Research Paper: Stereotypes
Stereotypes
Stereotypes refer to a generalized way of perceiving a certain group or class of people regarding
various aspects, such as tribe, race, or gender. The perception, in this case, refers to a general belief that a specific group of people has particular abilities,
behaviors, and characteristics. While not necessarily true, this perception becomes perceived
•••(you may get straight to the point and eliminate unnecessary
words. ) as the truth because of the apparent frequency those abilities or behaviors may exhibit themselves in a particular class of people. It helps society
simplify the social world; however, its main demerit is its ignorance that human
beings are individuals with unique abilities and behaviors.
•••( Since
it’s a research paper, you may expand your thesis) Therefore, it makes people make inaccurate assumptions and conclusions about others (Mcleod). On the
other hand, identity refers to an individual’s sense of self; who they think
they are in the context of society. It emerges through a network of things such as relationships, life experiences, and memories (Psychology Today).
•••(Always connect your source to the essay, you do this by explaining in a sentence or two more about the author or what drew you to this source. In short
why did you choose this article to add to your research paper?)
For instance, one can peg identity to aspects like gender and even occupation. Lastly, personality
refers to the unique way that an individual carries themselves; thus, the unique manner that they think, behave, react, and feel, for instance, which make them
identifiable as them (psychology today)
•••(Always connect your source to the essay, you do this by explaining in a sentence or two more about the author or what drew you to this source. In short
why did you choose this article to add to your research paper? )
. For example, one can say that a person appears to have a calm personality or another seems
to have an angry personality. Stereotypes, identity, and personality are therefore not the same. For instance, stereotypes are different from the two other
definitions because they are generalized assumptions about a class of people, whereas identity and personality
are not generalized assumptions. Instead, they are more specific observations of an individual. However, stereotypes can impact people’s personalities and
identities in that they can alter the way a person views themselves and how they present themselves.
•••(This
point is a bit unclear, develop your details with clear support from the text or outside research.)
According to
Robert L. Heilbroner’s article “Don’t Let Stereotypes Warp Your Judgement,” stereotypes are, essentially, “…a kind of gossip about the world, a gossip that
makes
us prejudge people before we ever lay eyes on them” (Heilbroner 1). His implication in this quote is that stereotypes are unsubstantiated claims about
specific classes or groups of people that become common knowledge about how those groups of people behave,
act, or think just because of hearing about or experiencing something concerning that group of people. Stereotypes thus act as the prejudgments that people
make about other people because of something they have heard or seen about those people. Stereotypes
work in the sense that once a person sees the world in a typecast kind of way, then people are also typecast and categorized
(Heilbroner 4). Therefore, stereotypes hurt society in several ways. First, they make people lazy, and thus instead of using the power of observation,
people start to use stereotypes that are usually inaccurate and wrong most or all the time
(Heilbroner 4)..
Secondly, stereotypes hamper people’s sense of judgement. It is especially true in instances where people use their power of observation
•••(Heilbroner 4)..
(where is your analysis?
I’ve highlighted how many times you’ve used Heilbroner in your essay for reference, incorporate your analysis. For instance, if an individual has very stiff
preconceived notions about a particular group of people, even when he meets)
an individual from the group of people who behaves differently, they will still insist that it is an exception. It can be very unfair to the person being stereotyped
and the group of people that they belong to since, despite their showing that people are different,
they cannot escape from being typecast as being some way. Third, stereotypes hurt society by hurting the very people who stereotype. An individual who
stereotypes has a very standardized way of seeing the world and everybody in the world. Therefore, they will
also act and behave in a manner that will conform to their standardization of the world. The effect of this is that these people are unable to act freely and live
in a way that truly suits their wants, needs, and desires
(Heilbroner 4).
Instead, they behave and live their lives according to the vision of the world in their minds, as created by the opinions of others. Eventually, they become
stereotypes.In Amy Tan’s “Fish Cheeks,” there are various instances of stereotyping. Throughout the story,
numerous stereotypes emerge that suggest everything American is good and everything Chinese is bad. For example, at the onset of the story, the narrator
states, “For Christmas I prayed for this blond-haired boy, Robert, and a slim new American nose” (Tan).
The stereotype in this regard is related to the thin nose, which is associated with being white American and as the standard for beauty. Next, she describes
her fear for the Christmas dinner, which she knows would not be as good as an American Christmas dinner,
and that her relatives would not behave properly like Americans. Again, the narrator stereotypes her own family along the central argument for American
culture being better than her own Chinese culture. Eventually, her mother, who had noticed her behavior,
tells her, “You want to be the same as American girls on the outside…But inside you must always be Chinese. You must be proud you are different” (Tan).
However, she too offers a stereotypical situation by handing her a gift, a miniskirt in beige tweed, which
•••(Similar
point I’ve raised in your previous paper, remember consolidate your ideas— avoid too much summary of the article. Summarizing the article should happen
(briefly in 2 sentences) only when you turn to support in your body paragraph. )
signifies the stereotypical mindset of American culture as better. In truth, the narrator’s funny yet calm personality helps her to navigate the stereotypical
situations. All through the dinner, she remains calm and does not express her opinion. Therefore,
this allows the dinner to go on as planned, enabling her parents to help her see the folly of her stereotypes, which she does years later.
In Naguib Mahfouz’s “The Lawsuit,” stereotyping is the center of the plot. The main act of
stereotyping is on the bride, who the narrator’s father married. Because she is a young girl married to a rich old man, everybody believes she is after his
money and nothing else. She gains the stereotype of being a gold-digger. Therefore, the narrator’s mother
sees that the father’s marriage to the young bride is a catastrophe to the family, as they will eventually remain with no money. Even the narrator joins in this
assessment, stating, “Yet even so, I did not miss the significance of the facts – my father’s age
and that of his beautiful bride, and the fortune under threat” (Mahfouz 91). Without knowing the girl, the family stereotypes her to be a gold-digger, and they
can only see ruin for themselves. The narrator’s personality appears to be calm and meditative.
This personality helps him deal with the situation better than his brother, who has an angry and dramatic personality. Therefore, unlike his brother, he does
not confront his father. The narrator is also stereotypical in seeing the girl as a gold-digger. However,
he does not reveal what he is thinking or feeling. Eventually, after meeting his father’s widower, his talk with her gives him peace, which is possible because
of his calm personality.
Heilbroner, Robert L. “Don’t Let Stereotypes Warp Your Judgments.” pp. 1–6.
Mahfouz, Naguib, and Denys Johnson Davies. “The Lawsuit.” 1989, pp. 90–93.
Mcleod, Saul. “Stereotypes.” Simply Psychology, 24 Oct. 2015,
https://www.simplypsychology.org/katz-braly.html [simplypsychology.org].
Psychology Today. “Identity.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers,
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/identity [psychologytoday.com].
Psychology Today. “Personality.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers,
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/personality [psychologytoday.com]