Stereotypes about people

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I wondered if this would fit better in here or in GD, but I wound up putting it here because it seems less like a “timeless hot-button topic” and more “mundane and pointless”. Anyway…Kaitlyn offered us this nugget in another thread:

I agree with her completely…however, I imagine that very few of us have never been guilty of this at one time or another. What stereotypes do we make of people, be they based on race, sex, age, various physical features, city (or state, or country) of origin, and so on? Why do we? I mean, it’s not that I think many stereotypes are completely unfounded - if they were, they probably wouldn’t have gotten started in the first place.

I’m from Texas. I’ve noticed that some people from other states, and occasionally other countries, are under the assumption that all Texans wear cowboy boots every day, love country music, and are way too proud of being a Texan. Not too long ago, when talking with a friend of mine from New York, I was reminded of the stereotype that all New Yorkers are busy and rude.

Now I know that, due to the circles in which I run, my perception isn’t completely objective…but most of the Texans I know don’t fit that description at all. My friend tells me many New Yorkers don’t fit the latter, and the few people I know from there all don’t, either. (These are just two examples, but I think they serve the purpose for which I intended.) So how do these get started? How are there enough people to stimulate the formation of stereotypes and subsequently perpetuate them, but yet we don’t know nearly that many people that actually fit them?

2

When I was young and naive I thought that the British were classier and smarter than Americans. I still love the way they talk, but I’ve now met so many British idiots (Britiots???) that my stereotype has gone all monaural.

3

I used to think that people from New England would be too smart to be prejudiced about Southerners.

4

I think it has to do with the people who DO live up to those stereo-types are the ones who get noticed.

And it’s partly the media’s fault.

As a Texan, I can’t tell you how frustrated I got a couple of years ago when the space shuttle blew up over us. (Texas) If I didn’t know better I’d almost swear that the reporters on the scene would purposely look for the stupidest backward twits they could find to do interviews with.

5

We’re just making allowances old chap. :stuck_out_tongue:

6

And the Campaign to Convince People That Not All Texans Wear Cowboy Boots suffered a serious setback when Bush the Younger had a pair custom-made for his presidential inauguration :smack:

The all-Scandinavians-are-tall-and-blonde bit gets old, too. Especially since I’ve married into a family of Scandihoovians who are mostly rather tall but also very non-blonde.

7

We elected Tony Blair.
You elected GW Bush.

Need I say more?

8

We’re both idiots. So?

9

“People are idiots”. Sums things up rather nicely, doesn’t it?

10

that graduates of Ivy League schools are brilliant and will succeed.

11

Gatherings of people who use alternative operating systems seem to reinforce my stereotypes about computer nerds. Google around for “Linux” and another word like “convention”, “group” or “conference”, and you won’t find many images of people that look “normal.” Awkward-looking geeks, tubby bearded guys, ponytailed alpha geeks, skinny guys with leather dusters and fedoras, and out-of-shape pasty-skinned women seem to predominante. I’m sure there are exceptions, but it seems like the majority of Linux fanboys and fangirls, especially the more technopoliticaly oriented users, fit the computer geek stereotype perfectly.

12

I work and live in California, but my home office is in Texas. I’ve never met most of the people I work with. I got a new supervisor one day, and I think I might have said “y’all.” She jumped down my throat all defensively, saying that just because she lives in Texas, she’s not into horses and boots and hats and all.

I just quietly pointed out that, although I’m from the land of the surfboard and the veggie sandwich, I am, in fact, a cowboy, and that I wasn’t picking on her at all. We got along just fine after that.

13

But y’all do drive trucks, right? :wink:

14

Yes, but y’all have The Royal Family. That more than balances things. :smiley:

15

Aww, dang. Are ye telling me that it ain’t like that down there?

Okay, I’m sorry. I knew it wasn’t true, but somewhere at the back of my head, I was guilty (and still are) of having this stereotype. In fact, the only thing missing from your qoute was the fact that Texans usually shout “YEEEEHAA” when excited. :smiley:

Lemme think of a few more:

White man can’t jump.
Scottish / New Zealanders shag sheep (… although… )
Black man well … endowed (I firmly believe its a rumor and nothing more… I mean, what 9 inches… weak laugh… ha ha… not possible… right?.. right?)
Irish people are extremely lucky.
Guys who use more than 3 smileys in a post are extremely good-looking, witty, charming, and funny. :smiley: :stuck_out_tongue: :smiley:

16

I agree.

The sterotype that folks that drive SUV’s are out to bully other drivers. And don’t care about anyone else.

“Safety, economy, dangerous to small cars, and on and on and on…”

I drive em’ cause they are the most practical, useful vehicle for me. My only other option would be a 4x4 truck. The truck doesn’t seem to get peoples ire up as much as an SUV though.

17

Only if it’s gotta hemmeh. :wink:

(Actually, I drive a Camry. I pretty much don’t fit the stereotype well at all.)

18

I’d say that the vast majority of us are guilty of predjudice of some sort or another at some point in our lives.

What differentiates the reasonable people from the bigots isn’t a complete lack of predjudice, but the degree to which our predjudices affect how we treat each other, the degree to which we recognize our predjudices and work to overcome them, and the degree to which we treat people as individuals and not as groups.

That said, I think it’s impossible not to make some assumptions about others based on first impressions, and it’s not even always a bad thing. The key is to be willing to adjust our impressions based on further evidence, and form a picture of each individual based on how they treat us and others, and not based on their percieved group characteristics.

Confession time: When I see a group of young men congregated on the sidewalk wearing their pants around their upper thighs with underwear hanging out, plaid flannel shirts, do rags, baseball caps turned at an angle, and other “gang chic” clothing, I’ll cross the street rather than walk past them.

It may be that they’re just teens following current, really stupid looking, fashion, but I figure, why take the chance. There’s no harm in me crossing the street to avoid them, and if there’s four or five of them and only one of me, I’d have little to no chance to adequately defend myself in case of assault.

Reasonable precaution, or unfounded predjudice? They may be nice boys whose company I’d enjoy if I got to know them, but I’ll never know, because I’m intimidated and anxious, and I’ve encountered enough such groups to know that they tend to be a bit less than accepting of people like me.

Predjudice? Certainly. Unfounded? I don’t know. Intolerance? Certainly not; they have every right to stand on the sidewalk and hang out, and I wouldn’t want to deny them that right, no matter how undomfortable I am around them.

Am I a bigot? I’m making a judgement about people I know little about based on how they’re dressed. I’m also making a practical decision based on the fact that I’m a woman by myself and there are several young men, all bigger and stronger than I am.

I think I’m being reasonable, and nobody is harmed, but it’s something that I’m constantly examining about myself. I don’t want to be like the teenagers Mrs. Six and I used to live next door to who would shout expletives at us as we walked by due to our sexuality and ethnicity. But neither do I want to be a victim if I can avoid it. It’s a delicate balancing act.

19

I see you only used 3. How self-deprecating of you.
:slight_smile: :smiley: :wink: :stuck_out_tongue:

20

What does that part of your post mean exactly?