Introduction

 Our graduation project involves researching common stereotypes and discovering what actually occurs about these stereotypes.  We researched the Middle East, America, Latin America, France, Germany, Africa, East Asia, and India.  We then conducted video interviews and handed out surveys so that we can discover the greatest misconception about these regions or countries.  We conducted the interviews with friends and family about the specific regions and with teachers in order to find out general information about stereotypes.  We used the survey to decide the final stereotypes for each region.  After the stereotypes were decided we researched each stereotype and wrote this blog that discusses the stereotypes.  Then we created a documentary that will not be posted on this blog but contains the same information.  Through our results we concluded that there are many stereotypes in the world that some people aren't aware of due to common misconceptions.

Stereotypes have become a prevalent but dangerous part of society.  They are created by human need for an easy way to identify a person of a certain ethnicity.  These stereotypes can be positive or negative but either way they are dangerous.  These dangers come from the process of giving all the people of one ethnicity one quality.  In a real life situation, stereotypes become dangerous in school and political environment: an example is racial profiling.  These dangers become rampant because some members of our society are not informed of these stereotypes.

~Will, Elizabeth, Geoff, and Josh

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** The information displayed in this blog was based off of research not personal opinions and work cited is available upon request**

Asia

The other category is made up of a lot of minor stereotypes.

The two main stereotypes associated with Asia are that everyone is Chinese and that they are all extremely smart and excel at academics.

When people think of Asia or China in specific one of the first things they think of are the facial features of the people and more importantly their eyes. Their eyes can be describes as either “slanted” or the more popular term “squinted”. Science proves that the reason why Asians have more of a slanted eye is because of an epicanthic fold. The fold covers the inner corner of the eye which causes them to look more squinted than normal.  Non-Asian people view this feature as a mutation that only occurs among Asians or Mongols in specific.  However, while epicanthic folds are more commonly seen on Asian people, anyone can have them.

The second main stereotype associated with Asia is that people assume that all Asians are extremely smart. Americans over the years have formed the ideas that the only grade Asians receive are “A’s” and hardly ever receive anything below that .This statement can affect the academic lives of Asian students by placing unrealistic expectations on them which can cause unnecessary pressure on Asian students. The stereotype was formed because in the country of China, academic institutions have extremely rigid standards. Students spend most of their time studying with very little social distractions. Those traditions have been carried over to America and are still practiced by Asian Americans today which, validates the stereotype to begin with.


~Elizabeth

America

The other category is made of smaller stereotypes.

The main association/stereotype made about America is the idea of freedom. Whether that freedom is through laws or behavior the concept is positive. The reason why this stereotype is positive is because it shows that people are beginning to recognize that America’s government and lifestyle is more fair that some repressive governments. The Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Star Spangled Banner are some of the concrete examples that people often think of when the word freedom is mentioned. However, with America being known as the “land of the free” people often create negative thoughts and ideas because they feel they have the right to which can lead to the formation of stereotypes especially negative ones.

The biggest stereotype of America is that everyone is fat. Statistics show that in 2010, sixty-six percent of Americans were considered overweight and thirty percent of people of that sixty-six percent were classified as obese. It is scary to realize that there is only small percentage of people who make healthy choices in their lifestyle. However the positive side to this is that in 2011, data shows that for the first time in awhile there were more normal weight people than overweight. This is a positive trend that if continued can hopefully stop the spread of negative thoughts and stereotypes of not only America but other nations as well.

~ Elizabeth

Latin America

The other category is made from smaller stereotypes.

Through my research, I have concluded that the main stereotype made about Latin America is that everyone is grouped under either Spanish or Mexican.

People associate Spanish with Latin America because it is the main language. However, because of that idea many people assume that all Spanish speaking people are the same and also that Spanish has just one dialect. That statement could not be further from the truth. In fact, one word to a Mexican can have a completely different meaning to a Puerto Rican. While the association is not harmful, it can affect the way people view certain demographic groups or regions which in the long term can lead to the formation of negative thoughts and opinions. 

A negative thought that people have about Latin America deals specifically with Mexican people. Many people often assume that all Mexican’s are either “drug traffickers” or illegal immigrants “border hoppers”. This statement is false. In fact, many Mexicans view the idea of drugs as inconceivable.  Culture is very important in Mexico. Family and religion are the center of all aspects of their lives. They believe in having a strong sense of authority and stability in their lifestyles. Since doing drugs go against this philosophy many people, do not get involved with them allowing them to stay true to their culture.

~ Elizabeth

France

The other category is made from smaller stereotypes.

Many people assume that French people are sophisticated.  This can refer to the fashion, art, and architectural culture in France.  Haute couture refers to the high quality handmade clothing in France.  France has been the center for fashion since Louis XIV ruled France in the 17^th century.  Since that time Paris has been the basis for fashion all over the world.  The Parisians involved in fashion also created the idea that fashion is separated into the seasons.  While it is unlikely to see haute couture in daily life there is a chance it has influenced the fashion sense of many people.  Another part of French culture is their architecture.  The French are known for their architectural feats like the Louvre, the Palace of Versailles, and the Eiffel Tower.  These buildings are not known just for their physical design but also for the furniture and artworks inside them.  The Art in France also contributes to the idea that the French are fancy.  The art in France is a reflection of the culture during that time period.  Both paintings and art, normally found in the museums show images from various time periods.  Examples of art in France are the Mona Lisa, the Thinker, and the Winged Victory.  While all of these may or may not be “fancy”, they are what create this stereotype.

~Will

Middle East

The other category is made of smaller stereotypes.

The biggest stereotypes for the Middle East are terrorism and Islam.  Terrorism is a problem of some Islamic extremist groups.  These groups do not perform terrorist attacks on Western countries for a purely religious or a purely governmental reason, it is a combination of Western ideals that do not agree with the Muslim philosophies.  Many people believe these are attacks from all of the countries in the Middle East and their governments.  What these people don’t realize is that these governments do not support the terrorist groups.  Saudi Arabia actually has set up a program that promotes counterterrorism and rehabilitation for terrorists.  Starting in 2004, this program aims to help possible and actual terrorists readjust to normal society by putting them through a series of therapies.  Therefore, terrorism is not a function of the Middle East but some smaller Islamic extremist groups.

Another issue with the Middle East is the belief that all Muslims are at fault when it comes to terrorism.  Islam is a major religion in Africa, Middle East, and South Asia.  There are people in America who stereotype against Islam because it is seen as a “non-white” religion.  According to a poll done by Foreign Policy Magazine in 2007 Islam has become the fastest growing religion in the world.  Another stereotype about Islam is the belief that Islam is a violent religion, when the teachings of the Qur’an advocate against violence and promote living a life of pacifism.  The terrorist groups distort the original beliefs of Islam to promote violence when necessary.  Another issue with people view of Islam is that some people believe that it is the only religion in the Middle East.  While many of the Middle Eastern countries do follow Islam, there are smaller countries that follow Judaism.  Obviously, the Islam is not at fault for terrorism and the Islamic extremist groups that do promote terrorism are manipulating the values of Islam because the basic beliefs of Islam is pacifism.

~Will

Germany

The other category is made from smaller stereotypes.

According to stereotypes, Germany is a Nazi infested country.  But actually Nazism is bigger in the United States than Europe.  In fact, Nazism is one of the largest radical groups in the United States. In Germany the Nazi parties do not have enough supporters to become a political party. Nazis do not rule Germany, Germany is just like America, but it is stuck in the past with people believing Germany agrees with Adolf Hitler’s ideals on the Aryan Race.

Just because Germany’s favorite side drink is an alcoholic beverage, such as beer, does not mean they are a bunch of “drunken idiots”. People in Germany can take their alcohol a lot better than the people in other countries, such as the United States. Beer in America is a drink for partying and getting drunk, but in Germany beer is part of their culture.

~ Josh

Africa

The other category is made from smaller stereotypes.

In my research for this project I have discovered that the top two stereotypes of Africa are that it is an extremely poor country and that Africans only have a black skin color. Even though this is mostly true this is not the case in all parts of Africa. For example look at South Africa, even though South Africa is in Africa it has a pretty good economy compared to the rest of African countries. People only see Africa as a poor continent because of countries like Zimbabwe whose economies are doing very poorly and because of these counties it causes a negative view on all of Africa’s economies. The second major stereotype for Africa is that Africans all have a black skin color, but this is not the case. In several countries in Africa there are people who also have white, Indian and Asian colored skin not just black. So even though these stereotypes are partially true they can’t be used to identify the continent because they can cause a negative appearance on the rest of the countries and people who don’t fall into this stereotypes.

               

~Geoff

India

The other category is made of smaller stereotypes.

Stereotypes of India say all they eat is curry, but actually curry is just a spice they put on their food.  Curry is the name given to a mixture of mild or hot spices.  Curry in India is a sign of wealth, because in ancient religions, poorer classes were not allowed to use it.  In fact, an English chef was the first person to write down a recipe for curry.

When people refer to India, they refer to them as “dot heads”, which is a huge stereotype because the dot is part of their religion.  The dot on the forehead is called a Bindi, which represents the third eye in the Hindu religion.  In the Hindu religion the third eye is a gateway to a person’s central nervous system, where the people can see the truths of the world.

~Josh

Russia

The other category is made from smaller stereotypes.

In my research for this project I discovered that the top stereotypes for Russia are that it is extremely cold, that Russians love drinking Vodka as an activity, and that it is still viewed as the Soviet Union. For the first stereotype about the cold weather this is somewhat true. However, even though it is true for the Siberia region of Russia it is not true for where most of the people live and the tourist sites. The normal climate is humid and somewhat cold but not tundra cold as people think. The second major stereotype for Russia is that they love to drink vodka as an activity and it’s all they do. That statement  is not entirely true, because they also have many another activities other than drinking all day such as hiking, art galleries, circuses, and more. The third major stereotype for Russia is that it still viewed as the Soviet Union even though it hasn’t been for over 20 years and it is now a democracy just like the Untied States. So this is causing a negative view on modern Russia even though they were not the ones to cause the cold war. Because of these stereotypes there is a semi-negative view of Russia even though these things are not completely true.

~Geoff

Findings and Conclusion

This project has taught me that whether positive or negative stereotypes can have a major impact on society. This is due to the fact that stereotypes are formed as a way to characterize one group or culture in a simple way.  An example of a positive stereotype is that everyone Asians are smart because Asians take great pride in that which allows their culture to succeed. However, an example of a negative stereotype is that everyone from Russia drinks Vodka. This stereotype negatively impacts Russia’s society because everyone labels them as drunk. While this stereotype might not affect everyone in the specific group, the association is still made causing a form of discrimination and therefore having a lasting effect on the world.

~ Elizabeth

During my research, I learned a lot about stereotyping and what makes a stereotypes happen. I think it is important to remember that stereotypes are made from a generalization about that society. I also think it is also important to remember that positive and negative stereotypes can have bad effects. An example of this would be smart people in East Asia. This is positive because it portrays them as smart but it gets rid of the individuality of each person at varying degrees of intelligence. The important thing is to consider individuality when thinking of stereotypes.

~Will

What I discovered from this project is that stereotypes could also be positive as well as negative, but even though stereotypes can be positive the majority of them are negative causing negative views on an entire country. This should not be because stereotypes come from watching one person or a small group and broadcasting it as a culture for an entire country giving a false image for all the people. With these negative stereotypes people will be judged right away for what someone else did and not for their own actions creating a negative profile for them. With these negative profiles there could sometimes be a positive stereotype which makes a whole country look good even though some people do not fall into this category, but these are still considered a stereotype because it categorizes a country.

~Geoff

From our studies I have learned that stereotypes do not come from thin air. Stereotypes are a way for people to make things simpler to understand. When someone creates a stereotype it is usually not to be mean. People make these assumptions, because they see one person of that ethnicity doing something, and assume everyone else in that culture does the same. But, when someone assumes something it can also be negative, making that culture be seen as a bad group of people. So, I think people should be careful with what they say, because they could be talking casually with a friend and say a stereotype that can be found offensive.

~Josh