Stereotypes of white people

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Stereotypes of White people include those addressing gender, nation, class, sexuality and ability, among other topics.^[1] These stereotypes are generally directed against people of European descent, including those thought of as "white," or "Caucasian."

Contents 1 United States 1.1 Stereotypes of White Americans 1.1.1 Positive Stereotypes 1.1.2 Social stereotypes 1.1.3 Racist stereotypes 1.1.4 Political stereotypes 1.1.5 Social, political, and economic oblivion 1.1.6 White normality 1.2 Influence on Blacks 1.2.1 Negative portrayals of other Whites 2 South Africa 3 See also 4 References

[edit] United States

[edit] Stereotypes of White Americans

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[edit] Positive Stereotypes

Though ethnic groups are attributed with a variety of negative stereotypes, different groups hold positive stereotypes of White people.^[2][3] A 1972 study found that, in general, Whites were stereotyped with positive traits and minority groups with negative traits.^[4] The stereotypes of White people do not serve as a base for contemporary institutional discrimination; nor do they get expressed routinely in mass media, because they are the ideas of minority groups without power.^[5] In a 1983 US study on the associative strength between two words, and regardless of prejudice score, subjects responded reliably faster when positive attributes (e.g., 'smart') were paired with Whites than when they were paired with Blacks.^[6] Positively, Whites are stereotyped as intelligent, socially diverse, and, in White neighborhoods, generally non-dangerous and not likely to commit crime. In literary or typical writing facets, Whites are stereotyped to maintain correct grammar in their written work along with East Asians. Financially, Whites are portrayed as affluent. Whites are said to be very likely to graduate from high school, earn a degree in college, and get a well-paying future occupation, thus possessing a great chance to “succeed” in life as result of valuing education. In popular culture, White people are typically portrayed as upper middle-class and/or business owners, or on a lesser scale, middle-class. Socially, Whites are pigeonholed as morally sound, in which they are, for example, less likely to practice unprotected sex or have births out of wedlock.

[edit] Social stereotypes

A stereotype associated with White Americans is many share racist beliefs for ethnic minorities, and not themselves, and are heavy supporters and defenders of White privilege, despite the fact White Americans make up the nation’s elites,^[7][8][9] as opposed to many minority groups that economically pale in comparison. This train of thought often leads to political ideals such as White power and White nationalism,^[10] the desire to form an all-White state, or even White supremacy, the belief members of the White race are superior to members of other races. Whites are also stereotyped to be overly patriotic of their race. In a study on mutual and self-perceptions of White-Americans, African-Americans, and Japanese-Americans, White-Americans were stereotyped as materialistic and pleasure-loving. One common stereotype, relayed in comparison to a typical Black stereotype, is that White people lack a sense of rhythm and cannot dance. This stereotype has become so accepted that both White and Black comedians lampoon the dancing ability of White people.^[11][12] There is also stereotype that people of Caucasian ethnic background are inferior to people of Black African origin when playing certain sports. Other stereotypes of White people include the idea that they are all "extremely self-involved, uneducated about people other than themselves, are unable to understand the complicated ways in which people who are not White survive, and are in deep denial about racism."^[13]

[edit] Racist stereotypes

A common stereotype for a member of the White race is the belief (s)he is superior to individuals of other ethnic groups, even in terms of genetic and social aspects. Many Whites also believe stereotypes exist because individuals (often of other racial groups) reinforce their own stereotypes. Realistically, stereotypes are born based on generalizations concluded from inferences, often formed from a significant amount of observations involving the senses, and data, such as statistics. Many White people also experience “White fear,” the fear that Whites will eventually become a minority, or fear that members of the White race would lose their “racial purity,” often resulting in White power movements. Thus, many members of the White race abhor anything that can potentially damage racial purity, which includes interracial dating, usually leading to sexual intercourse and possible interracial births. In other words, Whites feel interracial births between Whites and minorities would kill the racial “purity” in White people, as a rising mixed race population will soon outnumber and “destroy” the White race. Also, Whites believe the numbers of minorities will increase in due time, resulting in Whites becoming the minority, potentially decreasing their “power."

[edit] Political stereotypes

Politically, White people are stereotyped as conservative Republicans,^[14] voting in favor of White privilege, and labeling anything that opposes it as “politically correct,” an imminent, but otherwise useful term in their favor, thanks to its negative connotations. Whites are also greedy, materialistic, and are hardcore capitalism supporters. As a result, Whites are stereotyped to abhor taxes, and loathes any form of welfare or governmental assistance, often dismissing the potential aids as “socialist.” Stereotypically, Whites oftentimes label Blacks as criminals, and consider their behavior as a major issue of concern, in favor of the White race and the fate of America, which sometimes leads to exaggerated statistics portraying Whites as the victims of crime committed by Black individuals.^[15] Despite this, many Whites express complaint and ridicule of the issues, though do nothing to help the issues per se.

[edit] Social, political, and economic oblivion

Whites are also stereotyped as being oblivious to sub-culture and political, social, and economic issues primarily associated with members of other ethnic groups. For example, many Whites believe other, usually young, White individuals that partake in Hip-Hop culture are “acting Black” and are “posing” rather than considering their possibility of legitimately growing up and adapting to Hip-Hop, which leads to Whites labeling them as “wiggers,” a generally pejorative term and another White stereotype. In a political instance, Whites are stereotyped to ignore or smokescreen the obvious disadvantages attributed to minorities, particularly Blacks and Hispanics. They are stereotyped to view any practices that help the disadvantaged as “reverse discrimination,” solely derived on the belief the practices exclude White people.

[edit] White normality

White people are also stereotyped to view the White race as normal, while others are different. Thus, White people believe their race is diverse, whereas “people of color” are all similar. As a result, stereotypes attributed to White people are divided into separate “types.” The types are listed as followed:

• The dumb blonde is a popular-culture derogatory stereotype ^[16] applied to blonde-haired women. The archetypical "dumb blonde", while viewed as attractive and popular, has been portrayed as lacking in both common street-sense and academic intelligence, often to a comedic level. The dumb blonde stereotype is used in blonde jokes.

• Redneck is a disparaging^[17] term that refers to a person who is stereotypically Caucasian and of lower social-economic status in the United States and Canada, particularly referring to those living in rural areas. Originally limited to the Southern United States,^[18] and then to Appalachia,^[19] the term has become widely used throughout North America. Rednecks are often stereotyped as belligerent, beer gulping racists that reside in trailer parks, while also, stereotyped to partake in social taboo acts, such as incest, and use the Confederate flag as a symbol of (White/Southern) pride.

• Valley Girl (or Val, Val Gal) is a term originally referring to affluent upper-middle class girls living in the bedroom community neighborhoods of San Fernando Valley^[20]. Valley girls are stereotyped as young, attractive White females that are conceited and, most notably, use “like” as a sentence modifier. The valley girl stereotype is especially popular within the media, making its way to dozens of teen-based films. Oftentimes, valley girls are stereotyped as “dumb blonds.”

• Wigger (alternatively spelled wigga, whigger or whigga, also known as acting Black) is a pejorative slang term for a White person who emulates mannerisms, slang, and fashions stereotypically associated with urban African-Americans and urban Black British and Caribbean culture, especially in relation to Hip-Hop culture and British Grime/Garage scene.

[edit] Influence on Blacks

Literature in the field of clinical psychology has said that this type of Eurocentric favoritism is indicative of the "pre-encounter" phase in the development of Black identity.^[21] Some studies indicate that Blacks have been unduly influenced by stereotypes of White people.^[22]

[edit] Negative portrayals of other Whites

As the social definition of "White people" has changed over the years, studies have shown that different racial, ethnic and nationalities have different stereotypes of White people.^[23][24] Ethnic groups such as the English, Irish, Italians, and Slavs have been portrayed in popular media and culture in a negative fashion.^[25]

[edit] South Africa

In contemporary South Africa, Boers have been portrayed by media as backward, Hitlerite, overweight, bombastic and conservative.^[26]

[edit] See also

• Acting White
• Aryan race
• Angry White male
• Redneck
• Nordic race
• Stuff White People Like
• White Anglo-Saxon Protestant
• White trash
• List of terms for White people in non-Western cultures

[edit] References

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