The Inherent Dangers of Stereotyping

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There is no doubt that at some point in life, we have all been guilty of judging somebody before we really got to know them. Perhaps we judged them based on their weight, their gender, their hair color, their clothing style, or maybe even all of those things combined. We were guilty of making that person into yet another stereotype. Or perhaps we have been on the receiving end of that judgment, and we may not have known it. At some point, everyone has most likely been a stereotype in one way or another. “What is a stereotype? Stereotypes are qualities assigned to groups of people related to their race, nationality and sexual orientation, to name a few. Because they generalize groups of people in manners that lead to discrimination and ignore the diversity within groups, stereotypes should be avoided” (“What Is a Stereotype”). Both positive and negative stereotypes exist, but both are equally dangerous. All stereotypes, whether positive or negative, limit whatever group of people it is assigned to to a certain set of traits, and let’s face it, a human being’s personality is far too complex to be limited to a mere set of three or four traits. A stereotype creates a preconceived notion of how an individual belonging to a certain group should look, act, dress, and even speak. A prime example of this would be the very recent happenings in the case of Trayvon Martin. Trayvon Martin was a seventeen year old African-American male, profiled as a criminal. Unfortunately, young black males are already the victims of a barrage of negative stereotypes. These young men are labeled as thugs, “gangstas”, menaces, and criminals. Hip-hop culture has corrupted the image of African American men, especially young men. I personally have a very close... ... middle of paper ... ...ividual identity, but we rob ourselves out of the opportunity to create new relationships. You never know what someone has to offer until you really take the time to get to know that person. What have you been missing out on? Works Cited Unknown. A fight for Trayvon Martin is a war against stereotypes Unknown. "A fight for Trayvon Martin is a war against stereotypes." CNN, 2012. Web. 21 Feb 2014. . Unknown. Ed Koch Quotes at BrainyQuote.com Unknown. "Ed Koch Quotes at BrainyQuote.com." BrainyQuote, 1924. Web. 26 Feb 2014. Nittle, Nadra. What Is a Stereotype – Examples and Definition of Stereotypes Nittle, Nadra. "What Is a Stereotype – Examples and Definition of Stereotypes." 2014. Web. 19 Feb 2014.

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