed that Poles cannot get difference between Russian and Ukrainian as well. So when Poles see some crazy people talking Russian or Ukrainian and behaving themselves not very good, they can easily think that every Ukrainian or Russian is the same. Some days ago my friend has a sad experience, that one woman in metro started talking some bad thing about all those foreigners from Ukraine.
It is also a kind of stereotype, isn't it?
The problem is that nowadays we possess a lot of information that, we, in general, have no confirmation regarding it's reliability. Internet access and mass media reach many of us, who, for example, just seek entertainment. We watch videos and read articles not even knowing that information presented may represent some stereotypes. This happens every day, without our knowledge.
I agree with Paulina that the general trend is improving; however, there is still so much hate and injustice in our reality, caused by prejudice and stereotypes. It may seem that racial discrimination has decreased, but the recent Ferguson case proves otherwise. Some people still believe in some totally dumb stereotypes about women (I've read some comments on Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign going like "a woman president? what if she has PMS and causes a global war by her emotional instability?"). And I think in Poland there are loads of negative stereotypes and prejudices about LGBT people - I have some friends that are homosexual and have to stand countless comments about themselves. Moreover, there are recent cases of transgender teenagers that commited suicide because of their surrounding's reactions or even their parents'.
I think stereotypes are really frustrating, really dumb and sometimes totally illogical, and should be fought, because their consequences can be tragic.
I think that world without stereotypes will never exist. In my opinion every person believes in some kind of stereotypes. It is sad but it is really hard to not think about them. However, the good thing is, as many of you have said before, that our society becomes more and more tolerant and open-minded.
I have recently read very interesting article about a transsexual man that will probably occur on the Men’s Health cover, first time ever! Men’s Health is the most popular lifestyle magazine for men. They regularly present their readers on their covers who tell their stories about their healthy and fit lifestyle. If you live this kind of lifestyle you can send your application on their website. Then Internet users vote for people whom they like best and want to see on the cover. Aydian Dowling, this transsexual man, leads with over 43 thousand votes! The second competitor has them less than 10 thousand votes… I think that this excellent example which shows that our community is developing and changing in a good, positive way.
You’re also right when you talk about associating stereotype. I, like most of the people, associated stereotypes rather only with its pejorative tone.
This experiment great show how the man function. Unfortunately this show all about us.
Hard to make it up but I’m afraid that stereotypes and their pejorative face will be exist till the world ends.
World would be too beautifull if all people would live in love and peace. So for the balance will be like now.
Nice example are bullys. In most cases when I see such a people, stereotype confirms.
That guys have skin head, dressed in sportswear, misbehave and dangerous.
Sometimes it doesn’t work, one of my friends looks exactly like bully, but if try to speak with him you will be surprised as far as he is nice man.
Definitely some stereotypes can be harmful so we should be careful about them.
Personally I think that judging people without knowing them well is wrong. I always try not to use stereotypes.
We tend to generalize as a species and our first impressions often dictate later thoughts and opinions about someone/something.
Having said that not all stereotypes are bad, sometimes they can help us to at least know what to expect from a person of a diffeerent culture for example.
Of course I'm not talking about extremely offensive stereotypes that were born from plain hatred to other people/races.