What Causes Stereotypes?

By: Celina Yang

In our current society the word “Stereotypes” is associated with a negative notion. However, some just say this without actually knowing what they are or have an inaccurate definition.  According to Cambridge dictionary, the word Stereotype is defined as “a set idea that people have about what someone or something is like, especially an idea that is wrong.” Now we know the meaning of the word, but there is a more important aspect involved. What causes these negative perceptions and biases in our society today?

There are multiple causes to stereotypes, personally, the most common reason is basing a minority idea on the majority. That is when someone sees something about a person or an object, which can be both negative or positive and believing that everyone or everything from that group has that in common. An example I can use is one I have heard a lot at school and it is my individual experience so it may not be a common stereotype, but at our school a lot of people think “Asians are good at math.” While this may be true for some Asians or many Asians, and many might argue that there is nothing really bad about this stereotype, I have heard people asking other students why they are bad at math when they are Asian. Which is illogical in many ways and can cause negativity in our society. 

Another reason is through experience and education. There have been many studies which show how young children absorb much more information than many adults think, and how these children are educated from their parents and teachers plays a vital role in how the child will grow up thinking and acting. So if parents or teachers expose children to biased claims, it is likely that they will grow up thinking that unless they do their research otherwise. So many stereotypes come from the attitudes of parents and teachers who have a significant influence on young childrens and how their perceptions are created. This is also my experience, I have realized recently that I believed a lot of the things I heard from school and my parents without doubting them.

Through hate and biased reasons. One reason is when people have a particular hate towards a group of people or things, which can cause them to have unethical biases and stereotypes about them. I have realized over the years that I disliked everything about Basketball because I fell off and splitted my head open from falling off a basketball hoop. I know that it is my personal opinion but it caused me to have bad stereotypes about basketball for a long time, even though I knew it was illogical.

Overall, there are various reasons stereotypes are created and it's different for each person. However, the important part about stereotypes is not to never have them, but to overcome them and never act negatively because of that stereotype. It is essential to sometimes use logic rather than the things you hear. And it is very important to never hurt others because of your beliefs about them.