Stereotypes are things people believe about culture, race, gender or nationality. They are always generalizations. They cannot explain how complex a person really is. Photo by: Jennifer Wu/Flickr.
Stereotypes are characteristics imposed on groups of people because of their race, culture, religion and sexual orientation. But these characteristics tend to ignore the fact that people in the same group can be very different.

For example, say someone meets a few individuals from a particular country and finds them to be quiet and reserved. That person might spread the word that all citizens from that country are quiet and reserved. But this would not be true.

This kind of generalization doesn't recognize diversity within a group. It assumes that all people in the group are the same. It may lead to discrimination or help give certain groups a bad reputation if the stereotypes are mostly negative. Even so-called positive stereotypes can be harmful. Whether they are positive or negative, stereotypes should be avoided.

Stereotypes Vs. Generalizations

There are many talented African-American basketball players in the U.S. However, linking this sport with African-Americans culture as a whole is a generalization. Photo: Chad Cooper/Flickr.
All stereotypes are generalizations, but not all generalizations are stereotypes. Stereotypes are simple ideas about groups of people, which ignore the fact that these groups are actually complex. In the United States, racial groups have been linked to stereotypes like being good at math, athletics and dancing. These stereotypes are well-known. Most Americans wouldn't hesitate if asked which racial group in this country is known for being the best at basketball. Stereotypes are myths that are repeated in a society.

On the other hand, a person can also make a generalization that isn't common in society. Say a woman meets a few people from a particular ethnic group and finds them to be excellent cooks. She may oversimplify and think that anyone from this ethnic group has to be an excellent cook. She would be guilty of generalizing. But she would not be guilty of stereotyping. That is because no one ethnic group in the U.S. has a reputation for being better at cooking than another.

They Can Be Complicated

Stereotypes may refer to a specific gender, race, religion or country. But often they link various aspects of a person. This is known as intersectionality. For example, consider stereotypes about black gay men. These stereotypes involve at least three separate aspects, which are race, sex and sexual orientation.

New York is home to the largest metropolitan Chinese population outside of Asia. Chinese-Americans are just one of many groups with mixed backgrounds. These groups might all be American, but stereotypes still affect their complicated identities. Photo: Yanping Nora Soong/Wikimedia.
Because of intersectionality, stereotypes can get quite layered and complicated. Even within the same group, members may be categorized very differently. For example, the women of a certain racial group may be stereotyped as attractive. Meanwhile, the men of that same racial group may be stereotyped as unattractive, or vice versa.

Stereotypes applied to a racial group become inconsistent when members of that group are broken down by national origin. For example, stereotypes about African-Americans are different from those about black people from other parts of the world.

Can They Ever Be Good?

Positive stereotypes exist, but they are still harmful. All stereotypes are limiting. Stereotypes leave little to no room for individuality. Perhaps a child belongs to a racial group known for being very intelligent. But that child might suffer from a learning disability and struggle to keep up with his classmates. If the student's teacher buys into the stereotype that this child is supposed to excel in class because "his people" are so smart, that teacher might assume he's just getting poor grades because he's lazy. The teacher then might never discover his learning disability.

Is There Truth In Stereotypes?

It's often said that stereotypes are rooted in truth. But this is not a valid statement. People who make this argument often want to justify their use of stereotypes. The problem with stereotypes is that they suggest that groups of people are inherently prone to certain behaviors. People may say that Arabs are "naturally" one way, Latinos are "naturally" another. The fact is, science doesn't back up these assumptions. Social factors might help explain why some groups have historically done well at certain activities.

Perhaps a society prevented a group of people from getting certain jobs but welcomed them in others. Over the years, members of the group became associated with the careers they were actually allowed to have. This did not happen because they were the only ones with a natural talent in these fields. It happened because these were the professions that allowed them to survive.

The next time you're tempted to stereotype a group of people, think about the groups to which you belong. List the stereotypes linked to those groups. Does each of those stereotypes apply to you? More than likely you'd disagree that all of the qualities that get attributed to those of your gender, racial group, sexual orientation or nation of origin describe you. That is why it's important to judge specific individuals rather than the groups they belong to.

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