What do stereotypes and prejudices are?

Stereotypes and prejudices

Stereotypes and prejudice are means for categorizing the world around us.

According to the definition of the Cambridge Dictionary, stereotypes are “a fixed idea that people have about what someone or something is like, especially an idea that is wrong”; according to the same dictionary, prejudices are “an unfair and unreasonable opinion or feeling, especially when formed without enough thought or knowledge”. In other words, stereotypes are preconceptions and clichés, while prejudices are irrational feelings of fear and dislike. They can be understood as filters which somehow protect us against information overflow and allow us to judge people without knowing them personally or only superficially: they limit our view on what the reality is.

In this sense one could argue that stereotypes and prejudice have a positive function as they enable us to make decisions quickly. Very often, however, stereotypes are used to justify and support the beliefs and values of the majority population. The ‘common’ is perceived as the ‘normal’ and things done by distinct social groups or minorities are devaluated when they do not conform to these ‘norms’. One of the most striking elements of stereotypes and prejudice is that they are usually created by the powerful and applied to the weak, who cannot control the way they are perceived by others nor are they able to change these perceptions. A common saying has it that stereotypes are usually true. Whenever a true aspect of a stereotype is found this aspect justifies and reinforces the stereotype.

Politicians and media very often make use of stereotypes. Playing with negative feelings or fears is a good way to win an election or to sell a paper. People normally use stereotypes to define and justify the status quo. The ones who suffer from stereotypes are not those whose fears are exploited but those being presented in a negative light, the stereotyped.