Stereotypes exist to make life easier. They are generalizing signs and schemes according to which people divide things and phenomena, without making unnecessary mental efforts for this. Stereotypes are stable, but they can change over time.
Instructions
Step 1
There are common stereotypes that are perceived equally by all of humanity. Others are formed within social communities of various sizes, depending on the traditions and norms adopted within them. The cultural characteristics of different countries are often exaggerated and attributed to all representatives as mandatory signs.
Step 2
Gender stereotypes are the oldest of the existing ones. They are built on the difference between male and female physiology and the difference in their social roles, in this regard. Due to the fact that a woman is the continuer of the human race, she was assigned the role of the keeper of the family and comfort. The man, with his physical strength and leadership psychology, had to become a breadwinner and protector. Proceeding from this, stereotypes-qualities appeared, which representatives of both sexes must correspond to.
Step 3
In modern society, gender stereotypes are gradually becoming a thing of the past. People are perceived not as men and women, but as representatives of certain social and professional groups. Each group has its own external distinctive features and the presence of a certain terminology.
Step 4
Leisure stereotypes are also associated. This activity is determined by several factors: demographic, including gender, age and place of residence, and social, characterizing the material condition and type of activity. That is, seeing a person suitable for certain characteristics, we can roughly imagine how he spends his free time and what he is interested in. Fashion and its trends, which are followed by representatives of social groups, also play an important role here.
Step 5
The emergence and impact of stereotypes can be clearly seen on the example of representatives of subcultures. In the second half of the 20th century, many different trends appeared, the most prominent of which are punks, goths and hippies. Initially, these movements were formed on the basis of music and protest against flaws in political regimes and universal principles of life. In the struggle for the stability of the system, the media began to portray representatives of these subcultures as outcasts, exaggerating their external and behavioral data. All punks have turned into incorrigible brawlers, goths - into satanists, and hippies - into drug addicts. Undoubtedly, there are representatives of subcultures behaving the way they are presented by the media, but, to a greater extent, this is a product of the influence of public opinion and prevailing stereotypes.
Step 6
Thus, we can distinguish three main ways of the emergence of a stereotype: those that have developed in certain social communities on the basis of the norms and traditions adopted there, that have appeared thanks to fashion and formed with the help of the media.
