Stereotypes Exist Because They Are Grounded in Truth
Aleeza Safdar
2015-10-0106
SS-100
Writing and Communication
Raazia Waseem
November 18, 2011.
Stereotypes exist because they are grounded in truth.
Why hasn’t anyone ever seen a ‘’white crow’’ flying under a ‘’yellow sky’’? Why hasn’t someone ever experienced a ‘’really hot’’ winter season? Indeed why hasn’t my best friend yet told me, how she was once a popular Hollywood star? Clearly, because their lies no truth in the statements that I have put forward. One cannot see a white crow, when the entire species is black; one cannot sweat when there is freezing cold; and , one cannot call oneself a rock star just because one wants to. There has to be fire somewhere if there is smoke; there has to be a foundation laid to raise a building; and, there has to be some reality, a tint of truth, behind something that is being said. After a thorough research and a reevaluation of all pre-held ideas and beliefs, I assent with the statement: stereotypes exist because they are grounded in truth. Although some may argue stereotypes to be over generalizations and exaggerations; however I retract their claim, and believe that stereotypes of Muslims being terrorists, Asians being intellectual, teenagers being difficult to handle and many others, generate, evolve and then survive, only because they spring from truth. Indeed, anything that is originally ‘’true’’ and ‘’prevalent’’, becomes an ‘empirical generalization’. But, when anyone disagrees with this generalization, it becomes a stereotype. However it cannot be denied that stereotypes are given to a class of people based on some practical (actual) experience or action. Stereotypes may not always apply to the majority of a class of people, nevertheless they are unique to that class of people because of the frequency of their exhibit even if it is by a small number of people.
Exploring the stereotype of ‘’Muslims being terrorists’’ might help me clarify myself. A group of people with turbans and long beards, in an
2015-10-0106
SS-100
Writing and Communication
Raazia Waseem
November 18, 2011.
Stereotypes exist because they are grounded in truth.
Why hasn’t anyone ever seen a ‘’white crow’’ flying under a ‘’yellow sky’’? Why hasn’t someone ever experienced a ‘’really hot’’ winter season? Indeed why hasn’t my best friend yet told me, how she was once a popular Hollywood star? Clearly, because their lies no truth in the statements that I have put forward. One cannot see a white crow, when the entire species is black; one cannot sweat when there is freezing cold; and , one cannot call oneself a rock star just because one wants to. There has to be fire somewhere if there is smoke; there has to be a foundation laid to raise a building; and, there has to be some reality, a tint of truth, behind something that is being said. After a thorough research and a reevaluation of all pre-held ideas and beliefs, I assent with the statement: stereotypes exist because they are grounded in truth. Although some may argue stereotypes to be over generalizations and exaggerations; however I retract their claim, and believe that stereotypes of Muslims being terrorists, Asians being intellectual, teenagers being difficult to handle and many others, generate, evolve and then survive, only because they spring from truth. Indeed, anything that is originally ‘’true’’ and ‘’prevalent’’, becomes an ‘empirical generalization’. But, when anyone disagrees with this generalization, it becomes a stereotype. However it cannot be denied that stereotypes are given to a class of people based on some practical (actual) experience or action. Stereotypes may not always apply to the majority of a class of people, nevertheless they are unique to that class of people because of the frequency of their exhibit even if it is by a small number of people.
Exploring the stereotype of ‘’Muslims being terrorists’’ might help me clarify myself. A group of people with turbans and long beards, in an
Cited: Makino, Mariko, ‘’Asian nation demographics’’ Web. (november13, 2011) <http://www.asian-nation.org/demographics.shtml>. Zeslow Jefferey, ‘’Stereotypes Today’’ Web. (November 12, 2011) < http://socyberty.com/issues/stereotypes-today/> Albert Henry, ‘’Police Teens Attack’’. Web (November 14, 2011) <http://blog.syracuse.com/voices/2008/06/police_teens_attack_golfer_wit.html> .