Eth125 R8 Wk2 Stereotypes Prejudice

Associate Program Material

Stereotypes and Prejudice Worksheet

Please complete the following exercises, remembering that you are in an academic setting and should remain unbiased, considerate, and professional when completing this worksheet.

Part I

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
All African Americans are good at basketball.

All Middle Easterners hate America.
White people are all racist.

White people don’t have rhythm.
All Asians are geniuses.

Hispanics don’t speak English very well.
Gender
Women are unstable and irrational.
Men are the financial provider.
Men are smarter than women.
Sexual Orientation
All Gay men are promiscuous.
Lesbians are “butch” and gay men are “fem”.
Gays and lesbians hit on everyone.

Bisexual people are greedy and just want everyone.

Part II

Answer each question in 50 to 100 words related to those stereotypes. Provide citations for all the sources you use.

What are the positive aspects of stereotypes, if any?
It is hard to imagine that there could be any advantage to stereotypes since they are essentially believing things about people that are not necessarily true. However, stereotypes could benefit a person to react quickly based on similar past experiences. The use of stereotypes reduces the amount of thinking we have to do when we meet a person for the first time because we already have a basic preconceived notion of them.

McLeod, S. A. (2008). Stereotypes. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/katz-braly.html

What are the negative aspects of stereotypes?

Stereotypes tend to make us forget to consider a person’s individuality and can cause us to judge a person prematurely. The things that we think based on stereotypes could very well be completely untrue. I also believe that because of the nature of stereotypes they can easily lead to prejudice toward an entire group of people.

McLeod, S. A. (2008). Stereotypes. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/katz-braly.html

Part III

Answer each question in 50 to 150 words related to those stereotypes. Provide citations for all the sources you use.

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

Stereotypes are unreliable generalizations about all members of a certain group or class that do not take into consideration a person’s individuality. Prejudice is having a negative attitude toward a person based solely on the fact that they belong to a certain class or race. An example of a stereotype might be that all African Americans are good at basketball. A prejudice would be that a person does not like a certain individual because they are African American.

Schaefer, R. T. (2012). Racial and Ethnic Groups (13th ed.)

What is the relationship between stereotyping and prejudice?

I believe that stereotyping can lead to prejudice. If a person has a stereotype that people of Middle Eastern descent hate America, that might then lead them to have a negative attitude toward all people of Middle Eastern descent. Another example could be that if someone has the stereotype that all white people are racist, that might then lead them to be prejudice against all white people.

What can be done to prevent prejudice from occurring?

I think that in order to prevent prejudice from occurring each group must have complete equality in rights, opportunity, and power. I think that kids from a young age need to be taught to interact will all different races and classes of people so that they learn that everyone is equal and they can work together to reach golas instead of working against each other.