*Forum Response*

As we recently discovered in Forum, it is impossible to pin down a specific cause of stereotyping. I think we all stereotype for our own personal reasons, but all of them essentially accomplish one goal: they tell us who we are in relation to those around us. As human beings, we are creatures of comfort, as well as of habit. In response to this need for comfort, we automatically, and habitually, make judgments about others in order to create a space for us within a group. A personal example: on the first day of our Freshman Survival Seminar, I met all of my classmates for the first time. Because I didn’t know any of them, I automatically made judgments based on the way they talked, the clothes they wore, and other superficial factors. Next, I grouped them based on these judgments. Finally, based on these groupings, I decided what each person was like and whether I liked them or not.
Since that first day, my superficial judgments have been proven wrong, of course, because I’ve spent time working with and getting to know everyone. If I hadn’t been, however, I would still be holding on to my original opinions of each person and group. I might have even passed my judgments on to others by now. The stereotypes would be beginning to stick. Stereotypes begin with people seeking comfort and security in new and different situations.
I believe that stereotypes are a social necessity. I don’t believe that they are always good, but they are necessary. We live in a world of over 6 billion individuals, in a town with over 20 thousand. It is impossible to know enough about each individual to make accurate decisions about them. Because of this, we are forced to group these individuals and then decide how we are going to respond to them. While our circumstances determine much of who we interact with, we are still left to decide how to respond to them. For example, we are forced to interact with those we work with. However, the job doesn’t always determine how we interact with those people.
Though it is impossible to accurately pin down the cause of stereotypes, it is important that we begin to sort out the negative ones and do away with them. Negative stereotypes affect not only the holder, but also the stereotyped. Just as with a child who is repeatedly told he is stupid, those people will begin to live up to those stereotypes. African Americans, for example, were once labeled as criminals. Today, the crime rate of African Americans is higher than that of Caucasians.
Stereotyping causes changes in an individual’s self-image. Children are a prime example of this. A child grows up in a trailer park and is labeled “trailer park trash” by others at school. As she grows up, she continues to experience this stereotype, and comes to believe it about herself. As a result, she never tries to improve her conditions because she feels she is not worthy of anything better. It’s sad to think of all the potential she forfeits because of a groundless stereotype.
There are countless cases similar to this, which prove again that we need to make an effort to put an end to negative stereotypes. Not only are they harmful to self-image, but they are also harmful to society. No matter where one lives, it is easy to see the divisions that stereotypes cause. In the United States for example, Hispanics are often labeled as illegal, dull, and poor. This is far from the truth, however. As the number of Hispanics in our country grows, they become a more and more important part of society. They are becoming part of our government and judicial systems, and many are as American as any Caucasian. If Americans continue to label Hispanics negatively, divisions are soon going to surface in our society and government.
Though some stereotypes can be positive and useful, there are absolutely no positive affects of negative stereotypes. They harm not only individuals, but society as a whole. It is our duty as intelligent and educated individuals to take the initiative and begin tearing down the walls built by negative stereotypes.