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Every human wants to classify everything...neat order and categories make the complex easier to deal with. Using it for others is not good, because it makes wrong assumptions and fits things where they don't belong.
Good dai maite. Do you all talk like that. Atleast you guys don't get stereotyped degratingly. The only ones I know are you're really outdoorsy, you talk funny, and in away you're laidback. But seriously the accent is awsome
Gidday maaaate. The stereotyping that you used could just as easily turn around to be used in a derogatory way by those who don't like us or our accents (ie: the English... bloody Poms ) They would say we are lazy, classless and don't speak the Queen's English properly.
Psychologically speaking...yes we need stereotypes. It enables us to make fast choices. For example, guy with a gun. You stereotype him as possibly dangerous. You react. It may in fact mean that said guy with gun may be out hunting or shooting an old car, whatever. Ethnic stereotypes are not always bad. Some are mundane. Would you rather take your French girlfriend who just moved to the US to a cafe or a rodeo? Most likely the cafe. We stereotype the French as cigarette smoking, coffee drinking, art loving people. Stereotypes are bad when you base ALL decisions on them. For example it is wrong to assume that ALL Arabs are terrorists. Stereotypes enabled us, when humans were hunter/gatherers, to know who was with us and who is against us and how to make the best decision as fast as possible. If we were to carefully analyze EVERY situation, it would be too cumbersome. This is why we rely on heuristics.
Really a cultural norm would be a "gentle" stereotype. So like the French liking cafes is a cultural norm, but the assumption made is also stereotypical. Not all French people like cafes. They kind of are the same thing, but more inclusive and less controversial.
i dont know help me out. my elderly friend was kidnaped tortured and severely beaten 4 days ago, but she never never does stereotype. how is that working?
Really a cultural norm would be a "gentle" stereotype. So like the French liking cafes is a cultural norm, but the assumption made is also stereotypical. Not all French people like cafes. They kind of are the same thing, but more inclusive and less controversial.
I think we're on the same page; that being, a cultural norm would be based on actual knowledge of said culture. Conversely, a stereotype is based--as you said--on an assumption of a person or persons' anticipated behavior, thoughts, beliefs, etc.
So it's clear to me that stereotypes are based upon assumptions and a lack of actual knowledge. As such, I can't see how they're necessarily productive or good.
Stereotypes are "shortcuts". They enable people to make sweeping generalizations without having to 'back them up'. Stereotypes can be negative, positive, or neutral...though of course, the negative ones get the most 'press'.
Stereotypes may involve genders, religions, ethnic groups, occupations, hobbies, races, or just about any other 'identifiable' group of human beings.
Negative stereotypes (the ones MOST of us want to discuss) have their "sting", and their ability to offend, because they contain some recogizable grain of truth. A totally irrational stereotype doesn't cause offense, because all involved in hearing it realize it's absurd. Hurtful stereotypes cause their effect because those listening know that there IS some degree of validity in them. They appeal to those seeking to dismiss others (or occasionally even their OWN group) by labeling ALL members of that group by the actions of a few...normally the most 'noticeable' members.
Do we "NEED" stereotypes? That's a good question. While normally we'd have to say "no", and that stereotypes are counter to reasoned discussion, as long as we're going to discuss "groups", it's difficult to envision any way that groups of any kind could be mentioned, without some sort of generalizations being made about them.
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) They would say we are lazy, classless and don't speak the Queen's English properly.
