Chapter 7 Reaction Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chapter 7 Reaction Paper - Essay Example Stereotypes end up dehumanizing a whole group of people, essentially pigeonholing them without giving them any chance to prove their own unique identity. When talking about the â€Å"accuracy† of stereotypes, I did not like the fact that the author mentions that some stereotypes are â€Å"accurate.† The fact that he goes on to mention very objective terms (like the income of a certain group of people), further augments my point. Stereotypes, I feel are based on subjective terms and not objective ones, and that is precisely why they are so damaging. However, I did like the idea the author then goes on to say how, even though we cannot get rid of stereotyping all together, we need to recognize them for what they are so that they can be productive and not destructive. In this regard the chapter itself contains certain stereotypes, which the author also admits. However, I would have liked it if there had been mention of stereotypes causing prejudices to be formed. I liked h ow the article relays the idea that we need to acknowledge that people are different, or that certain groups of people will be different as a collective. However, if that is true, then, perhaps, there is a premise for stereotyping to be an effective social tool. Nonetheless, it need not be so if we refrain from making rigid assumptions about a whole group of people and applying them on individuals as well.