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The waters surrounding the topic of stereotypes are a tad murky since many people usually see this concept from a negative perspective. That is why many students experience struggles when they get the task of writing a stereotype essay. The majority of academic assignments related to outlining stereotypes imply that students focus on the positive aspects. Nevertheless, being swamped with academic work and considering different angles of positive connotations may be a real challenge. This is where expert tips and essays about stereotyping examples will especially come in handy. Scroll down to discover how to write a good essay on stereotypes, and take a peek at a high-quality sample to have a deeper insight into the matter.
What is easily concluded from the name itself, positive stereotypes are positive beliefs that concern a certain group of people. Like Asians being good at solving math problems or African Americans being better athletes.
The thing with positive stereotypes is that they can cause a positive or negative reaction, depending on the situation, the cultural environment, and the person stating it. While in some cases, they can be considered a compliment, in others, they only irritate the object of such stereotyping. This is an essential aspect to remember before writing a stereotype essay.
This last conclusion was made after a corresponding experiment was held and described in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in 2013. During the experiment, participants of Asian descent were subjected to a positive stereotype by a Caucasian participant. According to the results of the experiment, such stereotyping caused them the feelings of:
Yet due to their positive nature, positive stereotypes are much more difficult to fight, which is necessary to focus on in your stereotypes essay. Perpetrators don’t realize the harm they might be causing the objects of stereotyping and thus are less attentive to what they say.
In fact, it has been proven that being positively stereotyped in one domain will lead to negative stereotyping in another domain (African Americans’ athletic achievements and their supposed intellectual inferiority).
But we were going to focus on the positive side in an essay about stereotypes, weren’t we? In some cases, positive stereotypes can be beneficial. The primary condition is subtlety. People like being a part of the group that is positively stereotyped, but they don’t like the stereotype being voiced and applied directly. Therefore, the key to applying a positive stereotype with a positive effect is not applying it directly.
There is an example to illustrate it in your essay or thesis statement about stereotypes. In a corresponding experiment, two groups of Asian Americans were subjected to a positive stereotype about their math abilities before taking a test. The control group was not subjected to any stereotype at all. After the test results were evaluated, it turned out that the group that was reminded about their math abilities through subtle hints performed much better than the other two.
Receiving a simple hint and feeling a part of the group that was positively stereotyped helped them be more confident and give more correct answers.
So, what are good stereotypes to write about? In fact, both negative and positive stereotypes have important psychological functions. Early studies suggested that stereotypes were a characteristic of rude, authoritarian people. Later discoveries proved that a stereotype is nothing else but a simplified perception of reality. In simple words, stereotypes help people understand and extract meaning from what is happening. With the help of stereotypes, people categorize and systematize information. Once a stereotyped category has been created, people rely on it to identify an appropriate response in certain situations.
In addition to this, stereotypes have certain social functions. They help people feel included, which then helps them believe in their own abilities (see above for Asian Americans and math example).
Stereotypes help people justify certain actions, which can be positive or negative depending on the situation. They also help to understand certain events in a certain context. Once you reveal all these aspects in your stereotype essay, your tutor will appreciate it for sure.
When the word “stereotype” pops up in people’s minds, negative labels and judgments often accompany the thoughts related to it (Achenbach, 2019). Nevertheless, all those assumptions often result in misconceptions between people. When considering stereotypes, it is essential not to overlook their positive side and outline a particular issue from different angles. This stereotype essay is devoted to the positive function of different kinds of assumptions in our society. I complemented my research with various social situations to consider this notion in the tiniest detail.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, stereotyping is judging people based on their physical or personality traits. Even though sometimes it seems unfair, it is in human nature to label other people or notions. For example, when people meet someone from a certain cultural heritage, they might unconsciously assume they have particular attributes. However, stereotyping doesn’t mean that people judge people properly, as the first impression is often wrong.
Another point of the coin is that making assumptions may bring positives. A good example is the situation when a person has an appointment in the hospital. Thinking of doctors as knowledgeable and professional can actually help people feel more comfortable, which may lead to more positive results during the treatment. Numerous studies have noticed that stereotyping is advantageous for society (Hernandez, 2019). This is mainly because they are often accompanied by trustworthy facts. A good example is that Asians are great employees and industrious people, and Irish individuals have a specific sense of humor (in a very positive perspective).
I couldn’t help but mention positive societal norms in my stereotype essay. Many stereotypes are constructive and give credit to particular characteristics or ways of behaving. There is a widespread assumption that British people are polite. While everyone has unique traits and politeness isn’t a cup of tea for all British citizens, there is a stereotype that these people are often kind and courteous (Spencer et al., 2016). Thanks to this assumption, it is often easier for people to create cross-cultural connections and have positive expectations about visiting this country.
While eliminating negative stereotypes is almost impossible, people should find a balance in their labeling. Stereotyping can be useful for quick assessments, but it is essential to remain open to unique experiences and people’s attributes. Understanding the positive aspects of making assumptions allows us to appreciate diversity and remember that each person is unique, and some myths need to be debunked.
Although it is true that stereotypes often come with negative connotations, we should also remember that they play a valuable role in our lives. Aside from helping people cope with different situations in everyday life, stereotyping helps people see cultural strengths, create more balanced views on various things and even motivate.
All things considered, regardless of which type of society people live in, it is necessary to balance positive and negative stereotypes to get more harmonious relationships and understanding of different situations. Moreover, we will need to appreciate the unique qualities of people and avoid labeling without analyzing them.
Taking the road less traveled is always more work, and academic papers are hardly ever an exception. However, if you want to write an outstanding piece and make a real contribution to science, you have to think innovation.
Take a different perspective. Look for facts that contradict common beliefs. Don’t be scared to be the lonely voice in the dark (that’s a dramatic overstatement, of course; people certainly did write about positive stereotypes). If you fail to overturn the established point of view, you will at least study the subject from all possible perspectives, which is an achievement in itself. Check out the stereotype essay examples and analyze your topic before creating a piece. Once you keep all the above-mentioned points in mind, you will undoubtedly write an A-grade stereotypes essay.