Highschool Stereotypes Essay

A stereotype is a group of attributes given to a group of people, most often hurtful and negative and not true.

Stereotypes are different thoughts that a variation of people hold about people who are different from them. A stereotype can be associated with a single word or slogan; such as nerd, or jock. Stereotypes can be expressed in either a negative or positive way. Most people apply stereotypes in a negative way to make them feel more superior over others. The category that most people would place me under would be the classification of an athlete or jock. The jock title that I have been placed under has been with me pretty much my entire life. I have played sports since I was four years old when I first started playing soccer and tee ball. From that moment on I

Stereotype, someone who is regarded as embodying or conforming to a set image or type. This is the main component of the S.E. Hinton novel The Outsiders. The stereotypes in the novel are the Socs and the Greasers. The Socs are the rich kids who don’t have to work for anything, while the Greasers are the poorer kids who have very little. They both live in the city of Tulsa, one group on the Northside and one on the Southside. Outside of these boundaries no-one knows of them but the hatred for each other still plays on their minds.

Stereotype: “To believe unfairly that all people or things with a particular characteristic are the same” (merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stereotype). Everyone, some way or somehow, falls under some sort of stereotype whether it is positive or negative. Throughout my life, I personally have been affected negatively by the stereotype of being a student-athlete through high school and also here at college. Therefore, in this essay, I will explain how the student-athlete stereotype may affect an individual negatively not only in academics or athletics, but also mentally. I will also prove that the stereotype is, for the most part, a false representation of student-athletes.

“A stereotype is a rigid, oversimplified, often exaggerated belief that is applied both to an entire social category of people and to each individual within it. Stereotypes form the basis for prejudice, which in turn is used to justify discrimination and attitudes. They can be positive as well as negative.” Stereotypes exist within any social group, and social group or cliques which are groups of people who share similar characteristics and interests such as the ones priorly said.

Who are you? Five high school students are asked this question at the beginning of a Saturday detention session in The Breakfast Club. This question is not just unique to these students in this high school, but this is a question all high school students attempt to figure out by the time they enter college or join the work force. Unfortunately, a person is often perceived based on stereotypes which does not reveal the true person. In The Breakfast Club, perception of students based on stereotypes leads to biased expectations, isolation, and peer pressure in American high schools.

“Everyone wants to be seen. Everyone wants to be heard. Everyone wants to be recognized as the person that they are and not a stereotype or an image.” (Loretta Lynch). What are stereotypes; they are oversimplified opinions of a person/group that is based on culture, race, personality, and interests. Now, who are those who struggle the most with stereotypes? The answer is rather simple: high schoolers. I firmly state, that stereotypes, among all things, shouldn’t be an extra burden in the life of teenagers, especially those already dealing with other problems.

High School has obviously changed since the 1985 movie, The Breakfast Club, which portrayed different school stereotypes through five students, and how this made them reflect on their identity. In a way, this theme of different High School Stereotypes proves to still be evident in High School today when students

Many students at an array of high schools still make stereotypes like the students make in the movie The Breakfast Club. In The Breakfast Club, the students all make stereotypes immediately after walking in to serve their detentions. By the end, they no longer have the same outlook on the individuals. Without knowing an individual and giving them a stereotype does not always make that stereotype true to the individual. In the movie, Brian was looked to as the brain and the geek; Claire was seen as the princess and the popular girl; Bender was the criminal, and the rebel; Andy was looked to as the jock, the athlete, and “sporto”; Allison was seen as the weirdo and the basket

Smart or dumb, white or black, short or tall, jock or a nerd; These are some assumptions society has come up with. Stereotypes exists in one way or another all around the world, from social class to careers to hair color. The world we live in today has so many stereotypes and misconception regardless of the fact not knowing that person. Our society has grouped individuals based on what they see on the outside and not what’s on the inside. Stereotypes were made so that individuals do not have to take time to get to know someone instead they can judge and get to know them based on what they hear about that particular group. Stereotypes are extended to a point where they become unreal, but no matter how far a stereotype has been taken, the

Each student has their own history, characteristics and behaviors. Honestly, these stereotypes are real, principally during high school, where people start to create their own thoughts, to participate of determined groups and to stablish their own life styles. John, the “easygoing”, has a past full of delicate situations: he suffered by abuse and he does not have a good relationship with his father, who is a drug user. Because of his history, he seems to be disinterested and selfish, the legitimate bad guy. Brian, the “nerd”, has his life based on achieve success in studies. His parents make a huge pressure in his life, so he is always worried about his scholar activities, trying to get the higher grade possible. Because of that, he is treated as unsociable, and he is far from being popular in the school. Allison is “the weird” of the students, she uses strange clothes and has a peculiar style. Her parents do not really care about her, causing this weird behavior. She is quiet, does not talk too much and feels lonely, so she goes to detention by her own desire. Claire, is the “preppy” girl. With a good looking, she is also kind of selfish. Her parents are in a constant fight, which makes her acts like she does. Andrew is “the athlete” of the group. He receives a huge pressure from his parents in all the fields of his life, and he grew up with the thought that “you have to win”, which makes him do things that he does not really want.

All most everyone in there lifetime has stereotyped others are have been a victim of stereotypes. A stereotype is the belief about another culture, race or a person that has no logic or evidence to support there negative thoughts. Many people believe that when a person stereotypes another it is the lack of information or ignorance

The main population accused of stereotyping is teenagers; they are seen as rude and judgmental. For example, in high school the people are divided into groups by how they dress and whom they hang out with. There are the skaters, freaks, preps, snobs, cheerleaders, jocks and nerds. No one person set up

Surviving high school is no easy task. From the very first day of class, students are forced to find comradery in various social circles. These cliques can range from sports jocks, to math and band geeks, to school club members, and to the social outcasts who could care less about school. While there are more various types of groups, the most common are the jocks and the nerds. As far as everybody in the school in concerned, the popular athletes and the “wimpy” nerds are from two very different planets. However, while there are a lot of differences between the two as far as physical appearance goes, I had the honor of being part of both worlds, and I know for a fact that they have more in common than either would care to admit.

The presences of stereotypes are overwhelming and are developed by both the environment a subject is raised in and their family. Stereotypes, which are pervasive throughout different societies, become intertwined in the collective values of the society as justification for all forms of social, economic, and political inequality among groups (Devine and Elliot 2000;Kaplan 2004; Operario and Fiske 2004). As people become more exposed to stereotypes they start to become a permanent part of a person’s life, they begin to stereotype themselves almost always involuntarily.