WhAt AbOuT tHe StErEoTyPeS?


Stereotypes often form the basis of prejudice and are usually employed to explain real or imaginary differences due to race, gender, religion, ethnicity, socio-economic class, disability, occupation, etc.

A stereotype can be a conventional and oversimplified conception, opinion or image based on the belief that there are attitudes, appearances, or behaviors shared by all members of a group.

Stereotypes are forms of social consensus rather than individual judgments. Stereotypes are sometimes formed by a previous illusory correlation, a false association between two variables that are loosely correlated if correlated at all. Stereotypes may be occasionally positive.

A stereotype is a fixed idea that people have about what specific social groups or individuals are like, especially an idea that is wrong. Other terms that are associated with the term stereotype are prejudiceand cliché. The term has a greek origin: stereos means solid or firm and typos mean blow, impression, engravedor mark. The term was first used in the printing business. The first modern English use of the term was in 1850, meaning “image perpetuated without change.”

Because stereotypes are standardized and simplified ideas of groups, based on some prejudices, they are not derived from objective facts, but rather subjective and often unverifiable ideas. As Sociologist Charles E. Hurst states* “One reason for stereotypes is the lack of personal, concrete familiarity that individuals have with persons in other racial or ethnic groups. Lack of familiarity encourages the lumping together of unknown individuals”.

The existance of stereotypes may be explained by the need of groups of people to view themselves as more normal or more superior than other groups. Consequently, stereotypes may be used to justify ill-founded prejudices or ignorance and prevent people of stereotyped groups from entering or succeeding in various activities or fields. The stereotyping group are, generally, reluctant to reconsider their attitudes and behavior towards stereotyped group.

Stereotypes may affect people negatively. This includes forming inaccurate and distorted images and opinions of people. Stereotypes may also be used for scapegoating or for making general erroneous judgements about people. Some stereotyping people may feel confortable when they prevent themselves from emotional identification with the stereotyped group, which leads to xenophobic or racist behavior. Finally another serious concequence of sterotypes is the feeling of inferiority that the stereotyped people may have and which may impair their performance.

*Hurst, Charles E. Social Inequality: Forms, Causes, and Consequences. 6. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc, 2007

Source: Wikipedia

VIDEOS ABOUT STEREOTYPES


April 17, 2012
Categories: Uncategorized . . Author: Teacher Lorena Reyes . Comments: Leave a comment

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  • URBAN TRIBES

    An urban tribe is a group of people who behave according to the ideologies of a subculture that originates and develops in the atmosphere of a city.

    According to the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Sociology, the concept of tribe is defined as follows: ethnic unit is characterized by linguistic and cultural homogeneity, collective consciousness and sense of belonging and place of residence by common or emigration. Essential for the tribe are common symbols, traditions and collective sale stable hegemonic.

    Some critics and analysts say that the phenomenon of urban tribes is nothing more than the pursuit of young people so dear that identity. When a youth is coupled to a society that has the same trends, fashions and thoughts that he, this will feel so identified with the group as their symbols, and fashions, and some tribes are more intolerant than a group of opposing tendencies, which could lead to violence.

    The identity of each of these tribes vary according to their ideology and the individual, for example, while the skinheads are violent tendencies, the hippies do not compete against any group, they are pacifists and there is one group that will be fully opposite.