Issue Of The Week VII Fall 2011-2012: Stereotypes And Labels Wield Persuasive Power, Intentionally Or Unintentionally

We must admit stereotypes do exist in our nation. Its human nature to stereotypes a person according to their background, appearance or actions. But I don't believed stereotype is correct form of getting to know an individual. We must realize stereotypes are just opinion based and they do define a particular person.

Everyone knows that stereotypes exist, and I believe that everyone if they admit it or not has used them at some point in their lives. Stereotypes are not always meant in a harmful way but they are often offensive. Personally I believe stereotypes come from a lack of awareness. For example if everyone is always saying that “Asians are smart” and you start to believe that is true without having any facts to support that, then you are most likely stereotyping without even noticing it. I think it’s really brave and respectable for people to stand up against some of the negative stereotypes associated with a race or gender. Most people would agree that Halloween costumes are just meant to be jokes or not to be taken too seriously. The fact that people Halloween costumes can be offensive is a great point. No one wants to be judged and some costumes make a whole race look bad. Standing up for something that offends you such as a Halloween costume is the first step towards seeing a change.

Personally, the more education I have had on culture the more I have been informed to the negative contributions of stereotypes and labels. I feel that I am more open to other cultures and labels because I am aware of how problematic these aspects can be. I am a person who always gives someone the benefit of the doubt, I try not to judge someone without really getting to know them because this is how stereotypes and labels are given to people because others do not allow for people to show their true selves and just make assumptions. Individually, I can help to break down this negative quality in society by continuing to get the education I can on culture and to maintain my belief of not judging a book by its cover and really getting to know ones inside. As far as society, I think this is where the main problem lies and will continue to be a problem because stereotyping and labeling have been apart of popular culture for so long that it is going to be hard to rid of something so negative.

Stereotypes are apart of everyday life because I think people act based on stereotypes even if they do not intend to offend any specific group. People often understand that stereotypes are offensive, however, they think it's "just a joke" if they enact those ideas in language or in costume. Many people don't understand that a Halloween costume depicting a minority group is something that is immoral and definitely hurtful, and the minority groups themselves would not find this at all amusing. I'm sure if groups depicted a costume that depicted a negative stereotype of Americans, many people would be outraged and have a voice in the matter. Yet minority groups I think feel silenced regarding the insensitivity of people regarding their own cultural beliefs. It's ignorant to use Halloween in such a way, because anyone can be anything - there's literally thousands of costumes that do not single out minority groups.

Although there is an ounce of truth that is embedded within stereotypes, I agree that they do much more harm than good in today's society. Stereotypes only work to shut people into boxes so that it becomes much more difficult to mingle with other groups and ethnicities. Furthermore, stereotyping closes people's minds to what other qualities people of a certain group might have. I went to a writing conference about a week ago, discussing how we should avoid using stereotypical ideas in news articles. The speaker said that, for people who have never been to Africa, for example, stories about Africa is all that we know about it. Therefore, we must portray the actual picture of Africa so that people do not base their ideas about the country solely on AIDS, or poverty, or the apartheid. Stereotypes are what we know about a group that we don't know much about. Society needs to work, therefore, to break apart these stereotypes so that we can gain a bigger picture of all types of people on earth.

This is a very interesting article because I was just speaking to someone about this in class yesterday. Companies make so much money off labels and branding. Labeling is a helpful way to distinguish between different brands and styles. Everyone is familiar with Walmart's logos and McDonalds. There is an association between the brand name and the quality that will be expected from it. On the other hand, when labels are associated with a person because of their race, class, religion, and sexual orientation, it is not helpful and it is not ok. Labeling people does not show their worth or their quality like it does with materialistic items. It takes a very ignorant person to categorize someone based on their skin color. To say that all blacks are lazy is such an ignorant remark. People are so quick to lump everyone of a certain stereotype together because it makes them feel superior. In all actuality, the long term effect is that it makes them extremely inferior to the rest of the population because they have no educational basis for labeling. People should never label others. One should always take everyone as an individual because nobody wants to be stereotyped based on other people's actions that may dress or pray like them.

I appreciate the efforts of the STARS campaign that draws attention to the wrongful exploitation of minority groups on Halloween. People dress up in satirical costumes that reinforce racial stereotypes because it’s perceived to be funny, but this practice only perpetuates prejudice against minorities. Because this is done with the intention of having fun, the seriousness of racial stereotyping and the resulting oppression is undermined. However, the perpetuation of stereotypes through an apparent entertainment value is something that occurs all the time, rather than just once a year on Halloween. For example, widely popular shows like “Jersey Shore” stereotype Italian Americans under the guise of entertainment, but when groups like the NIAF (National Italian American Foundation) attempt to draw attention to this fact, their point of view is dismissed as too sensitive and too critical. Racial stereotyping will continue as long as it is constantly belittled and viewed as entertaining.

We are taught to stereotype people during childhood, usually by our parents and teachers, often as a means of protection. Many children are taught to be aware of strangers and to lump all strangers that conduct specific behavior into a category of people to be cautions around and possible report to a trusted adult. Children are also taught that fellow students who do not follow classroom rules are 'bad kids' that should not be associated with. Yet, at the same time, we are all expected to drop this habit of stereotyping people when we reach a certain age and be aware and accepting of those around us. It is as if we are expected to simply flip off the switch of stereotyping. I understand that childhood is different for each child, but most children grow up with the same set of 'cautions'. The 'cautions' may be deemed necessary for the safety of a child, but at the same time they create habits in people at very young ages that are extremely hard to correct in adulthood. The only way our society can eliminate stereotyping is to begin with children and teach them to be open and accepting of all other humans while remaining an appropriate level of awareness and caution. Is this possible, though? Can a child make these distinctions enough to maintain his/her safety in today's world, or is this simply too much for a child to understand?

Stereotype are extremely frustrating. No one likes to be judged based on their culture or race. These stereotypes have only gotten worse with time. Some people fit these stereotypes, but not everyone does. We need to teach kids at a young age that these are not always true, since they clearly aren't going anywhere. Halloween stores are crazy to sell races as costumes.

I think it is very hard to not allow stereotypes surface in your mind when meeting people that are different (as well as similar) to you. After all, we have been taught the same formulas and expectations about people since we were born. For example, when I meet a man, I automatically think about topics I could bring up that he can relate to: cars, sports, action movies. Limiting my conversation with him is based on stereotypes. The same thing happens when I meet people of other races. I want to connect with them and want them to like me, so I am cautious about what I bring up. Is talking about Twilight something they would laugh at me for? What if I asked a black person if they liked to dance? One way we can attempt to steer away from these stereotypes is to give everyone we meet a blank slate. Just be who you are and let them be them. Labels aren't necessary when creating relationships or making new friends.

As a member of a minority group, I know first hand how much stereotypes can hurt. However, it would be completely unrealistic for me to say that I have never thought of some stereotype and applied it to a specific person before getting to know them. Stereotypes have unfortunately become such an innate part of our culture that I really do not see a day that they just do not exist. One of my biggest fears have always been playing into a specific stereotype made towards members of my own minority group because I never want to ever prove anyone right or have a reason to say "See, they really all are like that." This is why phenomena such as stereotype threat occur and why so many people will never feel they deserve more than what they have - it has been internalized so much that they feel that people probably are right about them.

I certainly think that your environment plays a huge role in how you view people that are different from you. If you have grown up around one group of people and then all of a sudden are exposed to another group, you really have no prior experience to draw on and that is when I feel the impact of stereotypes are the strongest. However, if one is privileged enough to leave your homogenous society and have more meaningful interactions with people who are different from you, one can expand their horizons and have your own impressions of people. I have been fortunate enough to live in a really diverse neighborhood in NYC where there are always so many ethnic groups and so I feel I am less likely to fall into into the trap of applying a stereotype, but I still can never say never.

I do not blame individuals for keeping perpetuating the use of stereotypes. Rather, I blame our society, which promotes whiteness and Eurocentrism instead of promoting multiculturalism. I think to move away from this, we can try to be open to new people and new cultures by even eating at new restaurants or attending events to get to know more people and their stories. That way, we can start to make individual judgements instead of ones with no basis.

Stereotypes are harmful to every all people. There are always going to be people that judge people and don't like other people who may look differently from. I, personally, think that it is unfair to judge someone based on what they may look like. No one can ever be sure what that person has gone through or experienced. There are many times in our society where people look for excuses as to why a certain person is acting a certain way. Relating to this, I think that there are times when people try to make things a race issue that do not have anything to do with race. There are many different view points, and I think that racism and stereotyping is a very deep rooted issue that will take a very long time for people to learn to get away from.

Labels are important to people because it shows a definition of something, although the definition is never very close to the truth. People use labels and stereotypes because they have a lack of knowledge and understanding for certain cultures. Before knowing someone either from your own race and ethnicity or from another race and ethnicity we take into consideration their label. Although, we can not fully understand someone until we take time to get to know them personally. As individuals and a society we can start to educate our citizens about cultural and ethnic diversity. The more cultural competency someone has the less likely they are to discriminate and have prejudices.

when I was growing up the Halloween customs were of cartoon characters, not of ethnic groups.
I wonder if those who are wearing these costumes have inferiority complexes, and are trying to make themselves feel better. Steretyping is a way of dealing with what is not understood, it is also used when fear is present. Our world is very complicated and diverse, and getting more so everyday. We as a country are not taught diversity, we are taught that we are the one and only, the best. Cultural diversity is not taught in our schools, we are taught to believe that everyone wants to be like us, and when someone is not like us the are labeled. These labels can range from wearing glasses (four eyed-freak) to gangsters (black men) and all are damaging. I hope that one day we as a country can let go and let live. We need to learn acceptance and empathy in the hopes of a unified country.

I appreciate the efforts of the STARS campaign that draws attention to the wrongful exploitation of minority groups on Halloween. People dress up in satirical costumes that reinforce racial stereotypes because it’s perceived to be funny, but this practice only perpetuates prejudice against minorities. Because this is done with the intention of having fun, the seriousness of racial stereotyping and the resulting oppression is undermined. However, the perpetuation of stereotypes through an apparent entertainment value is something that occurs all the time, rather than just once a year on Halloween. For example, widely popular shows like “Jersey Shore” stereotype Italian Americans under the guise of entertainment, but when groups like the NIAF (National Italian American Foundation) attempt to draw attention to this fact, their point of view is dismissed as too sensitive and too critical. Racial stereotyping will continue as long as it is constantly belittled and viewed as entertaining.

I agree that labels are a necessary part of organizing society and analyzing large groups of people but the problem with labels is when we try to apply generalized labels to individuals based on what we see (e.g. physical appearance). I’ve wondered why we tend to make assumptions about others instead of treating people as the individuals they are. Maybe we have had negative experiences in our past that trigger fear, hence a tendency to jump to conclusions to feel safe (I don’t think many of us honestly fall into this category). Maybe we like the false feeling of control we get by believing we know more about people than we really do. Maybe we like the feeling of superiority that comes from making assumptions about others. Maybe we are just lazy; not wanting to take the time to get to know individuals for who they are. I believe that whatever the reasons that when we stereotype people we ourselves are missing out on expanding ourselves by the contribution they could bring. Showing respect to others benefits everyone.

I appreciate the efforts of the STARS campaign that draws attention to the wrongful exploitation of minority groups on Halloween. People dress up in satirical costumes that reinforce racial stereotypes because it’s perceived to be funny, but this practice only perpetuates prejudice against minorities. Because this is done with the intention of having fun, the seriousness of racial stereotyping and the resulting oppression is undermined. However, the perpetuation of stereotypes through an apparent entertainment value is something that occurs all the time, rather than just once a year on Halloween. For example, widely popular shows like “Jersey Shore” stereotype Italian Americans under the guise of entertainment, but when groups like the NIAF (National Italian American Foundation) attempt to draw attention to this fact, their point of view is dismissed as too sensitive and too critical. Racial stereotyping will continue as long as it is constantly belittled and viewed as entertaining.

Stereotypes and labels as discussed in the passage do serve a function in society as they do provide some sense of normalcy and predictability, yet too often our reliance on them can have devastating consequences. For example, studies have shown that people with traditionally racially or ethnically non-white sounding names are less likely to even get a job interview over those candidates who do not, let alone get hired. This is because of the persistent stereotypes associated with their racial or ethnic identity that may be negative. Another example is the fact that stereotypes tend to hold back people from supporting racially or ethnically diverse political candidates based on stereotypes and prejudicial assumptions about them. This sadly limits the representation of such minorities in politics and prevents full equality from occurring. Thus while there may be some valid sociological role for the existence and continued propagation of stereotypes and labels based on things like race and ethnicity, I would contend that too often today they are serving as prison cells holding our society back from true progress.

Since the beginning labels and stereotypes are what people have based their lives around and peoples insecurities to step outside the stereotypes are what keep the problem around. Too many people want acceptance and automatically resort to conforming with their cultures label. Being yourself is how you get people to understand you and where you come from don't throw up a protection of a label if you want them to go away.

It is easy for me to see through stereotypes and labels of ethnic groups when I am familiar with somebody that belongs to that group. There have been times in the past when I held stereotypical views of certain ethnicities or religions without realizing I held these views. After I get to know a person, or several people that are members of these groups or religions, I realize that I have stereotypes of these people. I know for me, that when I do not have a frame of reference to compare stereotypes to, I tend to be more willing to believe them. I think many of these stereotypes come from the media. We are often bombarded with negative stereotypes given to us in the form of a joke. We seem to take it more lightly when we find humor in labels and stereotypes. I liked the idea of the poster campaign to make people more aware of how lightly we take racism and stereotyping. I think we need to make ourselves more aware when we are being exposed to negative stereotypes.

Some may criticize the STARS group for addressing something as trivial as Halloween costumes, but I think it is a great idea. Trying to solve the issue of stereotyping as a whole is overwhelming and very difficult. Starting by calling our attention to little things like Halloween costumes is a good way to get people talking. When people go to the store or surf the web to get ideas for costumes I’m sure that many people do not select a costume to be intentionally hateful. Perhaps a young lady just wants to look pretty in a geisha kimono dress! I bet a lot of people are completely unaware that their costume is offensive in the first place. BUT if a costume is offensive, you ought to let people know! How can people change if they don’t know what they are doing is wrong? It’s obvious that stereotypes are wrong. Unfortunately, to some people, it’s not so obvious that your Halloween costume is making a negative statement about someone else’s culture. By launching the costume poster campaign, STARS is showing people that their innocent attempt to look cute in a Halloween costume is in actuality making a statement about the hurtful nature of stereotypes. In the big scheme of things, wearing a costume one night out of the year is not that important, but when it comes to solving the problems of stereotyping, you have to start somewhere! Kudos to the STARS group!

I appreciate the efforts of the STARS campaign that draws attention to the wrongful exploitation of minority groups on Halloween. People dress up in satirical costumes that reinforce racial stereotypes because it’s perceived to be funny, but this practice only perpetuates prejudice against minorities. Because this is done with the intention of having fun, the seriousness of racial stereotyping and the resulting oppression is undermined. However, the perpetuation of stereotypes through an apparent entertainment value is something that occurs all the time, rather than just once a year on Halloween. For example, widely popular shows like “Jersey Shore” stereotype Italian Americans under the guise of entertainment, but when groups like the NIAF (National Italian American Foundation) attempt to draw attention to this fact, their point of view is dismissed as too sensitive and too critical. Racial stereotyping will continue as long as it is constantly belittled and viewed as entertaining.