Abstract This research work is a generalization of the investigated data and sources of the problem of stereotypes and prejudice towards people from different countries and nationalities. The primary objective of this study is to define the terms "stereotype" and "prejudice" for a better understanding of the problems arising in the communication and interaction between people. To demonstrate, as the examples in this paper will be presented to the main models of stereotypes that have developed in people's thinking during the existence of mankind as a whole. It is also worth noting that stereotypical thinking often leads to multiple problems in communication and life, for example: to work in an international environment, and
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.
This demonstrates that multiple women have experienced mistreatment and disrespect by men. To elaborate, this example reveals that women relate to the situation to the extent of it resulting in a murder. The statement “I know how things can be for a women” proves that women have it difficult by their husbands, due to gender stereotypes. This gender stereotype is also discussed in “Philosophical and Political Issues Surrounding Gender.” The main argument of this source is that women are viewed as lesser than men, even though women have accomplished a lot in society. The effects of this gender discrimination is that women are powerless when it comes to many roles in society.
This stereotype influences how women are raised, which influences later decisions in women’s lives. This stereotype infers that women should pursue ‘simpler’ jobs or not work at all. In the article, “Gender Discrimination Is at the Heart of the Wage-Gap,” by Anthony P. Carnevale and Nicole Smith, these aspects are discussed. They say, “Young girls and young women do not make choices about what to study and where to work in a vacuum. They make them under the influences of peers, family members, and adults who tell them, through words and actions, the subjects, majors and careers that are acceptable for them to choose.
Following the stereotypes, one can simplify the whole picture of the world and make it more comprehensible. But very often the stereotypes appear to be too generalized or wrong. One of the crucial social issues in the United States is constant racial stereotyping of ethnic minorities, which leads to the emergence of such phenomena as racism and discrimination. Brent Staples in his essay “Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space” and Judith Ortiz Cofer in her work “The Myth of the Latin Woman: Just Met a Girl Named Maria” both make several important observations about the biased attitude of the whites to ethnic minorities in the United States. Although both authors present their own life experiences and reveal the harmful consequences of racial stereotyping in the society their points of view on the ways of avoiding the conflict situations based on those misunderstandings are different.
Recent research has shown that racial stereotyping can alter a person's professional identities by redirecting their aspirations and career paths. (Steele, James & Barnett, 2002). In an effort to remove themselves from under a stereotype threat, individuals sometimes aim to follow a profession different in its entirety from what the stereotype has presented. For example, when the racially stereotyped professional domain is something as fundamental as mathematics, domain avoidance essentially produces careers in sciences, engineering and technology. This allows for an expansion and diversion from the regulated path which encourages creativity and an emphasis placed on an individual's talent.
These stereotypes have been defining what men and women should do and how they should behave. They were also determining the characteristics that each gender is considered to have, in the society’s eyes. The major problem why these stereotypes and hierarchies are still holding on, is the fact that people, men and women, do not have their actual beliefs and expectations and they just accept the way that the society formed and teaches them to believe about genders and this creates an even more intense discrimination. If people were forming their own beliefs and judgements about genders and accept females and males, both as equal, there would be less discrimination (The Guardian, 2013). Gender inequality at the workplace can be easily noticed through examples of events that happen when it comes to employability or even at work time.
This article discusses what gender stereotypes are, the groups of people they affect the most, and the laws that are to prevent gender stereotyping. The typical male is seen as emotionless, manipulative, intelligent and violent, while the typical female is seen as emotional, kind, helpless and fearful. These gender stereotypes do more harm than good, as often when people do not fit a stereotype, they become confused as to where they truly belong in society. As stated by Robert Kimbrough in his article “Macbeth: The Prisoner of Gender”, people who follow their respective stereotype completely “are prevented from attaining and maintaining a full range of human character traits because of cultural attempts to render some exclusively feminine and some exclusively masculine” (176). In this article, Kimbrough
Sexism is a prevalent issue that society struggles with due to the many negative stereotypes that are created like putting labels on how someone should live and act according to their gender. Sexism and stereotypes are not just a current issue but an issue that has been occuring forever. People are not just born sexist but when exposed to them it can affect them. “According to the article “Long-term Effects of Stereotyping” published in psychcentral.com, Rick Nauert argues how people can be affected by stereotypes even after being exposed to them.” (George,7). Some stereotypes include that women “ are not as strong as men” or that “women can’t be athletic”.
Stereotyping is a way of categorizing certain groups of people or types of individuals with regards to gender, race, culture, religion etc. Stereotyping arises from prior assumptions due to influences by the media, history and personal experience. The statement: “To gain an understanding of the world we need to make use of stereotypes,” appears that stereotyping is required in order to really understand the world, and knowledge issues can be drawn from this statement: Does stereotyping prevent us from knowing someone truly and how are stereotypes created in the first place? One way to examine and discuss the knowledge issues is to look at different areas of knowledge, which in our case will be History and Human Science. Since the concept of stereotyping holds a broad scope, the essay will narrow down the focus to ethnic groups and their culture.