Stereotypes

Living in today’s world, I think that stereotypes are inevitable. I think that every person is aware of stereotypes in their head, but each person develops their own based on their life experiences. In “Public Opinion,” Walter Lippman makes the point that “The facts we see depend on where we are placed, and the habits of our eyes.” For example, if I grew up in a large city, I may be more accepting of people with varying ethnic backgrounds than someone who has not lived among such a diverse population. I think Lippman is saying that we are born somewhere, and unless we choose to move or travel, our stereotypes will develop based on what we know and our surroundings.

Lippman makes another interesting point by saying, “We are told about the world before we see it. We imagine most things before we experience them.” I think this is so true. People make judgments about the unknown (people of other races or ethnic backgrounds) even if they have no first-hand experience dealing with these people. This is partially because the media often shapes the stereotypes in our head. The picture that the media portrays is the only vision we have if we have not experienced something first-hand.

I believe that the stereotypes we develop are largely affected by where we live and what we have experienced. Basically, stereotypes are our pre-conceived notions about another person or group of people, whether we have personally witnessed these characteristics or not. If we let them, the media can influence our opinions greatly.