Fighting Stereotypes Essay - 1078 Words

A stereotype is defined as a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. There are multitudes of stereotypes in our society today ranging from the physical attributes of a person or groups of people to the behaviors of a person or groups of people. According to An Introduction to Logic, â€Å"Often the fallacy of hasty generalization can lead to damaging stereotypes made on the basis of just a few examples. Stereotypes about women, religious groups, minorities, ethnic groups, and so forth are often based on this type of reasoning† (Mosser, Ch. 4, pg. 13). Insufficient evidence is often the cause of inaccurate stereotypes and can be detrimental for everyone involved. Throughout my life, I†¦show more content†¦Being a redhead myself, and knowing several redheads, I can say that I do not know a single redhead that fits this stereotype. Other redheaded stereotypes such as: stubbornness, promiscuity, and being confi dent fit us perfectly. Stubbornness is the stereotype I am a perfect example of, while a set twin redheads I know follow the sexually aggressive, wild, and confident stereotype. The second stereotype that has been applied to me is Christians hating gays. This stereotype has been emphasized recently with the Westboro Baptist church members picketing military soldiers’ funerals waving signs about how God hates gays. I understand why people have this thought because of this group and the ignorance of many Christians thinking they are doing or saying the right thing, but in reality, they are completely wrong. Jesus taught to love one another and people are far from loving anyone when they participate in such actions that promote hate. My family believed this stereotype about me over ten years ago when my youngest brother came out of the closet. He told my entire family he was gay three years before anyone told me. No one told me because they believed I would have disowned hi m. The first to find out about Kevin was my sister and she cried hysterically. My other brother found out and he went out and got drunk. My parents cried and grieved for the grandchildren they would not be having through my younger brotherShow MoreRelatedFighting Stereotypes Of Asian Americans2005 Words   |  9 PagesFighting Stereotypes of Asian Americans in the Media According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website in 2013 Asians made up for 4.8 percent of Americas population with 14.7 million individuals. That population is expected to increase to 40.6 million, or 9.2 percent of American population by the year 2050 and consist of over 30 different ethnicities. Teresa Mok of Purdue University stated in 1998 that â€Å"Despite their increasing numbers and heterogeneity, little reflection of theRead MoreFeminist Analysis Of Legally Blonde1454 Words   |  6 Pagesherself as a stereotypical sorority girl: vain, superficial, and self-obsessed. 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