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Phantom Stereotypes

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Living with a Phantom

America was founded in 1776 and new citizens all had relatively one focus in mind, to survive. Since then foreigners have come to the country, women have become linked to the household, and men have become the dominant members of society. In other words, stereotypes have begun to form. Stereotypes have become an idea that every human; regardless of race, gender, age, etc.; has had to become accustomed to over one’s lifetime. Stereotypes can be found in all defined groups of people, stereotypical characteristics have changed over the years, and one should not let the idea of a “social norm” define one’s lifestyle.

Stereotypes are defined by a fixed idea of a particular group of people or group of inanimate objects. …show more content…

The definition of masculinity has stayed relatively constant throughout the years. Men still dominate the jobs that are arduous, and sometimes dangerous, as compared to the jobs women perform. This makes them appear more attractive to women because they still tend to go for the jocks and the hardest working men, and every once in awhile their first choice is the outcast or the computer nerd (Walker 574). Nowadays some common stereotypes for men are the jocks, the hicks, players, and gay boys. The last two are equivalent to the outcasts of the past. Women’s stereotypes, on the other hand, have changed pretty drastically. Women still have the characteristic of being the cook and of cleaning the house, but they have a few new ones as well. Women have joined the workforce in the past century and this has caused new stereotypes to form. Some stereotypes of women in the twenty-first century are tomboys, white girls, stay at home moms, and others. Unlike men, though, they are marked in their appearance (Tannen 553). Marked means that there is a choice in what to wear, how to do one's hair, and how to act. These can make people judge one another just based upon appearance. For example, a women can choose between wearing jeans, sweatpants, a skirt, shorts, capris, yoga pants, athletic pants, athletic shorts, a romper, or a skort. If a woman …show more content…

Some people have dark skin while others have pale skin, some have dark hair while some have light hair, some people are born disabled while some are born as society's definition of healthy. One thing is the same, all of them are living and breathing. They are all working for the next day and doing things according to what they are able to do. So why, then, does society think it can define everyone in one description? This question may never be answered but one idea is that people want to make themselves feel better. There is one thing for sure though, stereotypes are always going to be in the world and everyone must learn to cope with them. Stereotypes can be found for any categorical group, have changed since they were created, and can be overcome through challenges. As Virginia Woolf once said, “It is far harder to kill a phantom than a reality” (527). The phantom is a stereotype because it cannot be seen or defined as a particular entity. People just have to learn to deal with the phantom.

Works Cited

Brady, Judy. "I Want a Wife." The Language of Composition. Edited by Lawrence Scanlon,

Robin Dissin Aufses, and Renee H. Shea. Second ed. Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. 539-41.

Print.

Cofer, Judith Oritz. "The Myth of the Latin Woman." The Language of Composition. edited by

Lawrence Scanlon, Robin Dissin Aufses, and Renee H. Shea. Second ed. Bedford/St.

Martin's, 2008. 546-51.

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