Do you believe in racial/ethnic stereotypes?

Question

You see an Asian male and assume he is smart and knows Kung-Fu or see a Black male and assume he is ignorant and a criminal or a Jewish male and assumes he is rich....(you get the point)

Answer 1

Do I believe IN stereotype, as in "Do they exist?" or as in "Do I subscribe to them and act upon them?" YES, they do exist; they are everywhere. Do I practice them? Unfortunately, to my shame, I do succumb to a dumb thought or two in the course of my day.

Answer 2

Great question! As a black woman in America, I know how I feel when others racial profile me and my people, so I resist the urge to do so with other races. I am also careful not to perpetuate ethnic stereotypes. For example, when you see a black male with his pants sagging off of his behind, cussing, talking loud and/or behaving in an unruly and disrespectful manner, can you really be upset about other races assuming he is ignorant? (Especially when I, myself am embarrassed for him and he doesn't have sense enough to be ashamed of himself.) I am not saying it's right, I'm just saying that perpetuating a stereotype is not a wise thing to do.

Answer 3

The odd thing about stereotypes is that there are always going to be a small group of ppl who feel they have to live up to them...and they do. I think that's one of the things that keep stereotypes alive.

I know this is going to sound bad, but I'm still trying to find a down side to the Asian stereotype that they all really smart. It's better than then the one about black ppl and how we're all dumb and go to bad schools. (or worse...don't go to school at all...)

But a stereotype is a stereotype and they ALL should be stopped!

Answer 4

Stereotypes are both positive and negative, and they exist because there is usually some little bit of truth way down inside. Knowing that makes you a much more understanding person. Believing in them 100% is what gets people into trouble. If you completely ignored all stereotypes, you might be ignoring some truths, too.

Answer 5

Racial/Ethnic stereotypes exist! I try not to believe in them but sometimes human folly creeps in and fall for it. Two examples -

1. I grew up in apartheid South Africa. Inasmuch as I have accepted White South Africans, I sometimes believe that their negative attitude towards me is nothing but racism, while the truth might be it's because I've done something or that their personality is bad.

2. Everytime I'm in US (and I've been there more than ten times) I meet someone who tells me that he's afraid to come to Africa because it's a jungle infested with wild animals. So, I tend to believe that every American who's never been to anywhere outside of America has same beliefs.

Stereotyping is bad but it is there. I'm working on it.

Answer 6

I've been to Europe and I know plenty of people from Europe living here. It cuts both ways. Eastern European people tend to very racist from my experience, much more so than people from here - and I live in the South. People from France, Spain tend to think everyone from the American South are inbred racist rednecks. On the other hand, when Americans visit Europe we take with us stereotypes of our own. It's hard to say whether one is more open minded than the next. Europeans do have to live next to people who speak different languages and have different cultures to a much greater extent than Americans, though. But ultimately, I do tend to like people from Europe more than Americans. Edit: I must add that it's not that I think Europe is better than the United State. I just don't think the United States is appreciably superior to any other functioning Western Democracy.

Answer 7

Oh some are true... I'm not racist or something but I do believe that some of them are true. Like if he's black he likes hip-hop, if he's Asian he's smart. And it's not cuz it's stereotype or something, it's cuz i've never met a black or Asian that's not like that. Well, i've never met a black or an Asian, but whatever, you get the point

Answer 8

i try not to. some stereotypes are drilled in to our heads. the thing with stereotypes is that there's truth in them.You may have come across some Asians who are really smart and Some Blacks who are ignorant so on and so forth. Stereotypes are taking the few and having them represent the mass. So i try to take on individuals for who he or she is.

Answer 9

Its human nature... there will always be steretotypes no matter how much people complain about them. I'm black and many times I see black guys and assume they are dumb and have at least two kids with two different women. I guess steretotypes come from a pinch of truth.

Answer 10

I believe in self-fufilling stereotypes. A person thinks that he/she is supposed to be a certain way because of the way he/she looks, so that's how he/she acts. However, due (or thanks, depending on your outlook on the matter ^_^) to the mainstreaming of cultural aspects that were previously kept in close neighborhoods and families (such as the rapper/thug culture) these "self-fufilling cultures" are becoming less of a problem ... with all of the Caucasian "thugs" and African American "preppies", it would seem that people are beginning to feel less like they need to uphold specific cultures simply because of their skin.

Answer 11

I think its human that people pre judge other people before we get to know them but stereotypes are mostly viewed negatively and some can be considered positive...Do I stereotype, I be lying if I said I didnt, should I think us as humans can hurt others by pre-judging before we know them, yes....I think that is one thing, universally people should work on...