A big problem in our Modern Society today are the misconceptions and stereotypes that unfortunately have an enormous impact on a community. A stereotype is a generalization about a group of people, in which certain traits cling to all members, regardless of actual individual variation. Stereotypes create a misconception of how people are and how those individuals are in their social lives. Misconceptions are people’s point of view or opinions, they do not go based on facts. Every individual, young or old, is labeled either with a negative or positive perspective or point of view.
A stereotype is a trait, characteristics, motion, even belief that one has or believes about a person of a given demographic group which is then widespread to the whole group. According to Thomas CW (2014). Individuals stereotype one another for any number of reasons including ignorance, bias, prejudice, etc. However, many people stereotype because the world in which we live is so large and complex that it is difficult to comprehend. Therefore, stereotyping provides a means to group and attempt to manage fields of data which are overwhelming.
I believe everywhere in our American society we either stereotype or witness stereotyping because it has become a natural instinct. Psychologists say we categorize -- or stereotype -- by age and race and gender, because our brains are wired to do so automatically (Stossel and Kendall para. 4). The idea of stereotyping spread throughout America in the 20th century. At the end of the 1940s, all the trends
Stereotyping is actually more serious than we thought and it is becoming a major problem in our society today. But what is stereotyping? According to the dictionary, stereotype is defined as “a simplified and standardised conception or image invested with special meaning and help in common by members of a group.” Moreover, it is considered as a form of prejudice, as people are putting labels about how a person should act or live according to their gender, nationality, religion, personality or appearance. This creates pre judgment, including misconceptions, which can develop further, leading to bigger problems and complications. Society can be broken down into many groups or categories and there are all sorts of categories within stereotyping, which are the tools used to stereotype.
According to the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary stereotyping is defined as a fixed conventional notion or conception of an individual or group of people; A standardized mental picture that is held in common by members of a group and that represents an over simplified opinion, prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgment . A stereotype is an often unfair or untrue belief that many people have about all people or things with a particular characteristic and it can be negative or positive. The factors that contribute in the establishment of a stereotype are: Appearance, behavior and attitude: Appearance has to do with a way a person or a thing looks to other people (appearance includes physical characteristic, clothing, gender and the way a person talks). Behavior has to do with typical things that people in a particular group are assumed-expected to do and finally attitude that is very similar to behavior and is the way that people view something or tend to behave towards different situations. All the above characteristics are highly associated with gender, racial, sexual and cultural stereotyping.
Misconceptions are a view or opinion that is incorrect because it is based on faulty thinking or understanding. Stereotypes are often passed down from parents, peers and the media, which is why all the stereotypes still exist and only continue to get worse over time. Stereotypes can also be based on how a particular group has acted in the past causing people to believe that group is still the same now. In the online article, Stereotypes, Saul McLeod explains why we have stereotypes when he states, “The use of stereotypes is a major way in which we simplify our social world; since they reduce the amount of processing (i.e. thinking) we have to do when we meet a new person...by stereotyping we infer that a person has a whole range of characteristics and abilities that we assume all members of that group have.” There are both advantages and disadvantages when it comes to stereotypes.
In the society, the influences of gender stereotyping remain strong. Be it in school and daily life in classrooms. Gender stereotyping in play helps children to develop physically, cognitively, social and emotionally. That is how children learn and how they work out who they are and how they thinks the world works and where they fit it. Playing is one of the wonderful experiences that a child can have.
S tereotypes are perceptive frameworks made up of knowledge and beliefs about specific social groups suggesting all members of these group possess certain traits. (Judd, Ryan, & Park, 1991) In accordion with the Webster’s Dictionary (Webster, 1999), Stereotyping is defined as a fixed standardized notion or conception of an individual or a group of individuals, held in common by a number of people. Stereotypes are commonly formed based on a person’s gender, looks and race which is prejudging the person and labeling the person without really knowing the individual. As people usually have a habit of stereotyping a person from what they see and think, the appearance or look of the individual is the most common cause of stereotyping. For instance,
Stereotypes are a mental picture of a person or a group that is widely believed by many. Misconceptions are suppositions based on stereotypes of a person or group with no source of truth behind it. The difference between a stereotype and a misconception is that stereotypes are said to be “the ugly truth” and are commonly exaggerated whereas misconceptions have no known source of veracity. Misconceptions are often assumptions about a person that someone will make based on first glance. Stereotypes and misconceptions have been around for decades and are quite commonly heard throughout the world, especially in high school.
At an early age, some children are able to distinguish differences between a male and female and the roles usually associated with each. However, even though they are able to relate certain characteristics, symbols, and actions through gender socialization, the unfortunate outcome of stereotyping transpires as a negative product to such a natural human occurrence of observing one’s surroundings and categorizing. Stereotyping gives rise to prejudice, which is an issue that still exists in many places and many adults, teenagers, and even young children practice it. Even though gender stereotyping is useful for the development of a child’s identity and sense of self, different factors of an individual’s environment tends to further reinforce and