Stereotyping and Discrimination 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 Black people love fried chicken. Asians are geniuses. Hispanics do not speak English very well or not at all.
Gender Only women can be nurses. Men are stronger and more aggressive. Women should not be treated as equal as men.
Disability Disabled people are not capable of doing things and participating in daily life. Disabled people are incapable of having a stable long-term relationship. Disabled people are burdens to society.

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?

I do not think that there are many positive aspects of stereotypes. It is not right to form judgments or make assumptions about all members of a group based on your experience with one person. When we stereotype we take away a person’s identity, because we do not look for what makes them diverse. We view everyone in the group the same, even though we all know that there are no two people completely alike.

• What are the negative aspects of stereotypes?

There are many negative aspects of stereotypes. When we stereotype other people we form opinions about them and judge them, before we even get to know them. This can cause much negativity, because people will always be concerned about what others will think of them. This can cause conflict in society because they may want to prove them otherwise. Stereotypes deprive use from learning new things.

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.

According to Schaefer (2012) “stereotypes are unreliable, exaggerated generalizations about all members of a group that do not take individual differences into account” (p.40), and “prejudice is a negative attitude toward an entire category of people, such as a racial or ethnic minority” (p.35). Stereotype is an idea of what a member of a class or group of people is like, where prejudice refers to the thoughts and feelings about those groups. Stereotyping often occurs because people have a lack of knowledge about others, and prejudice occurs because people feel dislike, hatred, or fear of something that separates them from others. An example of stereotype type would be me saying, that white guy must be a bull rider because he is wearing boots and a cowboy hat, and an example of prejudice is saying the closest I will get to a cracker (white person) is a Ritz cracker.

• What is the relationship between stereotyping and prejudice?

The relationship between stereotyping and prejudice is that they are both judgmental and have negativity toward groups or categories of people. When we stereotype we make assumptions about people because we have little to no knowledge about them, and when we are prejudice we still do not want to know anything about them. Stereotyping and prejudice can cause people to miss out on many opportunities, because they judge before giving others a chance. When a person believes that there is truth to a stereotype, it can often lead to prejudice. Therefore, stereotypes and “prejudice may be influenced by one’s upbringing and the lessons taught early in life” (Schaefer, 2012, p.39).

• What can be done to prevent prejudice from occurring?

There are many things that can be done to prevent prejudice from occurring. According to Schaefer (2012) “to eliminate prejudice we should eliminate its causes: the desire to exploit, the fear of being threatened, and the need to blame others for one’s own failure” (p.48). Promoting “education, mass media, inter-group contact, and workplace training programs” toward society as a whole, will help reduce prejudice (Schaefer, 2012, p.48). Making people aware of how we are each different will help us get to know and understand other groups and cultures.