White people can't jump, Asian people drive like idiots, and black people are criminals. These are all examples of stereotypes. Stereotypes are found in everyday life. In fact I experience a stereotype at least twice a day, whether I am the one doing the stereotyping or being stereotyped. For those who may not know, a stereotype is "a fixed, over generalized belief about a particular group or class of people." There are many different stereotypes for all different races and ethnicities, and even specific to gender. There is basically a stereotype for everything these days, but why do we as humans' stereotype? The use of stereotypes is a way in which we simplify our social world. They reduce the amount of thinking we have to do when we meet new people. Although stereotypes usually infer a negative connotation there are some advantages, as well as disadvantages.
Stereotypes are a way of simplifying our social world, and reduces the amount we have to think when meeting a new person. This is one of the advantages of stereotypes. Another advantage of using stereotypes is that it allows us to respond to situations, because we are able to relate to a similar situation. However there are also disadvantages, one of which is that it makes us ignore differences between individuals, meaning we make generalizations about people. By stereotyping we assume that a person has a range of characteristics that are shared by the rest of the group. Stereotypes lead to social categorization and prejudice beliefs. Although most stereotypes convey a negative idea there are also positive ones. Examples would include overweight people are jolly, or Hispanic people are hard working. Stereotypes usually relate to ethnicity and gender, but can also be specific to a group of professionals, for example police officers. Once a stereotype is formed it is rarely changed, and if so it is changed infrequently.
There are three methods we subconsciously use to change stereotypes.
