The Problem of Stereotypes in American Society

American society is being hurt by tension across its many different people groups. While most people are not consciously hostile to those of a different race, gender, or age group (among many other distinguishing factors), many hold stereotypes and assumptions that cause the strife. While most people know that stereotypes exist, few recognize the ones they personally hold nor understand the problems they cause. As we seek to make our nation better, it is critical this tension is solved and these stereotypes abandoned. In order to accomplish this, Americans need to know what stereotypes are, why they are dangerous, and how they can be changed.

First, Americans need to know what stereotypes are. Psychologist Mike Cardwell defines them as a “fixed, over generalized belief about a particular group or class of people.” That means stereotypes can be positive or negative. They can range from “Canadians are always nice” to “the perpetrators of homicide are probably young black men.” Another way to define stereotypes is when someone relates what they see from a certain event and applies it to all similar ones. These stereotypes are not the result of critical thinking but quick generalizations that are made based on outward appearances. An example of a stereotype would be, after seeing an African-American person on the news accused of murder, associating other African-Americans with criminals and lawbreakers. This phenomenon is explored and called out in the movie The Hate U Give. In the story, a police officer shoots a young African-American male after pulling him over. What is revealed later in the movie, when another police officer confesses his own stereotypes of African-Americans men, is that the shooting was a result of stereotypes. Knowing what stereotypes are and how they are formed is key to further understanding the problems they cause.

Stereotypes are a big issue in society and they have multiple consequences. One problem stereotypes cause is called “stereotype threat” in which the existence and knowledge of a stereotype about oneself harms someone. A series of studies done by psychologists show how stereotype threat impacts women mathematicians when evaluating their math skills compared to men.

It has been demonstrated, that women underperform on difficult (but not easy) math tests was observed among a highly selected sample of men and women.This difference in performance could be eliminated when we lowered stereotype threat by describing the test as not producing gender differences. However, when the test was described as producing gender differences and stereotype threat was high, women performed substantially worse than equally qualified men did. A third experiment replicated this finding with a less highly selected population and explored the mediation of the effect.

These studies demonstrate the basics and consequences of stereotype threat: when the very existence and knowledge of a stereotype can negatively impact the targeted group’s performance or actions in that particular area. Furthermore, the women were selected because of their equal levels of competence in math compared with the men, showing that there was another factor at play. This creates a loop because the widespread knowledge and acceptance of the stereotypes lead to making them appear true. Harvard lecturer Carrie Conway puts it this way, “Members of these stereotyped groups worry that their individual results will serve as a referendum on the abilities of everyone in their group, and the stress and self-doubt this brings on demonstrably reduces their performance — creating the very outcome they were striving to avoid.” Fortunately, the study does show that stereotype threat can be eliminated. The negative impacts of stereotypes go beyond a group's performance, and they impact relationships between groups and our society as a whole.

The second problem that stereotypes pose is how they make a targeted group feel and react. Feelings brought on by being stereotyped are more than just embarrassment or anger. In a study done by The University of Queensland looking at stereotypes related to age in business, they found that 'Older employees who feel they are being stereotyped because of their age report lower job satisfaction and engagement, and poorer workplace wellbeing.” The stereotypes these older workers face cause real sadness, and as these feelings linger or even grow, they can cause total job dissatisfaction. Moreover, facing stereotypes can prompt adverse reactions. A series of studies done by Stanford Psychologists found that experiencing or recalling stereotypes can lead to aberrant behavior like cheating or lying.6 For example, one study asked participants if they had ever felt devalued or didn't get something they wanted.6 The participants were then given an unsolvable test, so the students who reported solving it were either cheating or lying.6 The students who had experienced or recalled stereotypes were twice as likely to have cheated or lied. These results sound surprising, but when we think about the psychological origins of stereotypes, it is understandable that stereotypes have psychological effects on the targeted group. Stereotypes play a major role in professional and academic areas, but they also have a major impact on our whole society.

Going beyond stereotype threat and stereotypes in professional fields, stereotypes cause problems for our whole society and tense relations between different groups. Stereotypes also go beyond assuming weaker skills and can involve assuming weaker morals and a tendency to wrongdoing. As was demonstrated in the movie The Hate U Give, which was based around current events, one of our society's biggest issues is the stereotyping of young African-American men as dangerous and likely to be criminals. Like all other stereotypes, this one came from quick observations and generalizations. The fact that many young African-American men are non-violent and productive citizens can be testified by many people, including myself. One of my best teachers in school was a young African-American male and to have thought of him as a criminal would have been absurd and ultimately hurtful. Every one of us desires to be treated equally, and as our nation's Declaration of Independence states, we value “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. When someone is stereotyped by others and assumptions are made about them based on characteristics like their gender or race, their pursuit is hampered. Stereotypes do more than affect emotions, they lead to real and damaging events and actions for individuals and the societies they live in. For these reasons, Americans must learn how to overcome stereotypes.

The importance of ending the existence of stereotypes and stereotype threat is great. This process of change, like all others, begins with recognizing there is a problem. Many Americans, regardless of race, age, gender, etc…, hold stereotypes, yet they deny it. If we as Americans can accept that we have stereotypes then we can move on to taking steps against them. Furthermore, Americans need to unite and deny our stereotypes collectively and transverse the lines that are damaged by stereotypes. Truly, stereotypes can be held by and against anyone. They are psychological and it is typical for people to form them, yet people should still be held accountable for them. Friends, parents, siblings, coworkers, bosses, and teachers who recognize the call to end stereotypes must be willing to confront them where and in whom they see them. The government also must be willing to call out stereotypes in whom they are responsible for, such as the police officer in The Hate U Give. Recognizing and being accountable for stereotypes would be a big step towards solving the problems they cause, yet steps must also be taken to actually stop making stereotypical associations and assumptions.

The next way that stereotypes can be stopped is through envisioning the subjected group into new roles. Psychologist Alice Eagly and Anne Koenig found, in a series of studies, that stereotypes can be effectively changed when we observe the targeted group in a role that has characteristics opposite of their stereotypical depiction. For example, if we knew that a certain biker, a trait that is associated with toughness and being mean, was a nurse we would be much less inclined to think of him, and perhaps his fellow bikers , as mean and tough. In the case of The Hate U Give, the stereotype that young African-American men are dangerous can be changed by seeing examples of young African-American men who are productive, peaceful, and moral members of society. If the police man had seen the young African-American man he shot as being sensitive or caring for the main character his immediate assumption that he was dangerous might have been weakened. Seeing targeted groups in new roles is a major step towards removing the threat that the stereotypes pose to them, but they first have to participate in those roles, and there are two ways that can happen. One one hand, quotas can be set for some occupations to require a certain amount of jobs to be held by specific groups. The second and better option would be to start Programs that help and guide those groups towards achieving and holding those new roles. One such organization is the National Math and Science Initiative whose goal is to “advance STEM education to ensure all students, especially those furthest from opportunity, thrive and reach their highest potential”. NMSI supported schools saw qualifying AP scores rise from 1% to 36.95% for female students and from 1% to 48.5% for African-American students.8 Organizations like these focus on building academic success, but they are also taking down stereotypes. This will go a long way to ending the personal stereotypes many people hold, yet to fully see change, different groups must get to know one another.

The final way that stereotypes can be eliminated is by getting to know others from different groups. In his article “How to Beat Stereotypes by Seeing People as Individuals”, Journalist Zaid Jilani tells a story about a African-American pianist who was befriended by a member of the Ku Klux Klan. When asked about his transformation, the Klansman plainly says, “I met him” referring to the pianist.9 When the KKK member befriended the African-American man, his beliefs changed not just for one man but for that entire group. This simple story shows how meeting new people can end someone's stereotype. Beyond friendship, people also need to see others as individuals rather than as a member of a group. This allows us to say that individuals have strengths and weaknesses rather than just associating those strengths or weaknesses with the entire group. That is the essence of a stereotype. Of course, forcing people to make friends with those of different backgrounds is not reasonable, and it will have to be a personal responsibility. A simple conversation with a member of a different group or someone with a different background may prove to be as valuable or even transformative as it was for the KKK member. These three steps are important and essential to make progress toward ending stereotypes and promoting unity.

American society is dealing with the challenges presented by stereotypes. As multiculturalism spreads and our societies become more diverse, it is critical that this challenge is solved. To fight the problem of stereotypes, people must know what stereotypes are, how they affect us, and how individuals, personally and collectively, can abolish them and make the nation and a better place. The movie The Hate U Give is a powerful and motivating example of the impact of stereotypes and their consequences. The Hate U Give also teaches us much about how we can try to make ourselves and our society better place by dealing with stereotypes. Many of the characters in The Hate U Give had to deal with the challenges that a multicultural life posed, but as the movie progressed, they learned to deal with those challenges. In the end, they enjoyed the many benefits of being around people with different backgrounds. There are many benefits of having a multicultural society, and like the characters in the movie, America needs to deal with stereotypes so those benefits can be enjoyed unhindered.