Rethinking Stereotypes and Their Analysis, Essay Example

The article reviewed below is designed to create a framework for analyzing stereotypes in the light of ideologies and theories. The author also notes that theorizing ideologies is not in all cases successfully, and mostly confusing. The question asked is whether stereotypes are really built on ideologies, and whether they can be theorized. Further, the main issue that is related to the author’s research is: to what extent does ideology determine people’s thought. There are certainly non-ideological, creative thoughts that modify people’s behavior, judgment and actions.

Ideologoies, according to Perkins (137) are not fixed, reliable and change constantly. They are being recreated and redefined from time to time. One of the most recent topics of researching ideologies is their capacity to make true false and vice versa. (Perkins 137). There is often a great difference between ideologies’ perception of a group and the facts. Therefore, using solely ideology to determine stereotypes would be wrong; there is a need for a more complex and broader approach.

Summarizing the nature of stereotypes, the author also states that they are always erroneous, based on pejorative concepts, assumptions on groups of whom the individual have little or no knowledge of, target minority groups, are simple (for quick spreading and easy understanding targeting masses), rigid and fixed, and not reinforced structurally. Further, the author also states that the proof of the erroneous nature of stereotypes is the fact that contradicting ones exist in the society and on the political field. (Perkins 138)

The process of stereotyping is described through simple steps: selecting the common features of the oppressed or minority group, excluding differences and variations and making assumptions. (Perkins 139) Further, the author argues against the theory that stereotypes are not self-learned, based on first hand experience, more like “secondhand” products of the society. Indeed, there is a “resistance to modification by new experience”, however, to exclude the influence of personal experience would be wrong.

The author’s views on the concept of stereotypes is concluded as below. A stereotype is a concept related to a group, held by a group and reflects inferior judgmental processes. The group stereotyping always thinks its members superior. Groups mostly affected by stereotypes are major structural groups, ethnic groups, isolated groups (they are at a higher risk of stereotyping because there is little real information available of them), pariah groups, opponent groups and socially/ideologically insignificant groups.

The definition of stereotypes and socialization problems have a significant connection. As stereotypes are constantly structurally reinforced, (Perkins 153), creating further limitations to one’s socialization. Therefore, stereotypes create boundaries between groups, based on presumed differences and inferiority. The limitations of stereotypes are creating a negative impact on people’s socialization, while they “short-circuit” understanding, they block people’s abilities to critically think over theories and evaluate reasoning.

The above ideas of the author also indicate that the use of common sense has no place where ideologies about stereotypes are concerned, therefore, explaining them in a rational way is almost impossible. By simplifying the features of a group, neglecting personal experiences, individual differences, as well as accuracy. The main problem with stereotypes is that they cannot be justified on a rational level. They do not represent true or false statements. They are just used to conceal the real characteristics of the group (Perkins 155), and are selective descriptions of complex issues.

Works Cited

Perkins, T. (1979) Rethinking Stereotypes. In: O’Sullivan, Tim & Jewkes, Yvonne (eds.) (1997) The Media Studies Reader. London: Arnold.