stereotyping -Tessa Perkins

Rethinking Stereotypes - (Tessa Perkins)

1. Stereotypes are always erroneous in content - I disagree with this as many stereo types can be right because for example if a teenager is living in bad circumstances where a family member drinks a lot then they are more likely to this that it is acceptable and turn to drink and drugs. For example in waterloo road the new character scout becomes a drug dealer because her mother is an alcoholic and cannot be bothered to look after her own children.

2. They are pejorative concepts –

3. They are about groups with whom we have little or no social contact; by implication, therefore, they are not held about one's own group – In some ways I agree with this however some teenager are stereotyped against as some people believe that all teenagers will turn to crime which is not true, and also some teenagers stereotype that teenage boys are lazy. But mainly I agree with this as most people will not stereotype or disrespect against others who are in the same social class as them. 

4. They are about minority (or oppressed) groups- I disagree with this as everyone can be stereotyped against for example old people and teenagers can be stereotyped against and they aren’t a small group as can people who live in specific countries for example all Italians are good cooks they are stereotyped and they are a whole country.

5. They are simple – I agree with this because most stereotypes are because that is what a certain group of people are known to the public because of their actions, and so the types of things they are stereotyped on  are because that is what the public believe all of the group do. For example that all Asian and Indian men are taxi drivers the only reason we have this assumption is because when we going into a taxi there is more likely to be an Indian or Asian man driving it because they have more of the jobs.

6. They are rigid and do not change - I disagree with this as I do believe that stereotype can be changed because if a certain group being stereotyped against make it know to the rest of the society that they don’t do what they are being stereotyped against then the society will start to change their minds and think why are these people being stereotyped against something they don’t do. For example if a teenage girl lives with her mother who is on benefits and has had children from a young age and has made nothing of her life and the teenager girls try to make something of their life the society will this that not all teenage girls in their situation are likely to turn out like their mothers. and also as times move on peoples views have changed for example that women are weaker than men this has changed because women now work and have jobs and ar just as strong as men.

7. They are not structurally reinforced – I agree with this because with most stereotypes they are just assumptions from other groups of people who then put that assumption onto the rest of that social group. For example just because Chinese food is nice people assume that all Chinese people can cook like that.

8. The existence of contradictory stereotypes is evidence that they are erroneous, but of nothing else -

9. People either 'hold' stereotypes (believe them to be true) or do not – I agree with this quote because you cannot be undecided about whether or not you hold a stereotype against somebody however some people stereotype groups of people just do not realize that it is stereotyping.

10. Because someone holds a stereotype of a group, his or her behaviour towards the group can be predicted – I agree with this because if somebody judges a certain group of people then you can predict that they will make their views known to the group and therefore you will be able to predict how they will react to the group.