What do you think about sterotyping

[kirk101]

Main Question or Discussion Point

what do you think about sterotyping, I have never experianced the feeling of people looking at you mean or like your stuck up untill this year. alot of people at my school really think im stuck u7p which im not its just i dont like alot of people, also i noticed this girl she dressed kinda weard like trippy but she had no friends she was really pretty and i decided to be friends with her. couple of weeks went bye and she had so much hurt in her. but she just needed a friend when i walked in the hals with her i noticed people looking at me weard. i have lost a couple of friends because i tried to help someone . now the girl my friend is alot better which im happy about but i just wish people would not break down each other by what they look like or dress.

what are your stories and what do you think about it?

 

[lisab]

Stereotyping is so common in middle and high schools, I don't know that there's anything you can do about it.

When my daughter (who turns 16 today!) was in middle school, the movie "Napoleon Dynamite" was very popular. Before that movie, her school was divided into "cool" kids and "not cool" kids. After the movie, the uncool kids were far more accepted.

My daughter, who was one of the cool ones, did a complete 180 at that time and now hangs out with a wide variety of friends. She's far happier.

It was pretty amazing that a movie could change the culture of her school so much.

 

[waht]

I think stereotyping is much more prevalent outside of classroom but it's more subtle. People of all ages can stereotype. It just stems from human psychology I guess. And it must have been easier for the caveman to get along and hunt with someone who was similar. Otherwise slight differences in personality would make it harder to cooperate.

 

[rewebster]

Those IQ tests 'test' your ability to stereotype (plus some other things)

 

[mcknia07]

High schools are probably where most of the stereotyping come in play. I've always been tagged, especially in high school, as the dumb blonde chick, well I'm proving them all wrong, lol, but now that I'm in college, everyone is the same and is treated as so. It's not as bad now that I'm not in high school, but it's still around.

I think stereotyping is bad, there is no real need for it. Everyone is different in their own way, so why hurt someone, to make yourself feel better, it's not nice at all. Everyone should just feel free to be themself and not worry about what others think. I'm glad that you were able to help someone, and that she is doing better now.

 

[Mk]

Forget about those losers, you're better than them. All they care about is if they are cool or not, you're on Physics Forums.com and have a new friend.

 

[rewebster]

Stereotyping isn't a bad thing---it can be used in a bad way---but, I think it also can be used as a survival mechanism to avoid and to be aware of certain types and situations.

 

[mcknia07]

Forget about those losers, you're better than them. All they care about is if they are cool or not, you're on Physics Forums.com and have a new friend.

I like totally agree with you Mk and I don't think I could have said it better myself.

 

[Andre]

Perhaps stereotyping is a instinctive relict in the survival of the fittest principle. Only the superior genes should reproduce, so show that you're superior and work yourself upwards by pushing others down and get on the edge in the rat race. Common observation of about all social species.

Do we still need it for survival? Perhaps forums like these help to suppress this kind of behavior. Nice posts, all

 

[Poop-Loops]

Stereotyping isn't a bad thing---it can be used in a bad way---but, I think it also can be used as a survival mechanism to avoid and to be aware of certain types and situations.

It is used to generalize a group or people. Generally that is bad, but when you don't have a huge sample size of "people" or a lot of time to get one, that's all you can go by.

It's related to humans always looking for patterns even when there are none to be found, simply because patterns are easier to deal with.

 

[rewebster]

Children are taught to put the 'round' blocks together---the 'big' items together--etc.

----that is stereotyping

________________
hey--can someone put an 'e' in the title? (and in the right place)--

(I'm beginning to stereotype the title)

 

[Mk]

No it isn't, that's grouping.

Stereotyping is making assumptions of persons based on a small data set of visual and personal experiences.

 

[rewebster]

No it isn't, that's grouping.

Stereotyping is making assumptions of persons based on a small data set of visual and personal experiences.

what's the difference?

 

[B. Elliott]

what's the difference?

For stereotyping, I think it more so involves preconceived notions. Human beings are different than colored blocks. Humans have emotions, feelings, thoughts, ideas... lives. Blocks, don't.

 

[rewebster]

For stereotyping, I think it more so involves preconceived notions. Human beings are different than colored blocks. Humans have emotions, feelings, thoughts, ideas... lives. Blocks, don't.

It's the person separating the blocks that's doing the stereotyping

 

[B. Elliott]

It's the person separating the blocks that's doing the stereotyping

True, but just as you're thinking, I don't think the difference is stressed enough to children. Even if it is stressed, I don't think they're capable of understanding... due to age. As people grow older, they naturally start to understand the difference. Honestly, it took me a while. I used to make fun of certain kids when I was little. I can't remember if it was because of me wanting to fit in or be cool, or whatever. I just did it, openly. I feel bad about it now though... thinking back, "why did I say so things"?.

It's just that young naive mindset.

 

[Poop-Loops]

what's the difference?

The difference is grouping stops at the observation and stereotyping tries to extrapolate more information from that limited knowledge.

Grouping: That man is black.

Stereotyping: That man is black, therefore X, because he is black.

More over, grouping round blocks is stereotyping? Maybe you should look up the definition.

 

[rewebster]

like I brought up earlier, the IQ tests (part of it) are based on one's ability to 'stereotype' accurately. --e.g. -'what make this or that the same (or different) as the ones below or above'-----and those are from the 'professionals'

---'teach the child to separate the blocks' or 'is this bigger or smaller?' or 'put the broken one (the bad one) in the trash'

_________

grouping round blocks in a separate pile from ovals ones, etc.

 

[Poop-Loops]

like I brought up earlier, the IQ tests (part of it) are based on one's ability to 'stereotype' accurately. --e.g. -'what make this or that the same (or different) as the ones below or above'-----and those are from the 'professionals'

---'teach the child to separate the blocks' or 'is this bigger or smaller?' or 'put the broken one (the bad one) in the trash'

_________

grouping round blocks in a separate pile from ovals ones, etc.

Nope, sorry, you just don't understand the definition of "stereotype".

It is NOT simply grouping, it is extrapolating information from the fact that X belongs into group Y.

 

[rewebster]

Nope, sorry, you just don't understand the definition of "stereotype".

It is NOT simply grouping, it is extrapolating information from the fact that X belongs into group Y.

what's the definition of stereotypical?

You're taking the 'bad' definition of the word----

people learn as children to stereotype 'things'

and that's part of the trouble ---not 'information from the fact' ---it's an interpretation of what is seen

 

[mcknia07]

I think this might help some.

Stereotype: A generalization, usually exaggerated or oversimplified and often offensive, that is used to describe or distinguish a group.

Stereotype: A simplified and standardized conception or image invested with special meaning and held in common by members of a group

~There are several ways to look at what a stereotype it, most often it is concieved as bad. (i.e. saying someone is Indian, when the politically correct term is Native American)

 

[rewebster]

sort of how I put it in post #7

 

[mcknia07]

Yeah, pretty much I think...in a round about way.

 

[Evo]

sort of how I put it in post #7

But definitely not your example of just sorting things.

 

[AzonicZeniths]

I go to high school in a small town (Pop. ~1500) and there are the definite groups in our school, for example, the most separated group are the druggies/skaters (I am not in that group). But for the most part everybody hangs out with everybody, its just that some people are better friends than others. As for stereotyping, there is alot of that going on too, even I had a stereotype of some people, until I got to know them and found out they were really nice and cool people, because of a few experiences like that, I don't stereotype anymore (well, I try not to).