Workbook 1
Exploring Equality and Diversity
HARASSMENT
POLICY
PREJUDICE
STEREOTYPING
DISCRIMINATION
BELIEFS
LABELLING
Level 2
Certificate in Equality and Diversity
Section 3: Understand the effects of stereotyping
and labelling
Understanding stereotyping and the effects of labelling
Please read the following as it will help you to answer question 4.
Stereotyping and Labelling
Labelling and stereotypes can be based on:
personal aspects – that cannot be changed, like race, age or gender
family characteristics – such as religion and economic status
individual characteristics – such as those based on a person’s weight, clothing
or car type
Stereotype
A stereotype is an oversimplified or generalised idea about a group of people, often
held by the members of a different group. A stereotype can be a description of all the
characteristics which members of a particular group are assumed to have (without
taking into account the wide range of individual circumstances and needs within that
group) and can be:
negative or positive for the group
based on truth or be inaccurate
A stereotype is usually based on limited or incomplete knowledge about the group
(e.g. a simplification or an exaggeration of a group’s characteristics), often relating
to their race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation etc. Stereotypes can also be
based on historical factors or on a form of discrimination, such as racism, sexism
or homophobia. Stereotyping can also be a form of prejudice, particularly if the
stereotype relates to something that the group cannot do.
Labelling
Labelling is when we identify individuals as members of particular groups (based on
a stereotype) and categorise them in society, whether or not they see themselves as
members of that group. The individuals are then expected to conform to the behaviour
associated with the stereotype with which they have been labelled.
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Section 3: Understand the effects of stereotyping
and labelling
Word labels in our culture represent specific aspects of a person’s life, like religious
affiliation, race, gender, age or education levels – e.g. if you are labelled by your
religious beliefs, you might be called Christian, Jewish or Muslim.
Labelling can be positive or negative, but both shape the way people perceive
themselves and others. Often, negative labels build barriers between people who are
otherwise very similar to each other, by highlighting differences rather than similarities.
Why people feel the need to stereotype and label
We all use stereotypes to make sense of the world. We create ‘shortcuts’ based on
our past experiences in order to make day-to-day living a bit easier. If we had to
evaluate each and every person and each and every situation based on their unique
characteristics, we would be evaluating each and every minute of our lives! Very often
people also need to apply labels in order to make sense of all the information they
filter in their everyday lives.
However, it is important to remember that stereotypes are often judgemental and
cloud our perceptions (what we think) of individuality. While it is true that particular
groups may attract stereotypical types or kinds of people (e.g. with particular sets
of views), that does not necessarily mean that these people could not also share
some common beliefs or interests with other groups, or that they all have the same
(positive or negative) characteristics.
But what is it that makes us want to label, stereotype
and prejudge? It is all part of an important process
called generalisation. Just about everyone has this
ability to generalise. It is an involuntary process
(that takes place subconsciously) and it is related
to learning from experience in order to predict the future.
At best, a stereotype can be defined as an oversimplified
opinion or image. At worst, it can contain strongly negative
thoughts about people. Having or using stereotypes is generally
viewed as undesirable or unattractive, yet there is every indication
that avoiding them entirely is unrealistic. When studying stereotypes,
it is best to try to eliminate all preconceived beliefs, and to keep an open mind
to alternative explanations in order to avoid being discriminatory or prejudiced.
One reason for developing stereotypes is the lack of contact or understanding that
individuals have with persons in other racial or ethnic groups. This lack of familiarity
encourages the collecting together of unknown individuals into stereotypical groups.
As we develop from children into adults, we begin to perceive differences in others –
e.g. in infancy our culture teaches what it means to be a boy or a girl. Young people
are influenced by a stream of messages to conform to a variety of expectations, and
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Section 3: Understand the effects of stereotyping
and labelling
to maintain a rigid set of values that stress differences between us. For example,
the messages relating to gender stereotypes begin at a very early age, including the
colour of our clothes and the toys we play with.
People are more likely to stereotype if they need to understand differences, in this
way it provides a sense of order to them so that the unfamiliar becomes familiar. It
is almost like a survival tactic as it also serves to protect/enhance our own ‘social
identity’ (the way we associate/compare ourselves with certain social groups in order
to maintain our self-esteem). Stereotypes give us a sense of control over our social
contacts and help us reduce uncertainty and avoid risky situations.
On the one hand, stereotypes help to make the world more manageable and
understandable but, on the other, they provide an oversimplified, and sometimes
misleading, picture. However, we do need stereotypes to provide order in our lives,
part of which includes giving us our own sense of value and meaning.
Stereotypes can lead to snap judgments or quick decisions about group members,
especially when we feel under pressure because of time constraints or the complexity
of the information we have to process. We are also more likely to rely on stereotypes
when we are affected by strong emotions, such as anger or anxiety.
The damaging effects stereotyping and labelling can have on people
Stereotyping and labelling can have subtle, but often damaging effects. The choice
of a label almost always attributes a value judgement, and the same concept may be
described in either a positive or negative light, depending on the chosen label – e.g.
a person may be labelled as either ‘trusting’ or ‘gullible’, ‘generous’ or ‘wasteful’. The
effect of labelling can be both short or long term, depending on how the individual
feels about themselves.
Often a person will live up to his or her labels, conforming to the expectations of
others. This is what is meant by the term ‘a self-fulfilling prophecy’. A label alone
may be sufficient to shape the way others respond and behave towards a person,
and it is these external, environmental influences that may guide that person towards
‘becoming the label’.
Stereotypes distort what we think about a whole group of people and can often be
prejudicial as they:
put people down
perpetuate misunderstandings
discourage people from seeing individual differences within groups
lead people who are being stereotyped to believe the negative image about
themselves (especially if they are young children)
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Section 3: Understand the effects of stereotyping
and labelling
prevent us from accepting people from another group
keep people from other groups on the ‘outside’
Even if they are positive stereotypes, such as ‘all Latinos dance well’, they put pressure
on the people being stereotyped and do not allow for individual differences.
Sometimes even medical/diagnostic labelling can lead to discrimination. For example,
someone who has received psychiatric treatments or counselling may become labelled
as a ‘mentally ill’ person. It is because of this labelling that many refuse to receive
treatment for symptoms associated with mental illnesses due to certain negative
stereotypes of mental illness (such as unpredictability and instability), which may cause
others to reject the labelled individual. Such treatment by others may introduce both
discrimination and new sources of stress on the labelled person’s life.
Knowledge Activity 5: Think about why people stereotype others,
particularly how stereotyping can: form group identities; help people
deal with differences; and make people feel safe.
1) Describe briefly an occasion when you have used a stereotype and think
about how that stereotype may have been formed.
2) Looking back, how could using this stereotype lead to more harmful
discrimination?
3) How do you think the stereotyping affected the other person/people?
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VICTIMISATION
Monitoring
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