Rather
than focusing on a type of stereotype, for this paper I focused on where
stereotypes came from and why they were important to society. Stereotypes are a
common, if not irrational, phenomenon in human society, not just centering on
race and gender, but also encompassing the way we view people based on where
they live, what they eat, who they talk with, etc. Therefore, we as humans do
not often consider why we think these things or where these Stereotypes come
from. Stereotypes were first theorized to come mostly from experiences earlier
in life, but there are also arguments for in-group bias, where a person thinks:
“because that group is different from my group, that group is worse than my
group.” Stereotypes also aren’t always
seen on the surface of a person, and stereotypical behavior can usually be seen
as a response to a situation in which a person’s social structure or ego is
challenged. When a person is insulted for instance, it is a natural reaction to
respond defensibly, and that person will attempt to use anything they can think
of to get the upper hand. These defenses commonly use prejudice slurs directed
at opposing races, genders, or social classes. Humans are also naturally
resistant to changing their way of life in any way that wouldn’t benefit
themselves. If something comes along to upset their way of life, no matter what
it is, that person will be resistant to it, and in severe cases, use
stereotypes to justify that.
