Ethnic stereotype

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A 19th-century British children's book (A Peep at the world) informs its readers that the Dutch are a "very industrious race", and that Chinese children are "very obedient to their parents". National-stereotypes.jpg
A 19th-century British children's book (A Peep at the world) informs its readers that the Dutch are a "very industrious race", and that Chinese children are "very obedient to their parents".

An ethnic stereotype or racial stereotype involves part of a system of beliefs about typical characteristics of members of a given ethnic group, their status, societal and cultural norms. A national stereotype does the same for a given nationality. The stereotyping may be used for humor in jokes, and/or may be associated with racism.

Contents

National stereotypes may relate either to one's own ethnicity/nationality or to a foreign/differing one. Stereotypes about one's own nation may aid in maintaining a national identity due to a collective relatability to a trait or characteristic, referred to as national character. [1]

Examples

According to an article by The Guardian titled "European Stereotypes: What Do We Think of Each Other and Are We Right?", the Europe stereotype towards Britain is as "drunken, semi-clad hooligans or else snobbish, stiff free marketers", their view towards France is "cowardly, arrogant, chauvinistic, erotomaniacs", and they see Germany as "ruddy-faced [and]subsist on a diet of beer and sausage". To Europe, Italy is "tax-dodging, Berlusconi-style Latin lovers and mama's boys, incapable of bravery", Poland is "heavy-drinking ultracatholics with a whiff of antisemitism", and Spain is "macho men and fiery women prone to regular siestas and fiestas". While some countries such as Germany proudly own their stereotype, others like Spain argue that theirs is a warped view based on experiences while on holiday instead of having actually lived there. [2]

A Pew Global survey of the European countries United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, Poland, and Czechia found that European stereotypes found Germany to be both the most hardworking and least corrupt, Greece to be the least hardworking, and Italy to be the most corrupt. Five out of the eight countries thought their own country was the most corrupt. [3]

Yanko Tsvetkov has designed many maps which serve as pictorial representations of such stereotypes, giving an impression of how certain regions of the world may view others. [4] [5] [6] They have named such as "The Arab Winter" and "Crystal Ball View Of Europe In 2022". [7]

According to Dana E. Maestro, media images and depictions play a vital role in our ability to perceive different ethnicities and construct various racial and ethnic stereotypes. Most of these portrayals are seen through media platforms such as televisions, social media and commercials create a convenient sketch of how they want a certain group of people to be represented. For example, White Americans are always overly presented in positions of prestige and power in comparison to their counterparts such as Latinos or African Americans that are usually represented around themes of criminality and subservience. [8] On a whole, Media can never be assumed to an insignificant oulet of information but are culturally effective conduits that can drive our personal narrative on specific ethnic stereotyping. Since minorities are not adequately represented in the media it can lead to a negative misinterpretation and limited media diversity. [9]

According the J. Stanley Lemons, a stereotype for African-American men in the United States, specifically during the 1940s, was popularized through the use of comics and minstrel shows. African-American men were portrayed as having more animalistic features that alluded to the believe of their lack of knowledge and being considered second-class citizens during this time period. These features include oversized ear and mouths to indicate a monkey-like appearance. Portraying African-Americans as monkeys alludes to them being perceived as having limited intelligence. [10] To convey that idea further, African-Americans were made not able to speak proper English. The white impersonators often used Black English Vernacular (BEV). The impersonators over exaggerated and misused BEV so that the speech barely made sense, which furthered the notion of African Americans being unintelligent. [11]

Validity

It is sometimes held that such stereotypes often contain a "grain of truth". [12] [13] However, an extensive study by the personality psychologist Robert R. McCrae of the National Institute on Aging and colleagues found that they are generally untrustworthy. [14] [13]

Various anti-national phobias and prejudices operate with ethnic stereotypes.

Ethnic stereotypes are commonly portrayed in ethnic jokes, some of which some consider to be offensive to varying degrees. Richard M. Steers and Luciara Nardon, in their book about the global economy, use a variant of the "You have two cows" joke to illustrate the concept of cultural differences:

They write that such jokes are considered funny because they are realistic caricatures of various cultures, [15] [ page needed ] and the pervasiveness of such jokes stems from the significant cultural differences. Steers and Nardon also state that others believe that cultural stereotypes in jokes of that kind must be viewed with caution. [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You have two cows</span> Joke pattern pertaining to different economic systems

"You have two cows" is a political analogy and form of early 20th century American political satire to describe various economic systems of government. The setup of a typical joke of this kind is the assumption that the listener lives within a given system and has two cows, a very relatable occupation across countries and national boundaries. The punch line is what happens to the listener and the cows in the system; it offers a brief and humorous take on the subject or locale.

Racism is discrimination and prejudice against people based on their race or ethnicity. Racism can be present in social actions, practices, or political systems that support the expression of prejudice or aversion in discriminatory practices. The ideology underlying racist practices often assumes that humans can be subdivided into distinct groups that are different in their social behavior and innate capacities and that can be ranked as inferior or superior. Racist ideology can become manifest in many aspects of social life. Associated social actions may include nativism, xenophobia, otherness, segregation, hierarchical ranking, supremacism, and related social phenomena. Racism refers to violation of racial equality based on equal opportunities or based on equality of outcomes for different races or ethnicities, also called substantive equality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethnic joke</span> Joke based on assumptions about a specific ethnic group

An ethnic joke is a remark aiming at humor relating to an ethnic, racial or cultural group, often referring to an ethnic stereotype of the group in question for its punchline.

The term model minority refers to a minority group, defined by factors such as ethnicity, race, or religion, whose members are perceived to be achieving a higher socioeconomic status in comparison to the overall population average. Consequently, these groups are often regarded as a role model or reference group for comparison to external groups (outgroups). This success is typically assessed through metrics including educational attainment, representation within managerial and professional occupations, household income, and various other socioeconomic indicators such as criminal activity and strong family and marital stability. The prominent association of the model minority concept is with Asian Americans within the United States. Additionally, analogous concepts of classism have been observed in numerous European countries, leading to the stereotyping of specific ethnic groups.

Racism has been reflected in discriminatory laws, practices, and actions against racial or ethnic groups, throughout the history of the United States. Since the early colonial era, White Americans have generally enjoyed legally or socially sanctioned privileges and rights, which have been denied to members of various ethnic or minority groups at various times. European Americans have enjoyed advantages in matters of citizenship, criminal procedure, education, immigration, land acquisition, and voting rights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Americans</span> White people of the United States

White Americans, are Americans who identify as white people. In a more official sense, the United States Census Bureau, which collects demographic data on Americans, defines "white" as "[a] person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa". This group constitutes the majority of the people in the United States. According to the 2020 census, 71%, or 235,411,507 people, were White alone or in combination, and 61.6%, or 204,277,273 people, were White alone. This represented a national white demographic decline from a 72.4% white alone share of the US population in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stereotypes of African Americans</span>

Stereotypes of African Americans are misleading beliefs about the culture of people with partial or total ancestry from any black racial groups of Africa whose ancestors resided in the United States since before 1865. These stereotypes are largely connected to the racism and the discrimination faced by African Americans. These beliefs date back to the slavery of black people during the colonial era and they have evolved within American society over time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stereotypes of Indigenous peoples of Canada and the United States</span> Generalized representations of Indigenous peoples

Stereotypes of Indigenous peoples of Canada and the United States of America include many ethnic stereotypes found worldwide which include historical misrepresentations and the oversimplification of hundreds of Indigenous cultures. Negative stereotypes are associated with prejudice and discrimination that continue to affect the lives of Indigenous peoples.

Stereotypes of American people can today be found in virtually all cultures. They often manifest in America's own television and in the media's portrayal of the United States as seen in other countries, but can also be spread by literature, art and public opinion. Not all of the stereotypes are equally popular, nor are they all restricted to Americans; and although most can be considered negative, a few assign neutral, positive or admiring qualities to the stereotypical American citizen. Many of the ethnic stereotypes collide with otherwise unrelated political anti-Americanism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stereotypes of South Asians</span> Ethnic stereotypes of South Asian people

Stereotypes of South Asians consist of various generalized beliefs about individuals from South Asia which derive from the region's history and interaction with other cultures and peoples. These stereotypes are often rooted in orientalism, xenophobia and racism and date back to the history of European colonialism and imperialism in South Asia during the 18th and 19th centuries along with the immigration of South Asians to the English-speaking world in the 20th century. According to academics Omar Rahman, David Pollock and John Berry, such stereotypes, which have been primarily propagated through popular culture, have played a major role in hindering the process of acculturation for South Asian immigrants in Western nations.

Internalized racism is a form of internalized oppression, defined by sociologist Karen D. Pyke as the "internalization of racial oppression by the racially subordinated." In her study The Psychology of Racism, Robin Nicole Johnson emphasizes that internalized racism involves both "conscious and unconscious acceptance of a racial hierarchy in which a presumed superior race are consistently ranked above other races. These definitions encompass a wide range of instances, including, but not limited to, belief in negative stereotypes, adaptations to cultural standards, and thinking that supports the status quo.

Stereotypes of white Americans in the United States are generalizations about the character, behavior, or appearance of white Americans by other Americans in the United States.

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Racism in early American film is the negative depiction of racial groups, racial stereotypes, and racist ideals in classical Hollywood cinema from the 1910s to the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sociology of race and ethnic relations</span> Field of study

The sociology of race and ethnic relations is the study of social, political, and economic relations between races and ethnicities at all levels of society. This area encompasses the study of systemic racism, like residential segregation and other complex social processes between different racial and ethnic groups.

The term "bamboo ceiling" is a concept that describes the barriers faced by many Asian Americans in the professional arena, such as stereotypes and racism, particularly with ascending to top executive and leadership positions. The term was coined and popularized in 2005 by Jane Hyun in Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling: Career Strategies for Asians, where she addresses those barriers while also providing solutions to overcome them. Hyun defines the bamboo ceiling a combination of individual, cultural, and organizational factors that impede Asian Americans' career progress inside organizations.

Racism is a concern for many in the Western lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ) communities, with members of racial, ethnic, and national minorities reporting having faced discrimination from other LGBT people.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Race and sexuality</span> Intercultural and interracial sexuality

Concepts of race and sexuality have interacted in various ways in different historical contexts. While partially based on physical similarities within groups, race is understood by scientists to be a social construct rather than a biological reality. Human sexuality involves biological, erotic, physical, emotional, social, or spiritual feelings and behaviors.

Stereotypes about Africa, Africans, and African culture are common, especially in the Western World. European imperialism was often justified on paternalistic grounds, portraying Africa as less civilized, and Africans as less capable of civilizing themselves. As of the 2010s, these stereotypes persisted in European media.

References

  1. ↑ Terracciano A, Abdel-Khalek AM, Adám N, et al. (October 2005). "National character does not reflect mean personality trait levels in 49 cultures". Science. 310 (5745): 96–100. Bibcode:2005Sci...310...96T. doi:10.1126/science.1117199. PMC   2775052 . PMID   16210536.
  2. ↑ "European stereotypes: what do we think of each other and are we right? – interactive". theguardian.com. January 26, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  3. ↑ Graphic detail Charts, maps and infographics (May 30, 2012). "Greeks say they are the hardest-working European nation: Stereotypes of Europe". The Economist. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  4. ↑ "MAPS: A Complete Guide To National Stereotypes All Around The World | Business Insider Australia". Businessinsider.com.au. September 3, 2011. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Yanko Tsvetkov's stereotype maps – in pictures | Art and design". The Guardian. February 17, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Mapping Stereotypes". Alphadesigner. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  7. ↑ Tim Dowling (February 17, 2012). "Stereotype maps: Is that what they think of us? | Art and design". The Guardian. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  8. ↑ Maestro, Dana E (2009). Racial/Ethnic Stereotyping and The Media. Media Effects, Routledge. pp. 341–357. ISBN   9780203877111.
  9. ↑ Harnois, Catherine (October 12, 2015). "Race and the lifecourse: readings from the intersection of race, ethnicity, and age". Ethnic and Racial Studies. 39 (8): 1513–1514. doi:10.1080/01419870.2015.1095344. ISSN   0141-9870.
  10. ↑ Lemons, J. Stanley (1977). "Black Stereotypes as Reflected in Popular Culture, 1880–1920". American Quarterly. 29 (1): 102–116. doi:10.2307/2712263. ISSN   0003-0678. JSTOR   2712263.
  11. ↑ Mahar, William J. (1985). "Black English in Early Blackface Minstrelsy: A New Interpretation of the Sources of Minstrel Show Dialect". American Quarterly. 37 (2): 260–285. doi:10.2307/2712901. ISSN   0003-0678. JSTOR   2712901.
  12. ↑ "Why do people find racist jokes funny?". BBC News . May 7, 2002. Retrieved January 22, 2009.
  13. 1 2 McCrae, Robert R.; et al. (2013). "The inaccuracy of national character stereotypes". Journal of Research in Personality. 47 (6): 831–842. doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2013.08.006. PMC   3811946 . PMID   24187394.
  14. ↑ "Science gets the last laugh on ethnic jokes". MSNBC. October 6, 2005. (2005)
  15. 1 2 Steers, Richard M.; Nardon, Luciara (2005). Managing In The Global Economy. M.E. Sharpe. ISBN   0-7656-1551-7.

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