How often do we evaluate people by their gender, believe that teenagers cannot judge life, and people from different cultures all have certain characteristics?
At the same time, it turns out that a German is not necessarily a pedant, a blonde may turn out to be a doctor of science, and a seventeen-year-old boy sometimes has more knowledge than a thirty-five-year-old man. Only stereotypes do not disappear because of this, this is their nature - having encountered an exception, a person sweeps it aside, and, on the contrary, stores up confirmations, thereby strengthening the stereotypical idea. What is a stereotype and why do we have so many prejudices about different groups of people?
A stereotype in social psychology is a fixed, generalized belief about a specific group or class of people, usually colored by emotions, although there are also neutral ones. The meaning of the word “stereotype” translated from ancient Greek is “volumetric imprint”. Previously, the word was used to refer to monolithic printing plates.
There are other uses of the word that are similar in original meaning. According to Pavlov and his followers, a dynamic stereotype is a complex system of conditioned and unconditioned reflexes, which is formed due to the influence of a repeated set of stimuli. And in psychiatry, the word “stereotypy” means deviant behavior in intellectual disorders - these are complex or simple actions and phrases that are meaninglessly repeated.
History and highlights
The reasons for the emergence of stereotypes lie in social learning. Group norms, the views of loved ones, the media, anecdotes, stories, and sometimes real experience are at the basis of their rooting and development. We are told a lot of information about the world before we have the opportunity to experience it ourselves. Therefore, Lipman argues that we first know and then observe.
The functions of stereotypes are varied. Here are some of them that have received special attention from scientists:
- Monitor social behavior (habits, relationships with parents, family members, elderly people and children, traditions, customs, religion and much more).
- Provide assistance in identifying with a group or refusing to belong to a group.
- Simplify thinking (saving resources).
Behavioral stereotypes are tenacious, arise spontaneously, and are extremely difficult to eradicate. Even the results of bias tests of people who claim not to adhere to stereotypes show that unconsciously they do share them.
When asked what stereotypes are, many psychologists spoke out. Pochebut draws attention to the following types of stereotypes: perceptions, interpretations of behavior and behavior itself. One can also distinguish racial or ethno-national, social status, role, aesthetic (for example, assessing a person by the “beauty” of a person), verbal-behavioral, gender and age stereotypes.
Flaws
Stereotypes of behavior and thinking have become one of the leading topics in. The key disadvantage of stereotypes is that they ignore differences between specific people. On their basis, discrimination may arise. According to Pochebut, prejudices and prejudices are stereotypes of false interpretation of behavior, and discrimination is a stable stereotype of behavior based on prejudices and prejudices.
Positive stereotyping may be no better than negative stereotyping. Many people perceive beautiful people as kind, pleasant, smart, and purposeful (according to Miller's research). Their achievements and abilities are also assessed.
Rean gives an example of an experiment in which teachers had to evaluate students on personal matters. Some cases were accompanied by a photograph of a handsome and serious young man, while others were accompanied by an unattractive and foppish young man of the same age.
The point was that there was only one personal matter. In both cases, and for all teachers. But the characteristics that were given in the personal file were fundamentally different. Those teachers who saw the case with the handsome young man assessed the student positively; the second photo led to negative characteristics.
When you hire someone for a job or talk about the professional qualities of a colleague, are you sure that you are not looking primarily at appearance? Perhaps the one who is perceived as the standard of hard work is a nice lazy person?
Sword of Damocles: the threat of confirmation of prejudices
The danger of stereotypes is not limited to the fact that we treat people with prejudice. In addition, they can significantly harm the development of the individual and his self-awareness, add anxiety and expectation of failure to a person’s actions, and generally reduce productivity. Even if a person does not believe that stereotypical thinking is attributed to him as a representative of a particular group, he still experiences the influence of stereotypes, even when he is simply aware of them.
A person hears or knows that he is perceived as a representative of a group; if social beliefs regarding this group are negative, then the person begins to worry that his actions will not confirm the opinion of society. According to test results, people in a state of threat of stereotype confirmation increase their blood pressure and heart rate, and their cortisol levels increase.
For example, gender stereotypes indicate that women are less capable in mathematics than men. If girls are reminded of common stereotypes about women before they sit down to solve problems related to mathematics or logic, they will cope worse with the problems than those girls who were not reminded of these thoughts.
Ethnic stereotypes have the same negative impact, as shown by Steele and Arons in 1995. When black students were told the purpose of the study was to measure intelligence, they performed worse than when they simply solved the problem. Rean emphasizes that it is ethnonational prejudices that are most often groundless and harmful; they do not contribute anything to understanding a person.
Stereotypes in society are so pervasive that children already know their place in first grade, according to a 2008 study by Desert, Preaux and Jund. Children from families with low socioeconomic status performed differently on tests measuring intellectual ability depending on whether the children were told during instruction that they would be assessed. In contrast, the test results of children from families with high social status did not depend on the content of the instructions.
Consequences and struggle
Every time they experience anxiety and end up with poor results, they withdraw from these activities. Moreover, people who frequently experience this phenomenon are more likely to experience depression.
How to get rid of stereotypes and their harmful influence? Thoughtful and open communication with other people will help, although it will take a very long time to get rid of ingrained prejudices, gradually: by getting to know people, gaining experience, and not being afraid to accept it, we can come closer to a better understanding of them, and stereotypes will no longer be needed.
There are several effective techniques that together will reduce the negative consequences of the phenomenon of stereotype threat in a person:
- Help a person reorient attention and identify with another group.
- Do not mention stereotypes, remove all possible references to them, the atmosphere should be generally neutral.
- Divert attention. In order for negative prejudices to have less of an impact on a person, you can include him in activities where he will not have to worry about them for a while.
- Talk about the very existence of the “stereotypical threat.”
- Debunk stereotypes and prejudices by appealing to scientific sources.
- Provide examples that challenge prejudices (girls taking math tests are shown women who have achieved great success in mathematics), eliminate the division into purely male and female spheres of activity.
- Emphasize the role not of group, but of individual characteristics necessary for success in the activity under discussion. This is especially true for teachers and educators: gender stereotypes often lead to a lack of motivation in girls or boys in an area of activity that is labeled in society as strictly “boyish” or “girlish.”
- Explain that each of our abilities can be developed more, and everything that we do not yet know how to do or know can be learned, thereby increasing our success in any field of activity.
By using stereotypes, we simplify the social world. Stereotypes of thinking or the habit of thinking in stereotyped ways lead to the fact that we cannot approach reality creatively and perceive only general patterns, looking for a reason to use a stereotypical reaction. Openness to new things, the ability to accept and realize your mistake, not to be afraid of facing the unknown - all this makes life more exciting, and prejudices are weaker, and allows you to communicate with people, and not with our ideas about them. Author: Ekaterina Volkova
Social stereotypes are that moment in the life of every individual that has a huge impact on all aspects of his life. However, in modern society it is not customary to think seriously about this topic. After all, the stereotype simply exists, and its destruction is sometimes regarded as a direct protest against society with all its foundations.
A person’s place in society undoubtedly implies his belonging to one or another social group. And it is this group that dictates those beliefs and attitudes towards other social groups, which can either simplify life in modern society or significantly complicate it.
The article will talk about how sometimes it is important to get rid of the consequences of general socialization and pay more attention to your own judgments. This factor can not only help to be more tolerant of other members of society and those moments when the situation requires it. This can also happen in personal self-realization, because it begins precisely with an objective perception of one’s social group, and therefore of oneself. Next, we will consider those factors that directly influence a person’s place in society, how much these ideas can help in life or, conversely, interfere with ideas about the real state of affairs and one’s capabilities.
What factors shape public stereotypes?
Society's stereotypes are a vicious circle. They are determined by the opinions of individuals, and at the same time, stereotypes form this opinion. Naturally, it cannot be said that society’s stereotypes do not change over time, and they are not affected by external factors occurring in the world. However, this happens very slowly. Sometimes they are the inhibitory factor that prevents us from adapting in time to changes in the life of the same society or its individual cell.
So what exactly influences each representative so strongly that this vision of the situation in the future does not allow him to look at things sensibly? The first is precisely the structure of society in which each of its representatives lives. Secondly, this is a family with all its foundations and ideas about exactly what niche in society it occupies and what place social stereotypes occupy in its life.
Of course, if we are talking about how strongly this influence affects individual representatives of society, then the character of each of them and the tendency to act in accordance with these stereotypes also plays a significant role.
Positive and negative aspects of social stereotypes
Such a phenomenon as stereotypes in modern society is undoubtedly a necessity, without which this society cannot be imagined. However, it also carries with it some dangers that can seriously affect the ability of individual members of society to self-realize and determine their own personality in this very society.
Pros: public stereotypes can simplify the idea of individual representatives of one of the social groups. They are one of the components of correct public perception, and therefore correct communication. It is stereotypes that can be the winning factor that can give a person the opportunity to raise his personality above representatives of a lower, in his opinion, social group.
Minuses: if an individual belongs to a relatively low social group, this factor can significantly hinder his self-realization and development as an individual. In addition, stereotypes interfere with the objective perception of both social groups as a whole and their individual representatives. Thus, in this case, social stereotypes can only be an advantage for those who consider themselves to be a member of a social group that is, for some reason, superior to some other group.
If we take into account modern social foundations directly, the disadvantages here significantly outweigh the advantages. This is due to modern opportunities for self-realization associated with the availability of training, communication between different social groups and going beyond the boundaries that society sets for any of its representatives.
This topic more than ever affects representatives of modern youth, whose social stereotypes are still being formed and can be much more flexible than those of the previous generation. Today it is very important to make young people understand that some frameworks can only limit the capabilities of both each individual representative of society and entire social groups.
It is worth noting that this problem is already extremely relevant among sociologists and psychologists. And it concerns not only the CIS countries with their Iron Curtain period. Likewise, in more developed countries, sociologists draw attention to the fact that social stereotypes can negatively affect people’s ability to self-development and their formation in society.
Conclusion
What conclusions can be drawn from all of the above? Sociologists and psychologists have long agreed that you should first of all rely on your own opinion about various aspects of modern life. Of course, your own choice can be made only through self-education and an objective assessment of both your personality and the social group to which each of its representatives belongs.
The stereotypes of society today are not the vicious circle that determines the entire life path of each member of society. The way out is self-development and adaptation in the world of modern opportunities and prospects, opening up thanks to the economic and social development of today's civilized world.
It is no secret that society lives in a world of stereotypes and conjectures that arise due to a trivial lack of information (and in some cases, knowledge). This article will tell you about the origin of this term and what social stereotypes exist.
Stereotype: what is it?
Stereotype is a term from social psychology. In a broad sense, these are certain beliefs that concern a certain category of people, as well as a certain model of behavior that is used to define the entire group of such people or their behavior as a whole. Stereotype is a concept that has much in common with terms such as “custom” and “tradition”.
These thoughts or beliefs do not always accurately reflect reality. In psychology and other sciences, there are various concepts and theories of stereotypes that have common features and also contain contradictory elements.
Origin of the term
It is necessary to know the etymology of this word in order to understand its essence. "Stereotype" comes from the Greek words στερεός (stereo) - "solid, solidified" and τύπος (tipos) - "impression", therefore, this word can be translated as, "a solid impression of one or more ideas/theories."
This term was originally used mainly in printing. It was first used in 1798 by Firmin Didot to describe a printing plate that reproduced any printed matter. A duplicate of the printing plate, or stereotype, is used for printing instead of the original. Outside the context of printing, the first use of the word "stereotype" dates back to 1850. It was used to mean "perpetuation without change." However, it was not until 1922 that the term "stereotype" was first used in its modern psychological sense by the American journalist Walter Lippmann in his work Public Opinion. Gradually, this term is coming into use and is constantly used both in the speech of ordinary people and in the media.
Types of stereotypes
Social stereotypes can be divided into main subtypes:
- Stereotypes relating to peoples and entire races (for example, stereotypes about Russians and Jews).
- About the rich and the poor.
- Regarding men and women.
- About sexual minorities.
- Age (how a person should behave at a given age).
- Stereotypes related to any profession.
These are just some of the biases that influence social norms and people's behavior.
Functions of stereotypes
The first scientific studies argued that stereotypes are used only by tough and authoritarian people. This idea has been refuted by modern research, which suggests that society's stereotypes exist everywhere.
It has also been proposed to consider stereotypes as a type of persuasion of a group of people, which means that people belonging to the same social group have the same set of stereotypes. Modern research argues that a full understanding of this concept requires viewing it from two complementary points of view: both divided within a particular culture/subculture, and formed in the mind of an individual.
Gender studies
Gender bias is one of the most dominant in the public consciousness. For this reason, sex differences between men and women have been studied by experts from various scientific fields for a very long time. For a long time, the main goal of scientists studying the differences between men and women was to find scientific evidence for gender stereotypes and thereby provide reliable justification for existing stereotypes regarding gender roles.
But this problem has not been solved: most studies have revealed many more similarities than differences between the two opposite sexes, and the small differences identified usually have an obvious social basis. For example, men, unlike women, according to traditional gender roles, report that they are not overly emotional and sensitive. However, measurements of physiological reactions and their facial expressions have repeatedly shown that there are no direct differences in emotional reactions between opposite sexes.
Other scientific evidence once again confirms that men feel anger, sadness and anxiety as often as women, but at the same time express anger more often and suppress other negative emotions, while women, on the contrary, suppress anger and express sadness and fear.
This once again confirms that these are stereotypes of perception of our society, which greatly interfere with seeing objective reality.
Impact of gender bias
Like other social stereotypes, gender prejudices serve the function of justifying social, namely gender, inequality. This type of stereotype bothers both women and men. For example, stereotypes that instruct women to be gentle and discourage expressions of aggression and assertiveness often contribute to discrimination against women in the workplace.
Most stereotypes attribute positive qualities to women: sensuality, intuitiveness and nurturing. According to experts, in societies with such stereotypes, such character traits are not valued as much as the rationality and activity that are inherent in the stronger sex. Thus, these stereotypes create and reinforce androcentrism - the belief that men are the norm, regarding which the female gender is, in fact, a deviation.
As many scientific data show, adherence to these established stereotypes and patriarchal views of the roles of men and women is one of the main characteristics of men who commit domestic and sexual violence against women. Domestic violence is always closely related to the desire of the stronger sex to dominate.
Prejudice also harms men who, for one reason or another, are not in a strong position. For example, men who have experienced sexual violence, due to the pressure of these stereotypes, very rarely ask for help, and even if they ask, they often do not receive it, since doctors and police do not believe that men could become victims of this type of violence. Society is gradually recognizing that these stereotypes are very often far from reality.
Glass ceiling
All these factors create the effect of the so-called “glass ceiling”. This concept comes from the psychology of gender, which was introduced in the mid-1980s to describe a barrier to career advancement). This “ceiling” limits the movement of women up the career ladder for reasons that are not related to their level of professionalism. Subsequently, the term extended to representatives of other social groups and minorities (ethnic minorities, representatives of non-traditional orientation, etc.). Of course, this ceiling does not officially exist, since it is unspoken.
Career implications
Women still face this invisible ceiling today, women's rights groups say. Thus, about 80% of the leaders of the 500 largest companies in America are men, despite the fact that women make up a significant part of all employees at the lower levels in the firms.
This barrier, according to experts, exists due to established stereotypes regarding the female gender and other social groups that are oppressed. This category of people may even develop a so-called fear of success. According to modern researchers, the main obstacles to women’s path to high and responsible positions are the traditional personnel policies of companies, which believe that a woman is not suitable for the role of manager.
National prejudices
Almost every nationality has one stereotype or another. For example, all Jews are pragmatic and greedy, Germans are born pedants, and Italians are the most passionate men.
One of the most important prejudices regarding Russians is the opinion about the widespread alcoholism of the Russian population.
However, according to global statistics on alcohol consumption by country, Russia is far from being in first place. It should be recognized that this is a stereotype that has no basis in reality. The first places in this ranking belong to Moldova, Ireland and Hungary.
Another stereotype about Russia is that supposedly Russians are gloomy and unfriendly people. Of course, it is not in the Russian tradition to smile at every passerby. But there is hardly another people in Europe who treats other people’s grief or everyday difficulties so responsibly. In some settlements in Russia, even now you can knock on a house and ask for an overnight stay. The uninvited guest, of course, will be fed and allowed to stay the night.
There are also stereotypes about Russian women. For example, it is believed that Russian ladies are the most beautiful and feminine among all European women. However, other Slavic women can boast of their attractive appearance. Polish and Ukrainian women are also famous in the bride market in Europe.
Of course, there are a lot of stereotypes about Russia. They are mainly common in Western countries, which have always feared a powerful and large Russia.
Every dubious fact should be checked for authenticity. Very often it turns out that this is a stereotype, just someone’s opinion, which has nothing to do with reality.
- Features of stereotypes
- Types of stereotypes
- Cons of stereotypes
- Where do stereotypes come from?
“Don’t date him - he’s old enough to be your father”, “I need to lose weight, my waist is 3 centimeters larger than normal”, “All the British are prim, and the Americans are stupid.” Here are typical established stereotypes that can often be found in modern society. Because of such prejudices, great love can be destroyed by a banal age difference, girls undermine their health by following the 90-60-90 standards, people prefer not to make friends with foreigners. The power of stereotypes is enormous. Let's figure out what it is, what harm a stereotype can cause to personality development, and what benefits can be derived from this phenomenon.
The etymology of this word goes back to printing. This is the name given to the special cliches that were used in typewriters. Today, naturally, everyone knows this word from another field that is closer to people - psychology. Depending on the school of thought, modern stereotypes can be interpreted differently. However, their general idea is the same - this is an established opinion about people, nationalities, actions or actions. The first scientist to use the word "stereotype" to refer to a psychological phenomenon was journalist Walter Lippmann. His work was written back in the 20s of the last century, during which time methods for assessing stereotypes have changed.
What stereotypes people? Where do they come from? Undoubtedly, a person uses his own experience, generalizes it, turns it into a stereotype. We are afraid of making a mistake again, so we may, for example, not do business with people of a different nationality after a negative experience with one of them. However, there is also a broader concept of social stereotypes. They are also created on the basis of experience, only this experience lasts several centuries. It is experience and time that are the main sources of stereotypes. A social stereotype is not created in one day, but it is also impossible to destroy it in one day. This takes a long time.
Features of stereotypes
According to Walter Lippmann's research, all stereotypes have four characteristics:
- they are schematic and do not reflect reality in full;
- they are false, they do not give a real idea of a person or object;
- they are tenacious, it takes time to destroy a stereotype;
- they are rarely recreated by one individual, but are usually the fruit of the work of society as a whole.
Types of stereotypes
- autostereotypes and heterostereotypes
An autostereotype is a person’s idea of himself, and a heterostereotype is an opinion about a large group of people, about nationality or race. Heterostereotypes can change in different social groups. Some nations may consider excessive saving as prudence or frugality, while for others it will be a manifestation of greed.
- individual and social
Individual stereotypes apply to only one person. They can be obtained as a result of negative or positive experiences. Social stereotypes are a fairly broad category; they include political, ethnic, and gender stereotypes that accompany society as a whole.
Should we be afraid of stereotypes?
Naturally, unmotivated fear of people of a different race, an unreasoned desire to look like catwalk stars, is an ambiguous phenomenon that can frighten us. The word has a negative connotation. However, a stereotype is a way to classify the modern world. Humanity is accustomed to distinguishing our own from strangers; these categories not only work to our detriment. We try to generalize our environment so as not to waste mental resources on constant evaluation. Therefore, behavioral stereotypes are incredibly important. We immediately see whether a person belongs to the category of friends or strangers, we understand what to expect from him. This saving, on the one hand, has a positive effect on our personality; we devote time to something else. But this is precisely where the negative impact of stereotypes on self-development lies.
Cons of stereotypes
A progressive person who pays attention to the development of his personality will definitely say that stereotypes are nonsense, that he will never give preference to a young man solely because of his age, and will never refuse to help people of a different nationality. All this can be said with pathos and zeal, but 5 minutes later the same promising and self-developing person will laugh at a joke about blondes. Yes, the association of hair color with mental abilities is also a stereotype. One gets the feeling that at some point stereotypes cease to serve as a filter, but begin to project negativity, mistrust onto people or actions that are considered “strangers” in the value system. This is due to the fact that stereotypes are in the same chain with prejudices and prejudices. The last two concepts are already more negative and can cause discrimination. Stereotypes are our shield from reality. It protects us from grief or anxiety that we may experience towards people labeled “strangers” in our minds. That is, we cease to sympathize with people of a different race, religion, or nationality solely due to the pressure of stereotypes. Naturally, such an approach is impossible for humanity, because society’s stereotypes really become an excuse for insensitivity.
However, not only a negative attitude towards a phenomenon or social group can be called a minus of stereotypes. Positive prejudices lead to excessive credulity, errors and distortion of the interpretation process. An older person may be more capable of working, but he is often rejected at an interview and given preference to a younger specialist. Naturally, such bias negatively affects the success of the company.
Where do stereotypes come from?
There is an opinion that social stereotypes are a long-standing phenomenon that has been carried through generations. This is partly true, but a person absorbs all information about them from their environment, upbringing, stories and the attitude of their parents. Often a stereotype can be imposed by society. A person may not experience fear or hostility towards a certain category of people and actions, but he adopts wariness due to the fear of making a mistake. Although society tends to change its attitude towards stereotypes. Some phenomena can change dramatically over the years and centuries.
One of the clear ways to study your own stereotypes based on implicit associations is the Harvard University website. The tests are divided into categories - race, color, nationality. Simple tasks allow you to identify your preferences. Probably, someone will be surprised by the data obtained, while others, on the contrary, expect a similar result. It's worth a try, maybe the tests will open your eyes to many things.
Yes, it takes quite a lot of time to destroy stereotypes. It is likely that you may be wary of a colleague of a different nationality. But for the full development of personality, there is no need to give stereotypes power over common sense. This colleague may be able to work well with you on a team if you just open up to him. And you will be able, by breaking stereotypes, to get rid of unmotivated negative attitudes.
There are different types of stereotypes.
They have an impact on our thinking, actions, social behavior.
How can you manipulate people? Find out about this from ours.
Definition of the concept
What is a stereotype? Stereotype in a broad sense - established pattern of behavior, stamp, prejudice.
Often stereotypes have nothing to do with reality; they are created by people’s thinking based on superficial data.
The word consists of two: “stereo” - “solid” and “tipos” - “imprint”, literally imprint on our brain a certain concept.
Beliefs may concern a specific group of people, for example, the presence of a specific characteristic of race, behavior, traditions. Often lead to erroneous perceptions.
Difference from prejudice
These two concepts are similar, but at the same time they have differences.
The first term, stereotype, is a kind of generalization, often is collective in nature, that is, a group of people is convinced of the existence of a certain phenomenon.
For example: all Russians are lazy. A person may not even understand why he agrees with certain stereotypes, but he believes and accepts them.
Prejudices are more personal, often appear after an individual has gone through difficult events.
A person may be aware that he has specific prejudices and be critical of them.
Stereotyping effect
Stereotyping- what is this in psychology? The term means the process of forming a stable idea or image. They relate to phenomena, events or people.
Based on his own experience, a person evaluates an event or phenomenon, and as a result, a certain idea is formed, which is fixed in the brain. A stereotype is an already formed attitude towards an object or phenomenon.
When a person encounters something unfamiliar, his brain begins scan and look for something familiar. The resulting image belongs to a specific group of phenomena, which makes it much easier to classify information and, if necessary, pull it out of memory cells.
Stereotypical thinking and behavior
Think in stereotypes- what does it mean?
This kind of thinking means that a person thinks mainly in patterns.
He does not search for and analyze new information, filling the brain with experience, but compares with what is in his memory.
It’s easier this way, it seems that the world is subject to some order.
The program can be instilled from childhood. These are attitudes, rules of behavior, reactions to events, assessment of people and events.
Presence of predominantly stereotypical thinking interferes with the full development of personality. Independence in views and behavior is lost.
Stereotypical behavior- What is this? This is patterned behavior encouraged by society. The individual lives like everyone else, does not stand out, tries to merge with the general mass. She's so comfortable and... Patterned behavior ensures calmness and merging with society.
Stereotypes allow actions to become automatic, but they also hinder development and do not allow one to look at the situation from a different perspective. With stereotypical behavior, there is an attitude: do only this way and not otherwise.
Stereotypical person- what is he like? This is a completely ordinary, typical representative of society. His behavior is determined by built-in attitudes, skills, and traditions.
It is difficult for such a person to deviate from patterns, and she perceives something new critically and even aggressively, as this violates internal harmony and tranquility. He has a pattern of behavior, and he acts and thinks according to it.
Advantages and disadvantages
pros:
Disadvantages of stereotypical behavior more:
- lack of freedom of action and thinking;
- low rate of self-development;
- acting according to patterns, which interferes with the perception of new information and learning;
- mistakes if the situation deviates from the usual, and the person is not able to move away from patterns;
- trust in information, lack of critical analysis, perception of the data received as it is, only because the majority thinks so.
Who is considered the author of this theory?
The term was coined in the 20s of the last century. The author is considered a journalist Walter Lippman.
He borrowed it from the printing industry. Initially, the word “stereotype” meant a printed form. It allowed the text to be reproduced many times.
Auto believed that stereotypes:
- are not developed by man, but are imposed from the outside;
- they are false;
- simplify the perception of reality;
- exist for a long time, firmly entrenched in people’s minds.
What is the difference between higher and lower human needs? find out right now.
Types and examples
What are the stereotypes? Researchers, psychologists and sociologists highlight different types of stereotypes:
- social stereotype;
- ethnic stereotypes;
- stereotypes of perception;
- stereotypes in communication;
- gender stereotypes in modern society;
- heterostereotypes;
- age stereotypes;
- gender role stereotypes;
- modern stereotypes;
- common stereotypes;
- social stereotypes.
There are stereotypes superficial, formed by external assessment. For example, the stiffness of the British, the bright character of the southern peoples, the laziness of the Russian people.
Superficial stereotypes change depending on the international situation, the development of society and other factors.
Deep more stable, passed on from generation to generation. For several centuries, samovars, furs, and nesting dolls have been considered obligatory companions of Russian traditions.
Such stereotypes are difficult to break.
Attributes that are no longer part of social life may still be used as examples of cultural heritage or for commercial purposes.
Deep stereotypes can form under the influence of historical events.
The special conditions of origin of Great Britain led to the creation of stereotypes that the people of this country have developed logical thinking, prudence, and pragmatism.
Examples of stereotypes:
- women - evil;
- a successful career is possible with the presence of “connection”;
- Jews are a cunning people;
- a man promised - he is obliged to do;
- boys are not allowed to cry;
- you can’t take a woman on a ship - it means trouble;
- high price means high quality;
- Bears walk the streets of Russia;
- The French are excellent lovers.
There are many such examples in our lives, and often we don’t even notice that we think in stereotypes; they become part of our perception of the surrounding reality.
How are they formed?
Stereotypes passed on from one generation to another, which is why it is so difficult to protect against them.
Already in early childhood, adults lay down the principles of behavior in the child, instill in them how to act, react, and think correctly.
The influence of society and the specific country of residence is great.
If stereotypes are formed for the benefit of society, then they are moral standards that are customarily adhered to. Patterns of behavior help to adapt to society. The child is sent to school, explaining the rules of behavior and the need for education.
However, inharmonious personality development leads to the fact that it is easier and calmer for a person to act and think in stereotypes than to take risks and create something new.
Those who deviate from the rules achieve much more.
How have they changed with the development of society?
With each generation, gender behavior and the stereotypes associated with it change slightly. What Previously it was not acceptable, now it is considered commonplace. If earlier marriage and it were important, now many couples live without signing, and divorces happen much more often.
Has also changed. She is increasingly striving for a career, occupying positions previously considered male. At the same time, the stronger sex follows the opposite development towards acquiring feminine traits.
Previously, a woman was the keeper of the hearth, a mother, now she provides for the family on an equal basis with a man. Moreover, modern society respects working women more than housewives.
What are human social needs? you will find on our website.
Functions
Researchers and psychologists have identified various functions of social stereotypes.
W. Quasthoff describes the following:
- . Occurs when there is a need to organize information. If something new is studied, for example, the culture of another people, then some stereotypes can be replaced by others.
- Affective- distinguishing between “us” and “stranger” among other people.
- Social. Formation of social structures, identification of categories.
There are also others functions of social stereotypes:
- installation of communication. When a person communicates with a stranger, the brain reads the information, compares it with what is stored in memory and decides how to continue the communication. For example, a person will talk to a general and a beggar differently.
- association in social groups, when members of the community and strangers are separated:
- simplifying the analysis of incoming information and reducing its processing time.
Role in a person's life
To be effective, a person needs to analyze information and systematize it. It’s important to be “among your own”. Stereotypes allow phenomena to be classified into one group.
Patterns of behavior are of great importance in the formation of society; they unite a social group and consolidate its basic characteristics.
However, the danger is that false stereotypes are most often formed, based on primary or superficial data.
They connected with traditions, are passed on from older generations to younger ones, in some cases it is no longer possible to know the source of their origin, but they are the basis of national thinking.
Unfortunately, stereotypical thinking significantly limits a person's capabilities.
Therefore, to broaden your horizons, you need to learn correctly analyze incoming information.
If you are traveling to another country and you have a certain pattern of perception and assessment of the nation and culture, it is worth checking the information better and communicating more deeply with representatives of the nationality in order to dispel or strengthen the presence of a certain stereotype in your mind.
Behavior based on patterns also simplifies life, but often becomes the reason that a person misses great opportunities, does not see prospects, and makes mistakes in assessing the situation and other people.
Stereotypes - part of our society, but you shouldn’t follow them blindly. Narrow thinking and stereotypes lead to the fact that a person stops in his social, personal and economic development.
However, you can fight stereotypes by opening your mind to new and interesting information.
Gender stereotypes - what are they? Find out about it in the video:
