ES - Stereotypes and Prejudices

           This lesson, we talked about Social Identity: Stereotypes and Prejudices.

 

Identity may be defined as the distinctive characteristic belonging to any given individual, or shared by all members of a particular social category or group.

                According to the this definition, identity is not where you live, your identity is what you feel. For example, maybe you born in Turkey, but when you were 3 years old, you moved Germany. It seems like your identity is Turkey, in other word, you are Turk, but you are living along time in Germany, and also your behaviors like them, you choose the way to live, as German’s living way. When somebody asks you “Who you are?”, then you give an answer what you are feeling.  

               

                Stereotypes are characteristics ascribed to groups of people involving gender, race, national origin and other factors. These characteristics tend to be oversimplifications of the groups involved, however.

                You can learn stereotypes according to your experiences. Without experience are stereotypes good or bad? Sometimes they are good, sometimes they are wrong. If you behavior according to stereotypes, then maybe you can find out the opposite.

                Prejudice is an adverse judgment or opinion formed beforehand or without knowledge or examination of the facts. There are types of prejudice:

• Racism
• Sexism
• Classicism
• Nationalism
• Religious prejudice

                What are the differences between stereotypes and prejudices? 
                 When we compare stereotype and prejudice, it seems like they are almost same. But there are some differences between them.  

• Stereotypes can be positive or negative, but prejudices can be more negative.
• Stereotypes are common ideas of a group of people, but prejudices can be created by yourself. 
• If stereotypes are not true then they can easily change, but prejudices are difficult.
• Stereotypes can be learned according to your experiences, but prejudices can be learned from generation to generation.     

          

                Explaining these definitions Jonatan showed us his old photos. And we tried to think about it what did we think about it when we saw first? Then he asked us “what did we think about Danish people as long as we have been here?” Then all students asked questions in their minds.

                At lunch time each person had to find somebody who was Danish, then we asked whole questions. After break, we figured out the DATA. Finally we found out that our stereotypes were true or not true. Some of them true, and some of them not true. 

 Researches:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Identity_%28social_science%29 

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/prejudice