The idea of eliminating stereotypes in today's world sounds nice, yes--but in my opinion, it would be unwise to believe it could happen. Because the world is such a big place and so well connected through communication and media, we know OF many different groups and ethnicities; we hear about them all the time. But it's impossible to know each individual, so stereotypes are our natural response. It's easy to categorize people, and it makes for easy advertising. But there are a few things we can do to ensure that subconscious stereotypes don't escalate into deliberate prejudice and discrimination.
-Stereotypes will always exist in the back of your mind, but you can still make a conscious effort not to act on them without knowing a person.
-On an individual level, you can work to prove your stereotype inaccurate (that is, if it IS actually inaccurate and if you actually do feel stereotyped).
In my opinion, all an individual can do is keep an open mind and make a conscious effort not to be judgmental. But there are some things that can be done on a larger scale:
-Schools can stop putting an category for "race" on applications: I think these are already optional, which is a step towards eliminating prejudice.
-Schools can also educate students in world culture and religions in an objective manner ( as Village did my freshman year), giving them a more open and educated mindset about other cultures.
-The media ultimately has the most power regarding stereotypes. A strong change/opening in the opinion of the people will cause the media to change its portrayal of different groups to satisfy society.
Does that make sense, or is the media uncontrollable? Could such a change in the public's opinion happen? (consider womens'/ civil rights movements) If so, would it not just create new stereotypes?
--CZ
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