§   DEFINITION      

Stereotype – placing a common group trait onto specific individuals in that group.
 

Stereotyping is the error of attributing a trait or quirk characteristic of a certain group onto an individual from that group.  A stereotype ignores a person’s individuality, and instead concentrates on a common perception associated with a person’s heritage (or affiliation with a group).  A stereotype is a fallacy because it assumes that all members of a group must share the quirks or idiosyncrasies displayed by some (or even most) members of that group.
 

FOR  YOUR  INFORMATION

Stereotyping is the central tool of prejudice.  Any race, religion, culture, age, or occupation has been stereotyped at one point or another.  During the Middle Ages, mutes used to be stereotyped as stupid.  Today, one of our most popular insults is to call someone “dumb.”  The denotation of the word means “one who is unable to speak,” yet most people exclusively use this term to suggest a connotation of stupidity.  Of course, calling somebody “dumb” to his face would activate this stereotype through the form of name calling.
 

CAUTION!

Even complimentary stereotypes are fallacious.  For instance, someone may say that all Asians are good at math, meaning it as a compliment; however, we cannot associate traits exhibited by some Asians onto every Asian individual.  Even if the majority of Asians are excellent mathematicians, there are some who just don’t understand it, just as in other races.  His schooling, work ethic, socio-economic class, and genetic predisposition have much more influence on his math ability than his skin color or skull shape.
 

EXAMPLE 1

A farmer might think: “People who live in big cities are too busy making and spending money to care about each other.”

Although this statement has dramatic appeal, proving that this statement applies to any individual would be difficult.  To claim that most or all individuals are extremely selfish and pre-occupied because of the location of their home is unfounded, leaving too many alternate conditions to make any one the most provable cause of behaviors.

 
EXAMPLE 2

A fearful conformist neighbor frets: “Oh, no!  Look who just moved into the neighborhood – that scary looking biker guy!  Now the whole neighborhood will go to ruin.  What kinds of friends might he have over there?  What will this do to my property value?”

This neighbor probably won’t bake a cake for the neighborhood’s new resident.  Harley men look intimidating to timid people because they express power and pain through their tattoos, loud engines, and studded jackets.  Yet most are law-abiding citizens who pay their taxes, keep steady jobs, take family vacations, and even love the arts.
 

All people project a persona.  When we judge people before getting to know them, we commit the act of pre-judging – prejudice.  People’s actions and behaviors will determine their worth as a human being – not their appearance.  Employers often discriminate against someone who doesn’t look like the rest of the team.  In the late 1960s, hippies were denied jobs because their hair was too long.  People who become stereotyped become “guilty by association” with their group.  We expect all Irish to drink and all Russians to be communists.
 

HOW TO DO THIS

Many stereotypes are not intended that way in the author’s mind.  Instead, many well-intended ideas can be sullied with sloppy diction, specifically “all or nothing” language.  We can revise stereotypes in our own writing by using clarifying words like “some,” “many,” “most,” etc.  Since we cannot be the authority on every statistic or fact of life, we should hedge our language in persuasive writing for fairness sake.