Stereotypes

[buzzardleap]

I really disaggree with stereotyping, it can be cruel and is often used in a hurtfull way. Things ike homophobia are just as bad. I hate the way steryoetypes say "you are X so you must behave in a curtain way" or "you act like X so you must ne X" i hate the putting people into different groups and expecting them to act in curtain ways, after all, we are all people and shouldn't be treated differently because of our religeon, sexuality, skin colour or where we were brought up.

[Blazen749]

Stereo tyrping also arouse into modern day market strategy, But for example, my teacher from last year had a dutch grandfather. Me and apartner were discussing abut where to find copper wire when he said: All you need is a free penny and two dutchman. Whle this is stereotyping, it was comng from someone who had experience and seemed to be kidding while still stereotyping.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRI-A3vakVg this commercial is something that yous hould watch will discussing this matter.

[Aflame]

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[eggod]

Just want to point out that stereotypes can also be positive:
- Indians are good speakers
- People with college degrees are more intelligent
- Asians are good at math
- Africans dance well

I don't agree with any stereotyping, though it is something everyone does, but I just wanted to point out that it can be "positive" too.

I don't really think there is such a thing as a "positive" stereotype. No matter the context, they still generalize mass groups of people and deny differences among individuals. Research has shown that "positive" stereotypes actually inhibit people's ability to preform. It's a matter of unfair expectations, and performing under pressure.
(Note: I am aware that you are likely already aware of this, I'm simply stating it for the benefit of those who aren't.)

Sources:
http://pss.sagepub.com/content/11/5/399.short
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/ult ... tereotypes
http://itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/201 ... -positive/ (this one is easier reading and less formal)

[nubkake55]

Some stereotypes can actually be supported by statistics thought, so it wouldn't really be a stereotype, it would be a fact.

[Zero1000]

I'm mexican, and i don't like how some other think about mexicans.

[vipor]

The problem with stats is that it tends to be caused by a small group.
Here people claim that the people from Marocco are big mouthed, giant ego trouble makers. That their main source of income is by criminal activity and their only true form of fun is to piss off people till those people react and then ganging together with a large group to beat the victim up under the claim of self defense.

Now there are enough people from Marocco that are nice and calm. Honestly speaking most of them are.
But those people are pretty much ignored because they are normal.
But every time another of the bad teens attack someone else, breaks into a house or is caught dealing drugs, people assume all of them are like that.

Also don't forget there are other problems with positive stereotypes.
Pretend for a moment you are an asian. Now most people assume you will be very good at math.
Yet you are very bad at math.
At every single math test people will look at you amazed you failed the test. "You failed math? But....Your Asian. You guys are good at this stuff."
Still sound positive?

Still lets be truely honest.
Can you admit, even to yourself, that you never assumed an stereotype? Even if you berated yourself a second later.
We are humans. We are faulty, imperfect and an massive ego.
While we know it's not right, our first idea is always that if we are worse at math than the asian-like kid, it's because he is asian and better at math. We will always find a reason to be the best at things and if we are not it's because someone has an born advantage.
With most people it will just be a snap judgement and it stays like that.
Others want to proove themselfs better and yell out their faulty ideas. Then there are people who never learned better. Who hear stereotypes from their friends and are never corrected. Or those who learn their stereotypes of family.

The only thing that is worse than plain stereotypes is what some feminists believe.
That they should be treated compleetly equal like men, but that they should earn more and don't have to do any heavy lifting.
Thats not being equal and those people actually make sure people see them as fragile and weak. Beings that need to be cuddeled and protected.

Sometimes we assume stereotypes upon others and sometimes we force them on ourselfs so we are seem weaker to get an advantage.

[AnArtfulDodger]

I think that stereotypes are part of the way that people think, and to a degree, they are unavoidable.

However, misinformed stereotypes are massively harmful, and I will speak on the example that applies to me. I have obsessive compulsive disorder, and it makes me want to cry when I hear people say 'I hate it when strangers cough near me, I'm so OCD.' The way that people think of my disorder is born of stereotypes, but so grossly inaccurate that I think it is harmful. It feels terrible when you think that society takes a word that describes you, and twists it into an oversimplified joke.

Technically speaking, nothing bad actually happens to me when I hear insensitive stereotypes about my disorder, but it gets really... for lack of a better word, hurtful. There are trends of behaviour in mental disorders, of course there are. But when people ignore the suffering that goes along with it, the people who go every day unable to trust their own brain end up feeling even more isolated from the rest of the population.

Stereotypes are a way for people to organise the world around them, but they are also a vehicle for unknowing prejudice.

[Blazen749]

Just want to point out that stereotypes can also be positive:
- Indians are good speakers
- People with college degrees are more intelligent
- Asians are good at math
- Africans dance well

I don't agree with any stereotyping, though it is something everyone does, but I just wanted to point out that it can be "positive" too.

I don't really think there is such a thing as a "positive" stereotype. No matter the context, they still generalize mass groups of people and deny differences among individuals. Research has shown that "positive" stereotypes actually inhibit people's ability to preform. It's a matter of unfair expectations, and performing under pressure.
(Note: I am aware that you are likely already aware of this, I'm simply stating it for the benefit of those who aren't.)

Sources:
http://pss.sagepub.com/content/11/5/399.short
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/ult ... tereotypes
http://itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/201 ... -positive/ (this one is easier reading and less formal)

I believe the stereotype is a positive if it is made by someone with regards to them. But I also think that if an individual stereotypes a whole nation by one person (i.e. Toguh guy italian=godfather) then it is improper. I am a fan of Russel Peters, who is a comedian who bases most acts off stereotypes and racism, but does it to everyone.

[Sparktail]

Ehh... Feel free to argue against my neutrality spiel, but it's natural to stereotype, and nothing really is positive or negative. It just depends on what context. I personally would be rather offended if someone told me that I probably have good grades in math because I'm Asian. Who are they to tell me what I could be good at? I'm actually not that great at math, and there's a Russian girl who's 2 courses ahead of me in it, and I've never heard anyone say something like, "Oh, that's because she's Russian," to her face, or at all, for that matter. Not to point any people out in particular, just for the sake of an example.
But say that you're walking late at night and you see someone following you. You'd get nervous in that case, wouldn't you? That's considered stereotyping as well, because you're basically thinking that people who follow you late at night probably don't have good intention. Maybe that person was just going to ask you for directions, or something totally unrelated to what you were thinking, but in some cases stereotyping might be good for you.
So stereotyping in general isn't always bad, but it can be when you're biased against something because of it.