Sterotypes Essay, Research Paper
– “Dumb jocks!”, “Women don’t belong there, doing that!”, “He must be a
criminal, just look at his clothes.” How often have we heard somebody
mention these things, yet, how often have we said something similar? Our
society is based on face values where we categorize people because of
the actions of a few. All of the above statements are prejudicial
notions used to define members of a social or an ethnic group, and are
called stereotypes. Unfortunately, stereotypes negatively affect our
ability to understand members of a different group or ethnicicity, and
are we usually resistant to change because of them. We stereotype
various groups of people, but none like professional athletes, women,
and different ethnic groups in our country. Professional Basketball,
Football, and Baseball players have been the victims of many
stereotypes. Hearing people call them dumb is common. A misconception by
many people is that pro athletes aren’t educated. This is such a farce
since the vast majority of them have attended prestigious colleges and
universities, and received degrees in different fields of study. A
popular misconception is that the educations they did earn were in areas
like Liberal Arts, or other general fields of study which didn’t
challenge their mental capabilities. Another stereotype is that pro
athletes received preferential treatment while in college. Many believe
that if an athlete needs a certain grade to remain eligible to play
sports, then the faculty would grade him or her lighter than the rest of
the class. We have also stereotyped athletes as “above” the law. There
have been, on occasion, incidents where a pro- athlete is treated better
by the justice system than an average citizen wo! uld be in the same
situation. We are satisfied to say it’s because of the athletes fame and
wealth, but fail to realize that it was probably a first offense, or to
follow the story up and see that punishment was dealt accordingly.
Additionally, we have frequently stereotyped women, especially at the
workplace. Women are always associated in business with jobs such as
secretaries, nurses, customer service, and anything that needs a
“womans” touch. They are rarely thought of as the CEO of a corporation,
or as the Vice President. When women are in positions of authority
however, we
they give orders. At home, we stereotype women as well. Washing the
dishes, folding the laundry, cooking the meals, and taking care of the
children are all associated as a woman’s responsibility. Women are also
seen as passive and submissive to their husbands in the home. The way a
woman dresses, or the color of her hair is enough for many men to
stereotype women. We have always looked upon blonds as air headed, with
big white teeth, a high-pitched voice, and a wad of Dentine bubble gum
in her mouth. As well, we have stereotyped women that dress in tight cl!
othes, or short skirts almost instantly as being promiscuous. Finally,
the most common stereotypes are those which we have aimed at different
ethnic or racial groups. African-American stereotypes are the most
obvious. We have often stereotyped Young black men as gang members
solely because of the kind of clothes they wear. The media constantly
blasts images of black men involved in crime and gang-banging across the
six o’clock news, but hardly ever the White or Asian doing the same. We
have also stereotyped African- Americans as the largest ethnic group on
public assistance, which is not true at all. It just seems that way
because people are ignorant to the fact that whites make up most of the
welfare system. We have also stereotyped them as superior to other races
involved in sports. They can jump higher than everyone else, run faster,
and have better balance because of their “extra” muscles. It may seem
this way when we watch sports on television, and it does seem that way
at times, nonetheless though it is a stereotype. Stereotypes are
products of our own individual inadequacies. They make us feel better
about ourselves because we can point the finger at a person, and label
not only him or her, but an entire group. Stereotypes seem harmless at
first, but overtime they cause serious damage to our society. Because of
them, we have become narrow minded and less receptive to people
different from us. Stereotyping a person, or a group of people, is
easier than it is to get to know them. Stereotypes are just another
product of our society which puts more value on what an individual
possesses rather than who a person is. Sadly though, stereotypes will
remain.
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