STEREOTYPES

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• A stereotype is defined as a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing...

Gender

• there are sets of societal norms that dictate the acceptable behaviour for certain genders
• gender roles are usually based on a person’s masculinity or femininity
• groups such as the feminist movement have led efforts to scrap the gender roles and create a completely equally worth society
• recently in the media adverts presenting stereotypical gender roles have created a debate, an advert showed a young girl dreaming of being a ballerina and men failing at simple household tasks

Ethnicity

• otherwise known as ‘national stereotypes’ the traditional ethnicity stereotype has broadened further to cover whole regions rather than individuals
• some ethnicities are culturally valued whereas others are devalued, this is what the modern day societal standards are trying to override 
• the worst case of a society ‘normal’ racial stereotype was how Hitler’s anti-semitism views could have led to the Holocaust

Age

• there are many stereotypes for different ages, firstly children are presented to be loud, spoilt and to be attention seekers
• the largest ageist stereotype is of teenagers, they are presented by society to be lazy, arrogant and not independent
• adults are seen as mature, work-oriented and stern; though many adults don't meet this expectation and feel constantly pressured to do so
• the stereotyped to be hunched over, to look down on teenagers and to be vulnerable
• most stereotypes of age are true though unfair on many, as for example, not all teenagers are ‘chavs’ or intimidating

Social class

• there have traditionally been three different social classes, the upper class, middle class and the working class
• the upper class are all stereotypically rich, snobby and well-spoken; whereas the middle class are traditionally thought of as well-off, to wear suits and to be educated
• finally, the working class stereotype consists of rented properties, factory workers an having little savings
• the stereotypes for social class are probably the most old-fashioned views of them all, many of these stereotypes are out dated now in the modern world, though some still automatically believe in these stereotypes

 

Disability

• there are many stereotypes relating to disability, most of these have now be excluded from society
• a common stereotype of people with a disability is that they are limited or lesser than everyone else within society
• a further stereotype is that disabled people are a menace to society, and that they take the attention away from others

Religion

• there are many different stereotypes surrounding different religions, the Islamic religion especially
• the common stereotype of Muslims is that the religion is connected to terrorism; this came about due to a rise in media attention to the Islamic State
• this is one of the most unfair stereotypes as it has come from an extremely small percentage of the Muslim community, causing discrimination to others because of others actions
• another common stereotype connected to religion is that those who are religious are very spiritual and easy-going
• ‘hippies’ tend to be stereotypically grouped with religious people also

I personally hope that in my lifetime, as a community, we will be able to get rid of as many negative stereotypes as possible, as I feel that the vast majority of them are extremely unfair to the society they are aimed at. As many of the lasting stereotypes have come from older generations, hopefully with the up and coming generations, the idea of a minority will soon be a thing of the past.