What is wrong with Stereotyping? Especially if statistics back up the claim?

Question

If a certain group of people are more likely statistically to do something or act a certain way, what is wrong with pointing it out?

Answer 1

It is fine as long as you don't treat people from one of the target groups differently. In a generalization you can state things, but you can't state things about a certain member. Basically, always be yourself.

Answer 2

Stereotypes are not based on facts,stereotypes are "a standardized mental picture held in common by members of a group and representing AN OVERSIMPLIFIED OPINION,AFFECTIVE ATTITUDE,or uncritical judgment(as of a person ,a race,an issue,or an event)."(WEBSTER'S SEVENTH NEW COLLEGIATE DICTIONARY definition).
Stereotyping is a negative, ill-informed,ill-educated,
lower-class,ill-advised thing to do.
Statistics,as any well-informed person can tell you,are not accurate;statistics are often skewed to fit the opinion that they are meant to back up.Statistical merits have been questioned for a long time;there's a famous quote about statistics that should be memorized so people won't be so gullible."There are lies,damned lies...and then there are statistics!"
To use stereotypes to inform an opinion is not the smartest thing to do;you will come out looking like a racist bigot,an uneducated fool.To point out fallacious claims is the height of stupidity as well as ill-mannered buffoonery.Saying that all people of a certain race or group is wrong,showing an incredible lack of knowledge of how social class, education,family standards all help to form a person.

Answer 3

Statistics don't include everybody, that's why. When they say, "Studies show...", all Americans weren't polled on that particular question so if they say "75% of Americans are...", it's still not an accurate statement because everybody in the United States was not asked that particular question. Now as far as crime rates which can be proven, that's a whole different thing. If a certain race committed more crime than another, oh well, nothing can change that. But you shouldn't feel like everyone in that race will commit a crime either. How many people have a Nielson Box in their home to contribute to tv show ratings? Not everyone, I didn't think so. That means even statistics like those are technically inaccurate.

Answer 4

Because statistics are also a form of sterotypes. They exist to provide guidance, not to form judgement.

Ex. They say that drinking (even in very small amounts) statistically is conducive to breast cancer.

What does it mean? that there was a sample group of women who accepted to be part of a statistical study (for money). that half of these women were tee-totalers, other drank wine on occasions, maybe others were heavy drinkers. After some time, their health was reviewed.

Now, for those who had a health issue, do you think it was the alcoohol, or the partying involved, or the stress, or the lack of sleep???

I am driving to the point that statistics are useless when it comes to individual decisions. As much as a glass of wine will not give you cancer, the fact that a person belong to a group does not automatically makes him or her an portrait of the +typical statistic"

Answer 5

Stereotyping is the (bad) habit of grouping otherwise unique individuals together based upon one common characteristic. Also, statistics that "prove " things can often be decieving
For instance:
ICE CREAM CAUSES RAPE!

I can prove this statement to be true based upon statistics. Look at the record of ice cream sales....the more icream that is sold, the more rapes occur. The statistic doesn't take into consideration the facts such as:
more ice cream is sold during hotter weather
When the temperature goes up women wear skimpier clothes
During hotter weather more people sleep with their windows open.

Any intelligent person hears the statement that ice cream causes rape, and that stastics will back up this "fact" , and they want to know the rest of the story.
Unfortunately, the people who believe stereotypes are usually not intelligent people.

Answer 6

Stereotyping boxes people into a static category. Just because something currently is doesn't mean that it always will be. In the long run it hurts both parties, the victim may start to believe the words of others and attach them to his own selfworth, and the person doing the stereotyping may start to believe his words and allow them to affect future relationships. It's just wrong to judge all for the actions of one.

Answer 7

Because some would claim it isn't fair, as ones who don't fit the stereotype also get picked out.

Imagine if there was a stereotype that skiers (I'm kind of assuming you ski based on your user name, and I do ski, so this is a good example) lived life in a reckless fashion. Look no further than Bode Miller! So, based on this stereotype, the insurance companies decide that all skiers have to pay higher insurance to compensate for their "foolishness".

Would that be fair?

Answer 8

There really isn't a problem with this, but the problem with statistics is that they consist of a select groupings, and there are always exceptions to the rule. So, statistcally speaking...statistics arn't the golden rule of thumb in judging people's lifestyles, actions or anything else they apply to.

Answer 9

The answer is simple:
Not every single person in that group will do something or act a certain way.

So tell me again,

what planet are you from?

Answer 10

It's rude.

If that isn't enough of a reason, because even if they are true the majority of the time, or are true in many cases, there will always be at least one instance or person where it is NOT true, and you are then cutting yourself off from a potentially rich experience.

But whatever you do in the privacy of your own home, unconnected to your job, and with your friends while you are drunk is just fine!