Confronting Stereotypes - Assignment Example

Theories concerning the exact reason for the existence of stereotypes differ throughout the social sciences, but a few underlying themes consistentlyemerge when attempting to determine their origin.One theory is that stereotypes emerge to exploit differences between competing groups. Stereotyping downplays similar characteristics and magnifies differences. One sees this occur among African-Americans, whose identity clearly goes more in-depth than racial background, as they are more American than African.

However, American society consistently splits itself on lines of black vs. white. Another theory relies on psychological research and claims that for human beings it is too difficult to process all the nuances of individuality so stereotypes function to help cognitively organize groups of people. By assigning characteristics to large groups, it aids humans in simplifying, organizing, and predicting the society they function. As a result, there is decreased need to process new information that would distinguish people by individual traits.

Sociologist Charles Hurst believes that, “…stereotypes (are) the lack of personal, concrete familiarity that individuals have with persons in other racial or ethnic groups. Lack of familiarity encourages the lumping together of unknown individuals (Hurst 6).” Whatever the theory, it’s clear that stereotypes present a problem for society as they inhibit integration and function in large part to maintain a social caste system where upward mobility faces resistance. One can just view the cases of the maquilos workers on the Mexico – Florida border and the gender stereotypes they endured when attempting to receive fair and equitable wages and positions.

Stereotypes are in direct opposition to our right as human beings to the pursuit of happiness and personal betterment. Lesson Plan: Confronting StereotypesGrades 9-12Materials: Poster board, Markers, Journals (for the students)Pre-planning: Devise a number of stereotypes you want to address, that could target preconceived notions in the population of students. Lesson: Begin by writing in black marker on the poster board one of the stereotypes you identified the day before as particularly relevant.

For example, ‘Women Should Be Mothers and Men Should Work.’ Ask the students what it means to be a woman and if they believe they should be allowed to hold careers. Write their responses down. Then ask the students what it means to be a man and then record the responses under a different column. At this point you should circle the responses under the woman category and circle the responses under the man category. There should be some overlapping responses and you should draw a line or circle chart that illustrates these.

Journal Activity: The journal activity can be used to prompt the upcoming classroom discussion, but should also tacitly leads students to internalize the negative effects of stereotypes and the way they have been unconsciously influenced to accept them as facts. Possible topics include: ‘Why do you think people use stereotypes and how are they destructive to our society and to us individually?’ ‘Where do you think we learn to stereotype people from?’ or ‘What did you learn about your classmates responses about personal identity that you didn’t realize before the activity’ Discussion: You should bring up the fact that while these stereotypes exist, when they are discussed on an individual level they cease to remain objectively true.

Ask the students where they feel they receive these impressions of other people from and if they are valid characterizations. (If they have trouble coming up with answers prompt them towards magazines and media – music videos, television shows) Then ask why these sources might characterize people so broadly. Ask the students what they feel are the negative results of stereotyping people. Works CitedHurst, Charles E. Social Inequality: Forms, Causes, and Consequences. 6. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc, 2007.