Definition of Stereotypes
What are Stereotypes?
A perfect definition of stereotypes is that they refer to an image or images generalized about a certain social group oversimplified based on assumptions or by looking at the physical attributes of another individual from that particular group. These assumptions can take a positive or a negative form (McGarty, Spears & Yzerbyt, 2002). Stereotypes can be formed as a result of social categorization; this is the way individuals are thought of in terms of their group membership. By categorizing people according to group memberships just like objects, it changes the way we respond to those specific people. We stop responding to those people as individuals but rather as members of a social group hence leading to creation of stereotypes (McGarty, Spears & Yzerbyt, 2002). They normally originate when some individuals have evident behavioral information of one person from a certain group leading to generalization of the entire group, thereby correlating all individuals with that assumption (McGarty, Spears & Yzerbyt, 2002). For stereotypes to occur, essay writers in the USA note that people tend to overlook factors that may disprove the assumption and exaggerate those factors that support the assumption. They normally exist by people’s perception of other people’s races, cultures and ethnic groups and this known as racial stereotypes.
Effects of Stereotypes based on Definition of Stereotypes
Stereotypes affect an individual negatively which makes that particular individual to be discriminated basing on race, religion, culture, etc. Therefore this problem can be reduced by reframing the task. through the definition of stereotypes, it is true that they can occur in instances where the task described is associated with poor performance thus highlighting certain social identities as victims (McGarty, Spears & Yzerbyt, 2002). Modification of the task description is most important in eliminating stereotypes such that stereotypes are not being raised any more. For example, writers who offer essay help online at Edudorm indicate that taking the stereotype based on gender; women are always assumed not able to perform specific tasks, however by recruiting them in those specific tasks disproves the view of stereotypes.
References
McGarty, C., Spears, R., & Yzerbyt, V. Y. (2002). Stereotypes as explanations: The formation of meaningful beliefs about social groups. Cambridge [u.a.: Cambridge Univ. Press.
