People are always judged by what they do. It doesn't make a difference if your personality matches others in the same profession or hobby, you are stereotyped by what you do. It's common rhetorical thinking, which, while it can be amusing and sometimes correct, is often incorrect. Computer geeks for example, for a long time were seen as losers.
Then the dot com boom hit, the internet took off, and now computer geeks are seen as the saviors of the world instead of losers.Gamers are often seen as losers, although many hold high paying, high prestige positions. There are several groups of stereotypes that are going to be discussed in this essay. Politicians are seen as money grubbing, power hungry despots. It's well known that some politicos have been guilty of accepting bribes, and living the high life at the American people's expense.
According to Mihalko, who mentions a common stereotype, “Politicians are cigar-smoking, bombastic, self-serving, untrustworthy individuals. ” (Stereotypes: America and it's people, 2010 p2).It's seen quite often that people talk about politicians, and when talking about different bills in congress, a lot of people will say that the politicos will vote “as their pockets tell them to. ” Basically meaning, whoever pays the most wins. Whether or not this is true is debatable, but it's a very common stereotype, common rhetoric that's passed against everyone of any political office.
Tatooed people are also shown many stereotypes. Tattoos are viewed as outside of the main stream, as unnatural, and because of that, you see most people with tattoos being depicted as gang members, felons, or other trouble makers.In the words of William Green, “Tattooing is an important and critical ceremony of many cultures; an important rite of passage into adulthood and status within a culture. ” (Politicians.
.. , 2010 pg 2) Many cultures see tattoos as a mark of entry into adulthood, or a mark of an important deed. Yes, a lot of people who get them in America ARE felons and gang members, or even just members of the military, but there is serious cultural significance in tattoos. Egypt of 5000 years ago utilized tattoos to show an important individual. It was brought over to the West by US Sailors traveling to the Philippians.
It's not necessarily a good stereotype, since as it's been stated, the idea of tattooing comes from far more than just troublemakers in any country. It has historical and cultural significance all over the world. Feminists are also seen with many stereotypes. The most common is that a feminist is a man hating, angry, ugly woman who can't get a man. It's very simple to see that they are hit with a lot of stereotypes, and why.
Feminism doesn't have many fans, especially among the male population.A lot of common rhetoric is thrown, such as feminists are all the same, feminists are all angry...
tc... According to Rockler-Gladen, “People imagine a stereotypical image of an angry, man-hating, unattractive woman with hairy armpits screaming irrationally about imagined insults. ” (Stereotypes about Feminism, 2008 p1) Because of this, a lot of women won't identify with feminism, so they end up not being accepted as women who want equality, but instead as not having backbone.
These are obviously untrue stereotypes, since nobody of any belief system is exactly the same as another. Senior citizens are also often seen in a bad light.How often do people tell the joke about seeing a giant vehicle and a tuft of blue hair, making fun of who could easily be somebody's grandmother? Mentions of bingo halls, or making fun of the eldery for being slower physically or less able than their younger counterparts? It's heard all the time, in every part of the US. In Europe and Asia, the elderly are treated with a lot more respect than in the States, and there's no real reason why they shouldn't expect the same here. They've paid their taxes, they worked their hours. Many sacrificed their health to defend the country.
Most people don't see that. What they see is a little old lady or a bent old man who can barely move, and make rude comments about their age. Stereotypes can sometimes be true. Often they are not, and often they are nothing but hurtful. Sometimes they will make the people being stereotyped become like the rhetoric in question.
It's easy to see that it's not helpful, not to the country or to our mental state as individuals, and it's something that does need to end. It won't, and people will go on judging other people without thinking of feelings, but it can be seen that it needs to stop.Politicians, while they may deserve the reservations of the people, aren't always going to be vote grubbing, money hungry power mongers. Tattooed people aren't always felons and potential felons. Feminists don't all hate men, aren't all hairy or ugly, and often are highly educated. Elderly people deserve the same respect people give their own grandparents, which should be a fairly high amount.
It's easy to judge others by who they are or what they do, but it doesn't lead to any form of enlightenment or education about people at all.
