Blogmania #2

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.