Stereotyping

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the role of stereotyping in society, both positive and negative, and assesses the purposes most commonly cited for such groupings. The paper further assesses the middle-class Caucasian male stereotype looking at both the good and bad aspects of the label.

From the Paper:

"Stereotypes can serve a purpose in society that is at least in part positive. The allow us to categorize and group individuals; we can make assumptions based on the historical tendencies associated with those groups on a macro scale. For example, a broad assumption regarding Hispanic culture is that it is more heavily focused on family relationships and traditional values. African Americans tend to be politically more liberal with regard to government benefits and programs. Both of these generalizations can be utilized by politicians and other entities which need to communicate with large groups of society; a politician wanting to demonstrate his understanding and empathy with the Hispanic community might focus on the need to restore a more traditional concept of the family in order to appeal to the broader demographic of Hispanics. Similarly, a community organization wishing to communicate more effectively with first-generation immigrants might run ads or public service advertisements in the native language of that group of immigrants. Although it is a stereotype to assume that first-generation immigrants are more comfortable in their native language than in English, it is a useful assumption and can increase the level and frequency of communication between groups when it is made."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Steele CM. (1998). "Stereotyping and its threat are real." American Psychologist, 53, 680-681
• Webb, Gary (1999). "Report on Operation Pipeline" ACLU California, published online at http://www.aclunc.org/discrimination/webb-report.html

More papers on Stereotyping:

• Term Paper # 121179 : "Gender Stereotyping in Comic Books"
• Term Paper # 145713 : "Stereotyping: Impacts on Social Interaction in Daily Life"
• Essay # 61975 : "Social Stereotyping"
• Analytical Essay # 45387 : "Feminine Stereotyping"

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