Reading Guide 6

Stereotypes

Instructions: Read the Unit 6 Overview and watch the two YouTube videos listed below. Then
complete the tasks.

Questions
1. a. What stereotypes can you find in the Overview and videos? Write at least 5 specific
stereotypes down.
b. What makes you think that they are stereotypes?

1. Arabic people are barbaric- “cut off your ear if they don’t like your face” From Aladdin
2. Asians all have slanted eyes, they are also conniving. – From Lady and the Tramp
3. Mexicans are incredibly lazy. Have no work ethic. – From Tom and Jerry
4. Mexicans cat call. –Happy Feet
5. (second video) Asians all look the same.

In the first two examples, the words from the songs, contribute to letting children all
believe that these people are all the same. The Tom and Jerry example is accentuated by the little
mouse having slowed speech, and only speaking about his hunger. The happy feet example
furthers the idea that Mexican men don’t care about any females feelings, and will go out of their
way to make them feel uncomfortable. Obviously all of these ideas promoted in the videos, are
not actually representative of the races shown. This is the primary reason why they are
considered stereotypes.

2. a. Are the stereotypes useful or non-useful in the ways stated by the McFarlane article?
b. Why/ in what ways?

They can help us understand that different values exist and can be considered the norm.
With this approach one can verify their beliefs about others in social settings instead of
accepting whatever the imposed belief is as a truth. If one is aware of some stereotypes it
might save them from a social blunder in a new cultural setting, because they are being
cautious until they know otherwise. The article points out that once new information is
acquired and still a negative aspect about a stereotype persists, it can become bias, or
discrimination, which can be separate from stereotypes.