This document discusses stereotypes and some of the assumptions surrounding them. It notes that stereotypes are assumptions made about groups of people in order to categorize them more easily. However, the document argues that not all stereotypes are necessarily negative, rigid, or false. Some key points made include that stereotypes can be held about one's own group, they are not always aimed at minorities or less powerful groups, and stereotypes must have some truth to them or they would not persist over time. The document also discusses implications of stereotypes, such as them potentially leading to unfair treatment of some groups.

1. Tessa Perkins
Stereotypes
“GEEK”
“MODEL”
“MUM”
“PUNK”
“TEACHER”

2. Stereotypes
 Stereotypes are assumptions we make based on groups of people.
We come to conclusions and categorise people in certain way, as
this makes it easier for us to recognise particular people.
 Stereotyping is not a simple process and contains a number of
assumptions that can be challenged. Perkins identifies 5 such
assumptions:
 Stereotypes are not always negative (e.g. ‘The French are good
cooks’)
 They are not always about minority groups or less powerful (e.g.
upper class twits’)
 They can be held about one’s own group.
 They are not rigid or unchanging.
 They are not always false.

3. Stereotypes
 Stereotypes are not always negative, people assume that
stereotypes are negative for example, young troublesome youths,
‘hoodie culture’, however youth can also be seen as positive.
 People assume that stereotypes are aimed at and targeted
towards the less powerful, but this is not always the case, we can
make assumptions and stereotypes about the upper class
minorities in some way they would make assumptions about lower
class people.
 They can be held about ones group, for example at college, within
our own group we stereotype people demonstrating even though
we all belong to the same institution and hold the same ideologies
as a whole, within the group we still stereotype based on our
assumptions. This makes each of us feel part of the larger
community.

4. Stereotypes
 They are not rigid or unchanging, once a stereotype has been
created it is very hard to change however Perkins states that
over a period of time can change and develop.
 For example – a dad being the dominant parent, or a woman
being sport and muscly.
 They are not always false. Stereotypes have to have some
truth in them, otherwise stereotypes would not exist.
 We read and witness many stories in the media that help us
shape and understand these stereotypes.
 We may witness it first hand or second hand, however there
must be some truth in a stereotype otherwise the ideology
behind them would have not existed in the first place.

5. Implications of stereotypes
 Stereotypes are usually erroneous in content.
 They are negative concepts
 They are about groups with whom we have little or no social
contact; by implication therefore, they are not held about
one’s own group – that’s a stereotype of a stereotype,
therefore it cannot be completely reliable or believable.
 They are about minority of repressed groups most of the time
creating negative representation of the lower class possible
giving the upper-class more power.

6. Implications of Stereotypes
 People either ‘hold’ stereotypes of a group (believe them to
be true) or do not. This can lead to negative behavior or
wrong assumptions.
 Because someone holds a stereotype of a group, his or her
behavior towards a member of that group can be predicted.
This can lead to unfair treatment of members of society
(celebrity BB white D)
 Stereotypes are an invaluable aid to understanding the world
and all stereotypes must have a bit of truth or they would not
have such an influence.