[mollymae]

I'm British, I'm sure that maybe that the other nationalities that use this site might have preconceived ideas of how the British live and behave. I too have some preconceived ideas of how the Americans or Austrailians live, talk and behave. We all form opinions on people based on things we see and hear on the TV or in the newspapers.

Does stereotyping every help? Should we 'judge' people before we've even met them? Can it ever be useful or is it totally totally wrong?

[MommaColleen]

In a perfect world everyone would follow the saying "never judge a book by its cover". However, in this day and age too many people jump to conclusions about a person (or even an entire culture of people) based merely on their skin color or heritage. Kinda sad because most people would be amazed at how great a person just may be if they take the time to get to know them first.

Now one thing I should add is a few or my friends and I are taking a self defense class. The 1st thing they wanted us to do is get in tune with our woman's intuition. Meaning if we are in a parking lot and some one near you gives us the heebie jeebies....listen to your inner you and get away from them. As a woman/parent I can appreciate this "feeling" but how do you know it is justified? It really is a fine line I suppose as I'm juding that person based on a feeling and never actually talking to or getting to know them..

[ruthann8]

Yes stereotyping can help and is sometimes necessary. Stereotypes are generalizations that are made about a particular group. Sometimes generalizations are necessary in order to interact with each other. We must have some idea of what people are likely to be like, which behaviors will be considered acceptable, and which not.

[ruthann8]

The problem is there are so many different dynamics that stereotype a person. Nationality, race, gender, religion, education level, social economic status, where & how they grew up, where they currently live, and much more. We tend to look at just one aspect and judge a person and fail to look at the whole picture.

I think we are offended when someone puts us into just one category and fail to see us for the total person we are. I also think it is hard for us to put ourselves into someone else’s shoes. We tend to see other people as weird, when in fact they see us as the weird ones.

[mcmama]

I don't think the stereotypes that many americans have about Brits have a whole lot of basis in reality. So I don't think it is particularly useful.

I am reminded of Barack Obamas observation about not being "really" black because his mom and her family are white, and his dad is from Africa, so his background is different from other African Americans. He said that he had no doubt about his blackness after he tried hailing a cab.

Imagine the opportunity for an interesting story those cabdrivers missed!!!

[Labhaoise]

I think Colleen is right about instincts. And at times they are completely right. A girl I used to work with got on a bus and said there were some really scary looking girls already there.She said they looked like they were about to "roll" her. But she just said to one of them, Hey nice boots, and they started talking about boots for the rest of the bus ride; when one of them says to her "you know we were gonna roll you but then you started talking to us". So I guess my friend was right about the girls, but once she was talking to them she said they were really nice to her.... interesting huh?

I think everybody always has a first impression of anyone that they meet and I think that's okay, it's apart of our nature. But I also think that we need to be able to let go of those first impressions or put them on hold until we actually know the person in question, when we can actually form a 'proper' opinion.

oh yeah and just out of curiosity, if anyone would like to share... what are some of the stereotypes that people have about the British/Australians/Americans etc... maybe we can put those to bed (is that the right term?)

[mcmama]

Having a sense that they look like they are going to roll you isn't really about stereotypes. It's about street smarts. And your friend did the right thing.

Being stuck in traffic next to a nice looking middle aged black man in an Acura who is minding his business and then deciding that you need to ulp, lock your doors and roll up the windows is likely stereotyping. Being stuck in traffic and locking your doors and rolling up your windows because some hustler is walking between the cars selling stuff or being a squeegy guy is just common sense, no matter what race.

[swt1899]

I hate stereotyping, but sometimes you can't help it. Especially when you've been stung by a particular group. I remember when hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and my school here in Texas opened up to many refugees' children. I remember having 10 "Katrina kids" in one class and they unfortunately were the worst behaved group of kids I had ever taught. I was sending them to the office nearly every week for something. I had one carving "9th ward" into one of my desks with a pair of scissors. When I took the scissors away and wrote him up, he looked at me like "what the heck are YOU doing?" The attitudes coming from many of them was horrible. Some would get in your face and curse at you. I know that they went through a lot. God knows so many suffered. But there comes a time when you have to act properly when you are being welcomed into a school... and they are giving you a second chance at an education.
I loved New Orleans before all of this. My husband is from there. My mother in law, sweetest thing, is from there too. Now, I am so hurt by all this mess that I can't help saying NO to a New Orleans trip again. I was just so burned by a single group of people! And I know that all people from there aren't bad. You just get a bad taste in your mouth and it stays!
Now, 3 years later, whenever I get students from Louisiana transferring in to my school, I get this "on edge" feeling. I just can't help it. It's just sad. And I feel terrible for feeling this way.
And what's interesting is the fact that Texas told Louisiana this last hurricane season that it would not give shelter to refugees. Houston's mayor stated this on TV. He ordered them all to head North, not to another hurricane zone (his way of putting it politely and of course intelligently).
Houston's crime rate went up 30% after Katrina evacuees came here. After they let them stay in the astrodome, they let them all just out on the streets of Houston... imagine that! These people had nothing and they were let out like this... of course crime would spread. Desperation. Sad.

[Samual]

I don't think stereotyping/judging a book by its cover is ever a good thing, obviously some stereo typing is just for laughs and not meant in a serious way, such as English people being ponces in bowler hats, Irish people being alcoholics, Scottish people being tight and Welsh people loving their sheep , northern monkeys and southern softies etc, it is just used as a harmless joke on culture.
But when people truely mean things its horrible, where we have just moved to in Cymru alot of the people are very xenophobic alot of Welsh people will refuse to speak english infront of alot of english people and black people, even if they are welsh. In some of the pubs here unless you are welsh and welsh speaking, you can't go in there, if you do, you severely regret it. Which some people might use to stereotype all Welsh people as xenophobes, whilst most are lovely people, but a small number of horrible people may have a stronger effect on how you remember a certain group.
I think it may stand out for for me as where we used to live everyone was really nice, you never witnessed racism, sexism or anything, so I think I notice it more because it is such an alien concept where we used to live.

Labhaoise
English people, from where I am at least think of some Americans as fat people that live on McDonalds and sue happy. But we think you are always super happy, like normally if you go to America and go to a restaurant all the staff are very eager to please, where as here waiters and waitresses tend to just grunt at you.

[mcmama]

Originally Posted by Samual

I don't think stereotyping/judging a book by its cover is ever a good thing, obviously some stereo typing is just for laughs and not meant in a serious way, such as English people being ponces in bowler hats, Irish people being alcoholics, Scottish people being tight and Welsh people loving their sheep , northern monkeys and southern softies etc, it is just used as a harmless joke on culture.
.

Quite right, old chap!!!