Stereotyping is the idea of conforming to a fixed or general pattern; especially a standardized mental picture that is held in common by members of a group and that represents an oversimplified opinion, prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgment.
“Stereotype.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary. 11th ed. 2003.
To most people, stereotyping has the same definition; it means looking at a person’s skin color or race and immediately making assumptions on that person’s behavior based on past experiences with people from that same group. Although one may be from the same group as another person, that does not necessarily mean that he or she acts the same way. Placing such tags on people is an idea that should be put behind us. Every individual should be judged based on his or her actions and their behavior alone, not based on other members of his or her group.
Relevant Quotations
Stereotypes lose their power when the world is found to be more complex than the stereotype would suggest. When we learn that individuals do not fit the group stereotype, then it begins to fall apart.
– Ed Koch
Koch, Ed. “Stereotype Quotes.” BrainyQuote. Book Rags Media Network, Web. 17 Apr. 2013.
Instead of being presented with stereotypes by age, sex, color, class, or religion, children must have the opportunity to learn that within each range, some people are loathsome and some are delightful.
– Margaret Mead
Mead, Margaret. “Stereotypes.” America For Beginners. Word Press, 13 June 2011. Web. 17 Apr. 2013.
There is not a single, thoughtful person living in Bedford-Stuyvesant who will condone lawlessness and criminality, whether committed by white or black people. By the same token these same thoughtful people don’t want to find that the area in which they live is designated as a crime belt, in which persons from other parts of the city may fear to travel.
– Henry K. Ashcroft
Wilder, Craig Steven. A Covenant with Color: Race and Social Power in Brooklyn. New York: Columbia UP, 2000. Print.
