Stereotype Stereotypes

We all belong to some kind of group whether we know it or not. We are all a part of something with people that are somewhat alike. Our group, however, does not define us. There will be diversity in the group because everyone is different. In one essay and one poem this theme is developed. Even if you are in a group with people who are very much alike, they may have different opinions and thoughts. So, the group that we’re classified in does not define us.

Everyday humans are affected by negative stereotyping. Stereotyping can have lasting effects on a person. Some people feel like the odd person walking down the street do to stereotyping. Some of the negative effects of stereotyping are inability to focus, performing poorly, and falling into harsh stereotyping.

Right outside a corner store, next to a stoplight, or at a park, there may be a homeless person asking for some sort of help; it can either be for a place to stay, money, or food. Many people are used to categorizing a group of people by a solo characteristic, known as a stereotype. Misconception, on the other hand, is a conclusion of someone or something that is wrong because it is based on faulty thinking or facts. Stereotypes and misconceptions appear to be similar, however, these two are not. A misconception is formed from having a stereotype. Stereotypes and misconceptions are built because many try, but are unable to understand a person or a group, or are just simply unwilling to understand the person or group. There are over a million

Stereotyping leads to prejudice. If I am walking in a park and I see a group of people walking towards me (lets say all are white males) and they are dressed up and look very nice. I do not panic, now another group is walking towards me and now this group is all men (African Americans) and they are dressed and conduct themselves just the same as the first group, but I panicked with this group. Why because I stereotyped the second group and if I was prejudice no matter how they dressed or acted I would be afraid of them because they are black. I judge them based on skin color and not on individuality.

People have a natural tendency to stereotype, given to them the minute they can form ideas. These stereotypes are seen as wrong by the twenty-first century society of America, something humanity should fight within. They are seen as immoral, a human instinct to be fought. Stereotyping is generally viewed as a negative thing: many people even claim it’s evil, a way to oppress those different from others. It is commonly thought to have a major influence on the way people perceive others, often influencing their perceptions negatively, thus being seen as having a bad effect on the way people view other cultures or ideas. However, other people claim that stereotyping can have a positive influence over the lives of others, and is not innately bad. Thus begging the question; is stereotyping inherently bad, or has it done some good for the world too?

Have you ever judged a person by their age, gender or appearance rather than really knowing them? When you meet a tattooed man on the street, your first impression of him might be bad, i.e. a negative categorization, since tattoos are associated with criminals and unemployed people. However, he could be a person who does volunteer and works as a business manager. People tend to automatically categorize a person into groups by visual judgements, demographic features, personality and own perceptions or beliefs (Billig & Tajfel, 1973). Social categorization is a process of classifying people into different groups based on their similar characteristics and group memberships. It is a natural part of social perception and serves a basic epistemic and identity function in organizing and structuring people’s knowledge about the world and make things become manageable in daily life (Bodenhausen, Kang & Peery, 2012). It occurs spontaneously without much thoughts (Crips & Hewstone, 2007). In social categorization, we usually form a general conclusion about other people and begin to respond to them as a member of a particular social group than as individuals. It allows us to communicate and connect with those who share the same or similar group membership. Social groups that we use in social categorization can change under different situations and over time. Whaley and Link (1998) discovered that there is a strong association between categorization and stereotype-based judgments. For

Others. That one word distinctively separates people base on a certain trait or characteristic. Society affects us more than we realize. We are oblivious to fact that we have been categorized in a society particularly due to our race, gender, social class. It affects how we react to certain beliefs or people. Barbara Ehrenreich, Allan G. Johnson, and Austin Fuentes all wrote an essay that examines how closely one factor can lead to labeling a person. Each author has creditability in understanding social issues as they have researched social issues and earned a degree for their knowledge. Each essay from these authors focuses on a different topic relating to how as a society label each concept. The writer’s audience is any individual that

There are billions of people on the earth, so to navigate the social world some labels are necessary. Putting people into groups such

One’s posture is a factor in how they feel and are perceived by society. In Amy Cuddy’s editorial “Your iPhone is Ruining Your Posture - and Your Mood,” and her TED Talk “Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are,” the topic of posture affecting social standing and emotion is explored with research and personal experience. Cuddy seems to firmly believe that posture is a key factor in one’s life. Jane E. Brody also delves into the conversation with her editorial, “Posture Affects Standing, and Not Just the Physical Kind,” in it she also agrees with Cuddy’s side while appealing more to emotion and using some research. Both editorials cover the same topic, but Cuddy’s appears to be stronger as it appeals to more areas of the rhetorical triangle.

Know once you have adopted these three roles, there is another all I would like you to assume, this I think just paints the whole picture, this is sort of the background canvas of which you paint the rest of this portrait. You need to understand something the parents these days have long since forgot, and are going to have to relearn again your grandparents knew this, but today’s generation appearance doesn’t seem to, and that is you do not get to design your children, nature would never have permitted that to, evolution would not have allowed a generation of a species to be so influenced by the previous generation, it hasn’t happened and it doesn’t happen, and it especially doesn’t happen in children, you do not design your children, and

Other racial groups, such as Hispanic and Asian, are identified based on where the individual would fall on the color spectrum. If one has a yellow undertone to their skin, he or she would be considered Asian. If one is a honey-er or warm undertone, he or she could be considered Hispanic. Despite these guidelines, the idea of race is very loose because of racial mixing through marriage. We classify race for the purpose of organization and identity. When one comes to age, he or she often questions their place in the world. Young adults look to discover themselves in all aspects of their lives. This is done through identification and classification. Young children start with classifying items by their surrounding. Colors go with like colors and shapes go with the same shapes. As we grow up, we start to classify more complex ideas like information and people. We label groups for our own

I conceal my face with layers of makeup hoping that half a bottle of BB cream will be enough to make me as flawless as Kylie Jenner look on the cover of Seventeen magazine. I use innumerous acne medications, aspiring to be as unblemished as the girls in the Clean and Clear commercials. I reject bags of M&Ms and fudge brownies thinking that my sacrifices will make me “love my body” as much as the emaciated Victoria Secret models love theirs (see appendix A). I routinely shave my legs and armpits and pluck my eyebrows with fear of becoming the hairy woman the media deems horrendous. I do everything, yet feel like I am nothing. Nothing compared to the beautiful women pictured on television, magazines, and

Who are you? Who am I? These are questions that we all ponder at some point or another in our lives. As human beings we are seemingly inundated with the desire to classify and categorise. We are constantly defining and analysing the differences that we observe in the world, it seems only natural that we would apply this method of classification to our position within our society. More specifically, we want to understand our social identities and this can be achieved by acknowledging which groups we identify most with.

Most people find stereotypes to be obnoxious, especially when they have to do with sensitive subjects like gender or race. “Stereotyping is a generalization about a group or category of people that can have a powerful influence on how we perceive others and their communication behaviors” (Floyd, 61). Because they underestimate the differences among individuals in a group, stereotyping can lead to inaccurate and offensive perceptions of other people. Although stereotypes are prevalent in almost every society, becoming aware of our perceptions of others, as well as differentiating between both positive and negative stereotypes can help us overcome those stereotypes.

We as humans tend to relate to those that are similar to us, and tend to alienate those that we deem as different than us. Whether it is by race, gender, culture, or religion, it is something that is almost always present in human interactions, and often times can be completely subconscious. In our textbook Interpersonal Communication by Kory Floyd, an ingroup is defined as “A group of people with whom one identifies.” An outgroup is conversely defined as “A group of people whom one does not identify.” Henri Tajfel first coined this terminology while he was working to devise his social identity theory. These ideas of classifying people into ingroups and outgroups can lead to many