Stereotype and the Perpetuation of Racism

This essay discusses the perpetuation of racism through stereotype and its impact on society. It also highlights the role of media in reinforcing stereotypes and the need to examine them carefully.

Running head: STEREOTYPE AND THE PERPETUATION OF RACISM
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STEREOTYPE AND THE PERPETUATION OF RACISM
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1STEREOTYPE AND THE PERPETUATION OF RACISM
Any group of people imposed with characteristics due to certain race, nationality, and
sexual orientation is referred as stereotyping. The characteristics that are imposed are generally
oversimplifications of the group that are involved (Meyer, 2013). The actuality of the notion is
while there are some people who embody the characteristics, it is not necessary that every person
belonging to the same group is embody the traits of their stereotype. It is never the representative
of every member belonging to the same group. Stereotypes are mostly considered to be negative
perception of specific groups however in some of the cases it is also positive (Tatum, 2017).
While every stereotypes are mainly generalization, every generalization is not stereotypes. The
perpetuation of racism has a history with stereotypes, where one group exhibiting few
characteristic are assumed as a part of the generalized concept. The essay aim to discuss the
perpetuation of racism through stereotype along with the ways this concept is still applied in the
general population and cross-culturally. The issue of racism has occupied a significant part of the
society and it has been on process since last few decades. People across the world have been
through unpleasant experiences for the generalization perspective of them that is pre-constructed.
Therefore, it is a topic of worth that can be utilized for research purpose.
The basic concept of stereotype is widely circulated generalization that are oversimplified
and often due to the long length of information transfer the generalization turns vague (Lachman,
Lachman & Butterfield, 2015). The generalization is based on personal experience which
becomes an information when shared with other people. Certain racial groups found in the
United States have been interrelated to stereotype, for example being a vegetarian or being good
at athletics. These stereotypes are known widely among the state that it is discussed by average
American without any hesitation (Woodcock, 2018). For example, question regarding any ethnic
group that has excellent reputation in basketball can be easily asked without any hesitation. In a

2STEREOTYPE AND THE PERPETUATION OF RACISM
simpler term, stereotyping is the repetition of cultural mythology that already exists in a
particular society. It is the portrayal of the issue that remains the major issue of today. In order to
consider racism, the most prominent discrimination is the inequality among the indigenous and
the non-indigenous people
Generalization can be made about an ethnic group that has not been perpetuated in
society (Lewis, 2017). This is basically assuming the broad category traits as the one observed in
the smaller groups or people from the same category. Generalization creates too many
misunderstanding and spread the wrong concept of generalization over other places. It is a
hindrance in diversity within groups and often results in stigmatization. The concept that is inked
with stereotyping is Intersectionality. While the concept of stereotyping is only referring to
specific se, race, religion or country, there are various aspects that work together to make up
identity. This particular concept is called intersectionality. Involving more than one stereotype is
often called the intersectionality. For example, a black women will involve race and well as
gender. Differing stereotype can exist within the same race.
Racism is among of the social issues that is existing since a long time (Denzin &
Giardina, 2018). It is a complicated term that is often considered hard to even define. The word
‘race’ is one of the most used term that one can hear in daily life. It is used as naturally as any
other term and yet it is the most significant problem of United States in 21st century (Andersen &
Collins, 2015). The term can be defined, as the belief that race is responsible for differences in
human character or the ability and one race is superior to another. It is also a term that refers to
the discrimination or prejudice on the basis of race (Lick, Durso & Johnson, 2013). The
prejudice on the basis of race can be understood when history is read where the blacks were not
only considered inferior but also as property and not human being. People are perceived in

3STEREOTYPE AND THE PERPETUATION OF RACISM
different way on the basis of stereotype which are often portrayed through media. Although
today the discrimination is not as the way it was decades ago, it still persist in the contemporary
times. People are still treated on the basis of race. Most of the time it take the form of
discrimination where one is discriminated on the basis of race, gender, sex or ethnic background.
Media is one of the source of mass communication and has great potential of making or
breaking the perception of population (Boudet et al., 2014). Media has often been criticized on
their way of representing ethnicity or race in some particular context. Media is responsible of
conveying information across the world and critics have found it representing partial behavior
(Cohen et al. 2014). In terms of crime, criminals and victims, it is often perceived to be biased.
The reason media is considered so impactful is for it has a big role in shaping the youth of the
nation. Today, media is profound in the process of socialization than any other period in history.
In the older days, the traditional method used to be storytelling where the passing of beliefs were
through the family, religion, tribe, community or school. Although all these processes have
profound effect on the way youth grow up, there larger impact is by media. Media has become a
less form of leisure and more of communication agent. It is seen as a great source of information
and people seek to know the happening of the surrounding through media (Anderson et al, 2014).
Media has been found playing the big role in the existing racism in the society. By
repeating the cultural myths it only keeps the cultural differences alive among the people
(Crenshaw, 2018). Media creates roles for people that are easily accepted by society. It is often
the source of consumerism which target to have high sales. Media is responsible for creating
images of groups which is commonly accepted and made as to like by people (Esser, 2013). For
example, many agents of consumerism create the role of women in the way society accepts it
such as shaving their body hair, using more of beauty products. The trick is to bombard public by

4STEREOTYPE AND THE PERPETUATION OF RACISM
giving them an image of the particular race, gender and the ethnic group that would be make
them feel good about it. It is important to raise questions when the images such as it are
displayed by media as it is watched by different age groups and it has extreme impact on them.
Questions regarding the values should be raised the subjects are set by the media to pass through
population. In the similar way, the existing racism has been created by the creation of the
stereotype roles. Media needs to examine stereotype carefully to understand the negative impacts
of such roles on the youths as well as adult. Since these roles have extensive impacts they are
only reinforcing racism among the population (Schwartz et al., 2013).
Stereotype do great harm and there is no question regarding the statement. Media has the
power to create two images of indigenous people, good women and bad ones. Given media’s
stereotypical portrayals of people belonging to different background it should not be surprising
to find that relationships between different ethnic groups, people from different racial
background are depicted in ways that reinforce stereotypes. People are perceived in different way
on the basis of stereotype which is often portrayed through media. People tend to believe every
information shown by the media and react accordingly (Lamont, Swift & Abrams, 2015). It is the
portrayal of the issue that remains the major issue of today. In order to consider racism, the most
prominent discrimination is the inequality among the indigenous and the non-indigenous people.
Indigenous people are portrayed through a negative perspective by media (Denis, 2015). For
example, in video games they are portrayed only in negative roles. It is even worse as there are
points for killing the black people. It is not only impactful on non-indigenous people who get the
image of the black people only in the negative role but also on the indigenous people when they
see themselves in the videogames. There are several other factors that make the racism in
society. To be particular, few of the aspects that make the concept of racism are whiteness and

5STEREOTYPE AND THE PERPETUATION OF RACISM
white privilege, creation of the whiteness and representation of these factors through media.
Racism have been existed in Canada since a long time and there have been several official
policies in order to encourage multiculturalism and tolerance. There is a lack of indigenous
people in the media is paralleled by the scarcity of women in charge of media. It is highly
necessary for people to critique the word they are representing and the world they belong. There
should be consideration between the social, individual, and to some extent combination of both.
Reason that fuels up racism in Canada is also for the nature of culture they possess that
concentrates on individual which is the reason for getting pleasure in other’s failings. Also,
ignorance of social influence on the issue is a traced from the same characteristic of people
belong from Canada. Writer who are the creator of the subject that media plays often represents
the subject in an unappropriated way which is the cause of racism in the society as well. A writer
may write from a social perspective or from and individual perspective however there is only
two perspectives that are seen mostly, the stereotype and the novelist. In sum, it has been
identified basic stereotypes and relationships between the different cultures. Individuality and in
addition these images undergo and reinforce socially constructed views of the different ethnic
background, views that have restricted people from different cultural background.
Stereotypes are simplistic and generalized ideas about a specific group of people.
Stereotypes can be useful for making rapid choices based on previous experiences. They can also
mislead people by perceiving something is true about a person since they belong to a certain
group or act and look a certain way. Children are heavily influenced by the stereotypes they see
and hear in media. According to studies these advertisements profoundly impact the ways people
perceive and relate to one another. While there is consensus grown about the prevalence of
negative media images regarding the indigenous people, measuring the influence of these images

6STEREOTYPE AND THE PERPETUATION OF RACISM
and youth rejection or endorsement of these images on indigenous youth well-being and identity
is a new and understudied phenomenon.
One of the central places where people learn stereotypes is the mass media. It is the
fastest form of communicating with the population and researcher have found analyzing content
that it has for years been creating models and role that create stereotype. Although it is hard to
get in the root of the issue and the way it was initiated in the first place, it is found in most of the
content media portrays to population. There are several other factors that make the racism in
society. One of the most prominent stereotyping is the representation of the indigenous people.
The representation of the indigenous by media has been one of the most devastating image
through the past years. The roles created by the media of indigenous people are subject of
humiliation as well as anger. Many people grow up thinking the indigenous people as criminals
for the media tend to expose and highlight o of the crime performed by an indigenous person. As
the studies shows, these advertisements profoundly influence the thinking. Therefore, it is
important not to rely on the media and built the image of the character. In this modern era,
stereotype is an old concept and should be avoided. Due to globalization and modernization,
cultural diversity is a natural phenomenon in this era. However, there is still people influenced
by media who tend to adjust their behavior as per the perception made by media. It is important
for media to examine stereotype carefully on order to understand the negative influence of such
roles on the youths as well as adult. Since these roles have extensive impacts they are only
reinforcing racism among the population.

7STEREOTYPE AND THE PERPETUATION OF RACISM
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