Stereotypes?

Question

How do stereotypes influence one's life and decisions?Talk about some of the most common stereotypes you have come across so far.

Answer 1

It seems that this question wants you to think about your life and the stereotypes that you have seen or heard specifically. While the above suggestions are excellent ones, what have YOU seen?

For example, do you think it is stereotypical that a lot of shopping centers won't allow groups of more than four teens to walk around together, based on the stereotype that teens are destructive?

What about the concept that blondes are dumb?

As for how they influence life and decisions, take stereotypes that influence you, and think about how your life would be different without them. Also, think about how people act toward each other if they assume that someone is inherently bad due to a surface feature.

Good Luck.

Answer 2

[Can I firstly point out that I don't believe all of these stereotypes to be true.]

Racial stereotypes, e.g. Asian people work really hard at school and all become doctors and lawyers.

Class stereotypes, e.g. upper class British people always talk in snooty voices and drive around the countryside in their 4by4's and go hunting.

Social stereotypes, e.g. the infamous chavs with their tracksuits and reebok trainers.


When walking alone down a quiet street you might cross over the road to avoid passing a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes because that is an image we correspond with paedophiles.

If a group of teenaged boys came into a shop with hoods pulled up, the shop assistant would watch their moves more carefully than they would watch an old woman as it is assumed that they would be more likely to steal something.

You might avoid introducing your parents to a friend/boyfriend/girlfriend with dyed pink hair, tattoos and piercings because your parents would assume that that person would 'lead you astray'.

And so on.
Steretypes effect the way we interact with other people causing us to judge on appearance rather than on character and personality.

Answer 3

People assume the elderly are hard-of-hearing and yell at them.

People assume the elderly are senile and have little to offer society.

People assume that those who are physically disabled are also mentally impaired and have little to offer society.

People assume stay-at-home parents are lazy and don't want to work.

People assume stay-at-home parents are not capable of intelligent or philosophical discussions.

People assume other people are racist, whether they are or not.

People assume immigrants do not speak English, are uneducated, and have little to offer society.

People assume cat lovers hate dogs.

People assume dog lovers hate cats.

People assume that those with a "nerdy" look know how to fix computers.

There are all sorts of stereotypes that are commonplace. For the most part, all they do is serve to create a distance between people that doesn't need to exist. It causes people to miss out on information and wisdom that may have improved their lives.

Answer 4

The most common type for me is the type of music I listen to and that my friends call me rich, my friends call me "White", because I have buy a lot of things or whatever, and because I listen to music groups like Taking Back Sunday, Panic! At The Disco and so on. I also listen to rap, but I would take those groups over rap music anyday. I wish that everyone can expand their minds and listen to different types of music, and you can be african american and have money too. I think it's stupid.

Answer 5

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereotypes

Some that I have heard:

All Mexican-Americans are all illegal aliens (untrue and unfair).
Jews are cheap (studies show they give more than other groups)
Rednecks are stupid (no significant differnce on IQ tests)
African-American man has a big penis (studies show that not to be true).
Blondes are more fun (have not found that true through personal experience).
All men cheat and lie/women don't (women do plenty to and many men don't).

That is a few with some comments from me.

Good Luck!!!