The ‘Glass Stereotype’ can be used as a lens for examining many other stereotypes. I will talk about the stereotypes about the black race. We first need to understand that stereotypes are common public beliefs about a particular group of people, an individual, race, sex or object. Stereotypes are not necessarily true. More than often, stereotypes are used to put people down. They, therefore, have a negative inclination.
Black males in the United States, for instance, are considered as very dangerous criminals. This may be attributed to the way media portrays this as well as statistics of law enforcement agencies. Nonetheless, this should not be the basis to judge all black males as criminals. There are many black males who live genuine lives free of crime.
Another stereotype about black people is that they are all athletes. This is one of the few stereotypes which not necessarily used in bad light. Tracing back in history, many blacks have been successful athletes evident in the long distance races during Olympics. Similarly, this does not mean that all blacks are good athletes. Many others are talented in other fields away from this sport. The negative aspect of this stereotype is the fact that these blacks are not expected to be lazy. The stereotype raises the question: ‘how can black people be lazy yet they are athletic?’ This presents no justifiable reason for blacks to be lazy be it in the workplace or their homes.
American movies often portray black people doing less valued jobs; they also serve as subordinates to the whites. This has influenced the general perception of blacks and rendered it less flattering. It portrays blacks as generally uneducated (Larsen et al, 2008).
Conclusively, stereotypes should not be used to judge black people or any other person, group or object. Stereotype is not necessarily always true.
Work CitedTop of Form
Being Human: Relationships and You: a Social Psychological Analysis. Purdue Univ Pr, 2008. Print.
