Stereotypes

Stereotypes

When prejudice gets stronger, it develops into a stereotype. Stereotype is a false view or idea about something. For example, girls are not good at sports. Stereotype is learned at a very early age, and children grow to have very strong ideas or opinions about things, groups or ideologies. As children grow up, the lines of like and hate for other things, people, cultures, beliefs, languages become sharper.

Example

Ragu was hit in his eye with a soft ball and to everyone’s surprise, he started to cry. The others started to laugh at him; Mani felt sad for him but started laughing along with others.

Now we understand that when we fix people in our image, we create a stereotype. In the above example, we have a general opinion that girls cry and boys don’t cry. When Ragu cried out of pain, others laughed at him.

Gender-based stereotypes are often portrayed in films, advertisements and TV serials. Almost all the advertisements related to detergents, washing machines, dishwashers and others show a woman as the main lead or user of that product. On the other hand, all the stunts shown in a bike advertisement is performed by ferocious looking men.