The dictionary definition of a stereotype is a “fixed, generalized image of a person or thing shared by many people.” In other words you look at someone and judge them by your ideas and your reaction to what they're wearing or who they're hanging out with, without even talking to the person. This all usually starts during childhood. Parents talk about their opinions and the children hear this and are basically taught to think the same things. When people make stereotypes it's usually based on one person or group of people they've known in their life. Say one of those parents knew somebody that was rich and they happened to be stuck up, so now they think anyone rich is stuck up.
Not only parents influence stereotypes, peers do also. Peers tend to think alike about a lot of things. An example of this would be the group of students at school known as "emo". This stereotype has been made about people that wear a lot of black and are upset a lot. Most kids at school don't really understand them, so they don't accept them.
Life experiences can also produce stereotypes. One experience in my life that I think produced a stereotype is being so close to my great grandma when I was young. That has caused a really poitive stereotype when I see old people, as I think of them as really sweet and caring.
Not all steroetypes are bad, but most tend to unfairly judge people.
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Tyler, it looks like you really did your research. This is a good, thoughtout blog. I like all of your ideas.
ReplyDeleteGood job on your blog! You have really good ideas and details. I like how you put an example on how it relates to your life and I can't wait to learn more about it.
ReplyDeleteWell-organized. Can you connect your blog to a secondary source? Can you go into more detail on each point?
ReplyDeleteI like where your'e going with this! I like how you showed that not all stereotypes are bad!
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