Stereotyping (Pg43)

"Stereotyping is a natural human survival mechanism that is a generalization based on limited information, limited interaction, and limited experiences with a person, group, or situation. Stereotypes are simplified categorizations of a person, group, or situation. Many times stereotypes of people are negative or positive conceptions or images that are resorted to because of convenience... When we continue to hold to fixed stereotypes this can manifest itself in negatives ways through our decision making and our superficial interactions with others. Oftentimes, when a person maintains rigid negative stereotypes they are meant to discriminate and to keep a person or group at a distance."


Although stereotyping is a bad thing to do, I believe that everyone has done it at least once or more in their life. I admit that I have stereotyped people before and although we may not mean to do it or are not aware that we do it, we do it. For example when us girls see a guy or someone that may look suspicious walking towards us we try and get out of the way without being so obvious because we do not want anything to happen to us, without even knowing that they may be the sweetest person in the world. But we just like to stereotype the person based on looks before getting to really know them. Another popular stereotype is that all Hispanics are gardeners or cooks and only speak Spanish or that Asians are bad drivers but are really, really smart or that Black people are really loud and eat only fried chicken. All these things are stereotypes that over time we have become so ignorant to believe. Have you ever stereotyped someone? How do you feel about stereotypes?