STEREOTYPE
Stereotype - dictionary definition:
A standardised, often simplified, mental picture or attitude that is held in common by members of a group.
A stereotype is a simplification that we use to make sense of a real person or group which is much more complicated. In reality there are many different kinds of Germans who are all individuals, but it is much easier to fool ourselves into believing that all Germans cheat with beach towels and eat strange sausages. The example that I have just given may seem harmless, but in fact it is arguably racist.
Stereotypes are potentially highly dangerous but stereo- typing itself is impossible to avoid — it is a natural function of the human mind — something that we all do in order to survive mentally in the confusing world around us. The following theory explains how it works.
Representation — How we stereotype:
The fact that we naturally see the world in this kind of shorthand way, with connections between different character traits, allows the media to create simplistic representations which we find believable. Implicit personality theory explains this process.
• As humans we use our own unique storehouse of knowledge about people when we judge them.
• Our past experience is more important than the true features of the actual personality that we are judging — traits exist more in the eye of the beholder than in reality.
• We have each a system of rules that tells us which characteristics go with other char- acteristics.
• We categorise people into types (e.g. workaholic, feminist etc.) to simplify the task of person perception.
• Once we have in our minds a set of linked traits which seem to us to go together, they form a pattern of connections that can be called a prototype. In other words the mix of traits that we may consider “typical” of feminists are a prototype of what a feminist is like to us.
• If we encounter someone in reality or in the media who seems to fit neatly into a pro- totype, we feel reassured. It confirms our stereotyped view — we do not need to think further.
• Also once a few of the traits seem to fit our prototype, we will immediately bundle onto the person the rest of the traits from the prototype even if we do not know if they fit them in reality.
• Research has shown that if we find people who do not fit into our prototypes, we will form very strong often impressions of them — it is surprising to us and disconcerting — it forces us to think more deeply.
• On the other hand, if it is at all possible, we will try to twist the truth to fit in with our prototype, often ignoring traits which do not fit into our neatly imagined pattern of characteristics. This will particularly happen as time passes and we have time to forget things that do not fit in. This can lead to enormous differences between our perceptions of people and the reality.
• All of this distortion happens naturally in our minds before the media have had their chance to simplify and distort. We do a lot of the business of stereotyping ourselves. It is almost as if we conspire with the media to misunderstand the world.
So stereotyping is something that we all do — a natural part of the way our minds work and not in itself necessarily a bad thing.
Be aware that just as with the process of mediation the stereotypes involve selection, organisation and focusing of the complicated reality.
The four parts of a media stereotype
How can the media build a stereotype? With any group of people, there will obviously be an enormous number of things that can be used in a stereotype, but because stereotyping is a form of simplification, normally the most obvious things are used. These are:
1. Appearance — this can include, physical appearance and clothing as well as the sound of the voice. e.g. “all teachers wear dreadful old clothes”
2. Behaviour — typical things that people in this group might do. “Grannies like to knit”
These first two features of media stereotypes are the same when we make our own stereotypes. They simply involve us thinking of something that may be true of some of the group in question and applying it to all.
The third feature of media stereotyping is peculiar to the media:
3. The stereotype is constructed in ways that fit the particular medium.
This is more difficult to understand but it is crucial for you to look for it. TASK: Compare the stereotype of a serial killer by researching the tabloid coverage of Fred West with the treatment of Hannibal Lecter in the film ‘The Silence of the Lambs’.
If you watch a film such as Silence of the Lambs and then look at the tabloid coverage of Fred West, you are seeing the same stereotype (the typical Serial Killer) being used, but there are obviously big differences which will depend on the specifics of the media used:
The film will use close ups of the killer’s leering face, soundtrack music and reaction shots of terrified victims to create their version of the stereotype.
The newspaper will use emotive headlines, blurred pictures of victims and police mug-shots of the killer along with shocking text and interviews with survivors.
In each case the text will create a stereotype which it’s audience will find familiar, but it will do it in very different ways.
4 There will always be a comparison whether real or imaginary with “normal” behaviour.
If you watch a film such as Silence of the Lambs and then look at the tabloid coverage of Fred West, you are seeing the same stereotype (the typical Serial Killer) being used, but there are obviously big differences which will depend on the specifics of the media used:
The film will use close ups of the killer’s leering face, soundtrack music and reaction shots of terrified victims to create their version of the stereotype.
The features which make up a stereotype are always those which seem somehow different from everyday behaviour. In fact you could almost start any stereotyped description by saying: “this group are different because they...”
Of course the idea of what is normal in any society is an absurdity and therefore in order to make it clear to us that the stereotyped characters are not behaving “normally” there will frequently be “normal” people used to act as a contrast to them.
TASK
Create your own chart of stereotypes based on those that you have encountered in two or more different media (for example, television and newspapers)
Stereotype Appearance Behaviour Media examples
…..Teenagers (age)
…..Old people (age)
……Irish people (nationality)
…..Lesbians (sexuality)
……Mentally disabled (disability)
……New man, (gender)
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