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Stereotype

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For the term used in computing, see stereotype (computing).
For the term used in its original printing sense, see [[:etymology below]].
For the 1996 Blur single, see Stereotypes (song).

Stereotypes are ideas held about members of particular groups, based solely on membership in that group. They are often considered to be negative or prejudicial and may be used to justify certain discriminatory behaviors. More benignly, they may express sometimes-accurate folk wisdom about social reality.

Description

Assumed characteristics on a large group of individuals whose beliefs, habits, and realities often disagree with the imposed image.

Stereotype production is based on:

  • Simplification
  • Exaggeration or distortion
  • Generalization
  • Presentation of cultural attributes as being 'natural'
  • Unshakable belief in stability of stereotype
  • Racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination
  • Historical factors
  • Guilt by association[citation needed]
  • can be negative or positive
  • can be beneficial or harmful (a harmful stereotype can still be positive about a group)

Stereotypes as Harmful

Stereotypes are seen by many as undesirable beliefs imposed to justify the acts of discrimination and oppression. It is thought that education and/or familiarization can change these misbeliefs. Other negative effects are:

  • justification of ill-founded prejudices or ignorance
  • unwillingness to rethink one's attitudes and behavior towards stereotyped group
  • self-fulfilling prophecy for both stereotyping and stereotyped group (White people treat black people in a more hostile way due to being afraid of them. Black people accordingly react more aggressively, thus confirming the stereotype...)

Uhealthy stereotypes can be negative or positive, even for the same group: Black men are generally supposed to be good musicians and basketball-players, but at the same time seen as aggressive and likely to take and sell drugs. The effects, of stereotypes, too, can have positive and negative effects: Students who were implicitly made aware of their gender behaved as the stereotype suggested:

Asian-American women performed better in maths-tests when being aware of being Asian, and did worse when being reminded of being women.[1]

Stereotyping can also be created by the media showing an incorrect judgment of a culture or place, making people into stereotypes.

Often the terms stereotype and prejudice are confused:

  • Stereotypes are a generalization of characteristics; they reduce complexity, provide stability and also can offer opportunities to identify oneself with others.
  • Prejudices are either an abstract-general preconception or an attitude towards individuals.

Stereotypes as Beneficial

Stereotyping, while seen by many as negative and harmful, has a number of beneficial uses for societies. One of these is in the purpose of uniforms which encourage a healthy stereotype to facillitate public service (such as a fireman or police officer) or a business. In many cases, it is not practical to know an individual in order to quickly make an important assesment, hence the need for people to make judgments about an individual based soley upon membership in a group (definition of stereotype) becomes important. For example- one who is fleeing a fire and sees someone wearing the uniform of a firefighter will immediately make special judments about that individual such as strength, knowledge of the situation, willingness to help, etc. These judgments were not made due to any individual knowledge about the person, but were made soley upon idenfitication of group membership. That the fleeing individual was able to recogninze the firefighter means the healthy stereotype was successfully learned. What if the fleeing individual had never learned of the firefighter stereotype? Another example is to consider being lost in a large store, uncertain of where to find a particular item. Upon seeing someone wearing a store uniform, a judgment is immediately made about that individual that he or she is willing to help us find the item. In this case, to see someone wearing a store uniform to make judgments about that person regarding the business is highly useful, not just for the customer, but also for the businenss (facillitating customer service). In these examples, and in numerous others, stereotyping is an essential and healthy way in which people, business, and societies function.

As a Cognitive Tool

In contrast to much thinking, which has roots in Renaissance ideology and liberal humanism (Pinker, 2002), some stereotypes are not the product of society rather they are one more tool the mind uses to navigate its complex environment (Lee et al. 1995). Indeed, arguably the most intricate and important ability the mind needs is to be able to perceive others. How is this achieved? Theorists have argued that rather than perceiving people according to their idiosyncratic characteristics they might do so according to their social category (e.g. German, grandma) and in so doing reap the information about that group (e.g. efficient, slow) from memory without having to perceive it (see Macrae and Bodenhausen, 2000), which may be an altogether less effortful process (Britton and Tesser, 1982). Such structures also sensitize perceivers to invariant features (e.g. the messy German, the punk grandma) affording the perceiver flexibility as well as predictability (Johnston and Hawley, 1994). As Gilbert and Hixon (1991) have commented, the ability to use the past as a guide to the present is a very handy tool.

In other words, stereotypes are a result of our need to selectively perceive our environment. We notice, remember and store the information that is most noticeable (e.g. most strange, different, pleasing or detestable about someone) and that which confirms what we already seem to know. Thus stereotypes help us to 'understand' and structure the complex world around us, because they are 'useful' simplifications. They provide stock-information about what to expect and how to act concerning certain groups of people. However, direct contact with members of this group may modify the stereotype by adding more and more details, until finally it has to be given up, because the necessary oversimplification and generalization are no longer appropriate. [2])

Stereotype inevitability

The conditions under which stereotypes become activated is currently under scientific investigation. However, from a few decades of research (e.g Macrae and Bodenhausen, 2000) it appears that stereotypes are activated automatically and inevitably in the majority of situations. See stereotype inevitability for a more detailed article on this issue.

Stereotypes of groups

Common stereotypes include a variety of allegations about groups based on age, ethnicity, gender, nationality, profession, sexual orientation, race, religious belief, size, physical appearance, social class (see social stereotype). Stereotypes can also be based on individual handicaps.

Stereotypes within groups

A variety of stereotypes usually exist within major social groups, and relate to the variety of identified that exist within their own group.

Stereotypes in culture

Stereotypes are common in the world of drama, where the term is often used as a form of dramatic shorthand for "stock character". In literature and art, stereotypes are clichéd or predictable characters or situations. For example, the stereotypical devil is a red, impish character with horns, bifurcated tail, and a trident, whilst the stereotypical salesman is a slickly-dressed, fast-talking individual who cannot usually be trusted. The Italian Commedia Dell'arte was known for its stock characters and stock situations, which could be considered drama stereotypes. Throughout history, storytellers have drawn from stereotypical characters and situations, in order to quickly connect the audience with new tales. Sometimes such stereotypes can be very complex and sophisticated, such as Shakespeare's Shylock in The Merchant of Venice.

The instantly recognisable nature of stereotypes mean that they are very useful in producing effective advertising and situation comedy. Media stereotypes change and evolve over time - for instance, we now instantly recognize only a few of the stereotyped characters shown to us in John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress. The teen sitcom, Saved By The Bell features a typical group of high school stereotypes such as a "class clown" (Zack Morris), a "jock" (A.C. Slater), a "nerd" (Samuel "Screech" Powers), a cheerleader (Kelly Kapowski), a feminist (Jessie Spano) and a superficial fashion plate (Lisa Turtle).

Etymology

The word stereotype was invented by Firmin Didot in the world of printing; it was originally a duplicate impression of an original typographical element, used for printing instead of the original. American journalist Walter Lippmann coined the metaphor, calling a stereotype a "picture in our heads" saying "Whether right or wrong, ...imagination is shaped by the pictures seen... Consequently, they lead to stereotypes that are hard to shake." (Public Opinion, 1922, 95-156). To note, cliché and stereotype were both originally printers' words, and in their literal printers' meanings were synonymous. Specifically, cliché was a French word for the printing surface for a stereotype.[3]

Ethology

In ethology, stereotyped behaviour or fixed action pattern is an innate, pre-programed response that is repeated when an animal is exposed to an environmental innate releasing mechanism.

See also

Lists

References

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