Topic 2: Stereotype

Stereotyping is exaggerated generalizations associated with a categorizing system, they go beyond the facts at hand and make claims that usually have no valid basis. However, it is also something that most people find difficult to avoid from doing. What do you think?

Stereotype in Merriam-Webster dictionary can be defined as something conforming to a fixed or general pattern; especially :  a standardized mental picture that is held in common by members of a group and that represents an oversimplified opinion, prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgment.  For example, the stereotype of the woman as the carer which is an often unfair and untrue belief that many people have. In my own opinion, stereotyping is not a good practice in someone’s life yet, there’re so many reasons on how stereotyping could happen.

First and foremost, a stereotype happens due to our understanding and judgements towards a subject. These understanding and judgement we had obtained day by day since we were kid through Medias for example, television. Television has been a medium that leave a great impact in our live since we were kids. Through television we’ve been exposed with lots of things. I remember when I was a kid I have watched news that repeatedly report on the same incident in a whole week which is the about the “September 11 Attacks”. This news had leaved a mark on my mentality when I was a child because this incident symbolised about terrorism among the Muslims and I am a Muslim. Luckily, my parent had thought me that Muslim has nothing to do with terrorism and I am grateful and proud to be a Muslim. Still, I believe that this incident had cause ‘stereotype’ among the citizens that lives on this planet nowadays. Hence, Medias are one of the factors that cause stereotype.

Next is our first impression toward others. I can’t deny that first impression plays a huge role on judging someone else but, we have to remember that judgemental can occurs due to stereotypes. As I said before, we’re growing with lots of thing that can continuously change our mentality and understanding over someone or something even without noticing them and slowly we’re currently use those mentality and understanding in our first impression towards them. As an example of stereotyping that actually happened in this country is Chinese are likely to have successes in businesses than other races. This is what can I see in this country but CL’s lecturer, Madam Za had taught me that “what you see may not be the truth”.  This strong statement is very true in order to avoid stereotyping especially in things that we can see and freely to make judgment on it.

Stereotypes sometimes can leave a negative impact to the society. This negative impact is known as PREJUDICE. Prejudice can be defined as an unfair feeling of dislike for a person or group because of race, sex, religion, etc. or a feeling of like or dislike for someone or something especially when it is not reasonable or logical. A good example of prejudice can be taken from the statement by Stephan Talty in 2003. He stated that” But today most black Americans not hampered by poverty or prejudice take for granted their right to study Italian, listen to Britney Spears or opera, play in the NHL, eat Thai food, live anywhere, work anywhere, play anywhere, read and think and say anything.” Through his statement, we can see that prejudice is bad and it occurs due to stereotype.

In my own opinion, I’m ultimately agreed with the statement that stereotyping is something that most people find difficult to avoid from doing. I believe that stereotyping is hard to avoid due to people’s norm in a community or society. We tend to believe that first impression determines overall attitudes and it is judge based on stereotyping without any further researches and details or we can say that without critically think about it. According to Dato Dr. Fadzilah Kamsah, he stated that people tend to have a stereotype on a new people that they have met, because, people are born with a judgemental attitude, based on a study on judgmental, people loves to judge anyone without knowing them personally (2010). Through his statement, we can say that stereotyping is common in someone’s life but we can avoid it through knowledge and studies.

To conclude, stereotyping tends to give negative impacts rather than positive impacts because it encourages people to develop ideas on judging over someone or something. We should acknowledge that medias can develop stereotyping especially mass media such as television. Then, stereotype also develops prejudice which is one of the bad effects of stereotyping. I am greatly support that stereotyping should be stopped because the world need to be fair with each other, not based on common views with short thought over something. For the last word, I am greatly support on this quote by Plato, “Be kind; everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”