Defining stereotype… this really shouldn’t be difficult, but I’m finding that it is actually hard to think of what the word actually means. So I decided to look it up in the dictionary, seemed like a good idea at the time.
According to Webster’s Dictionary:
Stereotype
(Noun): A conventional or formulaic conception or image: "regional stereotypes have been part of America since its founding.”
(Verb): Treat or classify according to a mental stereotype; "I was stereotyped as a lazy Southern European".
This didn’t make things much clearer for me. So I turned to Lippman. From what I understood, he explained Stereotypes almost as a predisposition based on a person’s life experiences and that we cannot fully understand why they perceive those stereotypes until we’ve seen experiences through their eyes. I’ve always thought of Stereotype as a derogatory word, like all stereotypes were a bad thing. I think that’s mainly because I was always faced with them growing up. However, the more I read and the more I listen in class I find myself thinking that stereotypes are not necessarily a derogatory outlook on someone unlike your self but this predisposition based on your own experiences. Especially since no one is going to think of or believe the same stereotypes about certain types of people.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Blogmania #1
So, for the super blog assignment for this week, part 1 of the topic is to research your favorite media. I know I chose my cell as my favorite, and in class we decided that it was a point-to-point rather than a mass media. This got me thinking about Andy’s phone and how he uses it.
Let me start by saying that we both use the same company, Verizon. Which we all know is now getting into television and the internet. Now I know that when I use my phone it really is just a point-to-point, however Andy is very different. I like to call his phone the mini computer. It really is almost like a small computer. For instance, he can play games, keep track of his schedule, check his email, even surf the net… all from the palm of his hand. So, how exactly do we classify that? Could that be considered a mass media being that he’s all over the web, or is it the internet on his phone that is the mass media?
This just shows how far these corporations are reaching. They are constantly merging to combine cable with the internet and wireless providers. It makes me think of these commercials that are almost like one stop shopping. So many companies offer all three of these in a package deal.
Let me start by saying that we both use the same company, Verizon. Which we all know is now getting into television and the internet. Now I know that when I use my phone it really is just a point-to-point, however Andy is very different. I like to call his phone the mini computer. It really is almost like a small computer. For instance, he can play games, keep track of his schedule, check his email, even surf the net… all from the palm of his hand. So, how exactly do we classify that? Could that be considered a mass media being that he’s all over the web, or is it the internet on his phone that is the mass media?
This just shows how far these corporations are reaching. They are constantly merging to combine cable with the internet and wireless providers. It makes me think of these commercials that are almost like one stop shopping. So many companies offer all three of these in a package deal.
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