Sterotyping
Stereotyping People We Don’t Know
PHI 103: Informal Logic
Instructor: Anthony Biduck
February 18, 2013
According to the Dictionary of Psychology, a stereotype is “...a fixed, over generalized belief about a particular group or class of people” (Cardwell, 1996). A good example of stereotyping is anytime a person groups races or individuals together and makes judgments about them, without even knowing them. Stereotypes are often confused with prejudices, because they are both based on assumption. One advantage of stereotypes is that it enables people to respond quickly to situations because they have had similar experiences before. On the other hand, stereotypes make people ignore the differences between individuals; therefore, they think things about other people that may not even be true (i.e. make generalizations) (McLeod, 2008). I believe we are all guilty of some type of stereotyping, even if we don’t recognize it ourselves. The three most memorable stereotypes, which I have personally encountered in today’s society, are racial stereotyping, gender stereotyping, and sexual orientation stereotyping.
Being of African American (Black People) descent, I have seen and have been a part of racial stereotypes. Stereotypes of black people occur when someone, not of the African American descent, believes, for some reason or another, that black people are greater or less than other races. It seems that all my life, I have been picked among the first people, (from a group of my racially diverse friends) for certain games and activities that include running fast and jumping high. It didn’t really bother me until I realized that my team was primarily black players after the choosing of teams was over. I was much younger then and was not aware of stereotypes, and I believe the other children were not aware of what they were actually doing either. This racial stereotyping grouped the African American children in a belief that their race is good
PHI 103: Informal Logic
Instructor: Anthony Biduck
February 18, 2013
According to the Dictionary of Psychology, a stereotype is “...a fixed, over generalized belief about a particular group or class of people” (Cardwell, 1996). A good example of stereotyping is anytime a person groups races or individuals together and makes judgments about them, without even knowing them. Stereotypes are often confused with prejudices, because they are both based on assumption. One advantage of stereotypes is that it enables people to respond quickly to situations because they have had similar experiences before. On the other hand, stereotypes make people ignore the differences between individuals; therefore, they think things about other people that may not even be true (i.e. make generalizations) (McLeod, 2008). I believe we are all guilty of some type of stereotyping, even if we don’t recognize it ourselves. The three most memorable stereotypes, which I have personally encountered in today’s society, are racial stereotyping, gender stereotyping, and sexual orientation stereotyping.
Being of African American (Black People) descent, I have seen and have been a part of racial stereotypes. Stereotypes of black people occur when someone, not of the African American descent, believes, for some reason or another, that black people are greater or less than other races. It seems that all my life, I have been picked among the first people, (from a group of my racially diverse friends) for certain games and activities that include running fast and jumping high. It didn’t really bother me until I realized that my team was primarily black players after the choosing of teams was over. I was much younger then and was not aware of stereotypes, and I believe the other children were not aware of what they were actually doing either. This racial stereotyping grouped the African American children in a belief that their race is good