University of Phoenix Material

Appendix B

Part I

Define the following terms:

|Term |Definition |
|Stereotypes |Stereotypes are unreliable, exaggerated generalizations about all members of a group that do not |
| |take individual differences into account |
| |(Schaefer, 2012). |
|Prejudice |Prejudice is a negative attitude toward an entire category of people, such as racial or ethnic |
| |minority (Schaefer, 2012). |
|Labeling theory |The labeling theory means to place a label on a person who is deviant; this person comes to accept |
| |the label and starts acting as the label expresses. |

Part II

Select three of the identity categories below and name or describe at least 3 related stereotypes for each:

• Race • Ethnicity • Religion • Gender • Sexual orientation • Age • Disability

|Category |Stereotype 1 |Stereotype 2 |Stereotype 3 |
|Race |Hispanics do not speak English |Middle Easterners hate |White people are all racist. |
| |very well. |Americans. | |
|Gender |Women are not as smart as men. |Guys are messy and unclean. |Men are the backbone. |
|Sexual Orientation |All homosexuals are child |Gay people have sex with many |Younger gay children are on the |
| |molesters. |people. |brink of suicide. |

Part III

Answer each question in 100 to 150 words related to those stereotypes:

• What are the positive aspects of the stereotypes, if any?

I would have to say there are some positive aspects to stereotyping. When people stereotype, they think someone is doing something wrong just because they fit a profile. This profile can be anything from race to their sexual orientation. People can learn from others making these mistakes. We can learn from each other’s mistakes. We can teach the younger generation to not see people the way others do. When we stereotype, we are making generalizations that we cannot be sure are true about that specific individual. We can learn to not make these judgments and take the opportunity to gain knowledge when we are faced with these situations. People can make a stereotype without even knowing they are doing it. All stereotypes do not have to be offensive. A common stereotype that is said is that all African Americans are good at sports. Society knows this to be an untrue statement, and it is not meant in derogatory way. Even though it is not meant in a negative way, people still take offense to it.

• What are the negative aspects of stereotypes?

There are many negative aspects of stereotyping. Schaefer states, “Studies show that people are all too aware of the negative images other people have on them” (p. 42). Stereotyping includes racial profiling, which means just because a person looks like they fit a profile, they must have or will be committing a crime. Stereotyping still has an effect on people throughout out the world. They influence how people, as individuals, feel about themselves and how people interact with each other. Once a stereotype has been formed, some people will conform with the rest of its group members against the stereotype. Stereotypes can start small, but grow over time, creating prejudice and other more serious problems. Everyone has made a stereotype once or twice in their life. Even though people make these mistakes, it does not always become a bigger issue. Making a constant effort not to do this would be the start of making changes.

Answer each question in 150 to 250 words related to those stereotypes:

• What is the difference between stereotyping and prejudice? Use examples to illustrate the differences.

The difference between stereotyping and prejudice is stereotyping is “unreliable generalizations” (Schaefer, p. 40) about a group of people, and prejudice is the “negative attitude” (Schaefer, p. 35) toward an entire category of people. Prejudice includes how people feel about a group without any actions taken. Ethnophaulisms are often used in prejudice, which means the use of racial slurs. An example of a stereotype would be all African Americans are drug dealers. As we all know, this is an unreliable belief. There have been many upstanding African Americans to execute superb lifestyles such as Martin Luther King Jr. He was not a drug dealer and is a positive part of history. Although many White Americans did not believe in his dreams, society learned many positive things from him. This is positive aspect of stereotyping. Prejudice is “an acquired characteristic” (Schaefer, p. 34) meaning society has socially come to this belief over a period of time. An example of this would be a police officer searching an African American man because he is black, instead of a white man. He is acting in a prejudice manner based upon his attitude toward African American men in general. It has nothing to do with that specific individual.

• What is the relationship between stereotyping and prejudice?

The relationship between stereotyping and prejudice is that they are both negative feelings toward a group of people. They both include thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes toward a group of people in general. Some people can have a stereotypical thought, and it may lead to prejudice. Most of the time stereotypes and prejudice are negative, and they both affect people. The choices we make in deciding how we think and feel can impact other groups of people. Stereotypes and prejudice affect groups of people and most of the time, not in a positive manner. They also increase the chances of other stereotypes and prejudices to happen. Having a stereotype of one group of people can lead to that group having prejudice feelings about the group that made the original stereotype. This can be a viscous cycle that never stops. There are differences between the two, but they are very closely related to one another. If people are not careful, a stereotype can turn into prejudice very easily. If they were careful, the stereotype should not happen in the first place. People need to stop the habits that hinder our thinking and be more accepting of the cultural diversity around the world.

• What can be done to prevent prejudice from occurring?

Schaefer states, “Prejudice is wrong and causes problems for those who are prejudiced and for their victims” (p. 48). To stop this kind of behavior, we need to get rid of the cause of prejudice. The change starts with each individual. People need to step up and admit when they are wrong, instead of blaming it on someone else. People also need to stop trying to make others look like they are horrible people. We are not perfect, and each and every one of us has made a mistake or two. We have also been judged for these mistakes. Programs are also available to educate people on what it means to pre-judge someone, and teaches people that we should treat everyone as equal. By the media including shows that include minorities, people are more inclined to accept the differences between groups of people. The media plays a large role in positive feeds to the public. If they administer positive behaviors on each group of people equally, the chances increase for acceptance. Many people conform to what other think and feel, so if positive attitudes are shown, more people will reinforce the positive behavior.

Reference

Schaefer, R. T. (2012). Racial and ethnic groups (13th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.