Stereotype

Originally referring to an old-fashioned printing technique, a stereotype was an impression taken from lead type (letters, numbers, and symbols) such that subsequent copies of documents could be made with no changes - essentially a fixed pattern. This technique was generalized into a metaphor for repeating a set of ideas with no changes. Today’s definition of a stereotype remains, in essence, as an oversimplified opinion or an uncritical judgement of some group of individuals who share certain characteristics or qualities.

different culturesStereotyping is often used negatively and, according to Mahazarin Banaji (a psychology professor at Yale University), is “alive and well.” Banaji compiled research data that indicates that, while obvious bigotry may be declining slightly, stereotyping is still prevalent and presents a huge social problem.

To make sense of the world and to give order to our thoughts, we use categories to group people, places, and things. In fact, our ability to categorize and evaluate helps define humans as intelligent beings. Unfortunately, however, categorization has its drawbacks. We have been socialized by family, friends, media, and life experiences, for example, to categorize without sufficient information, to categorize from erroneous information, and to categorize based on atypical experiences. According to Banaji, when we use stereotypes, we observe the gender, age, skin colour, education, and wealth of a person, and our minds respond with messages such as hostile, stupid, slow, lazy, and/or weak. These qualities are not explicit upon looking at a person and/or his or her belongings. These are traits we have ascribed to individuals in the groups into which we have categorized them. Much of this categorization occurs subconsciously and is quite difficult to identify. In short, to confront stereotypes, some of which we do not even know we hold, is quite a challenge.

Take a moment to view the video below that ran as a commercial during the super bowl XLIX  broadcast.  What do you think of when you hear "...like a girl." added to a skill?  This is a great example of a stereotype that many people hold which clearly has no merit.