Everyone is susceptible to stereotyping. People are stereotyped regarding age, appearance, occupation,
race, gender and socio-economic status. They are stereotyped because they play sports (or don’t play
sports), because they live in an urban area (or a rural area). Stereotyping occurs when one person
makes assumptions about someone else based on one trait.
Reflect on your experiences. When have you been stereotyped? What are the narratives surrounding
your stereotyping experiences? How did they make you feel? How did you know you were being
stereotyped? How is the stereotype perpetuated? Do you know others who have had to deal with a
similar stereotype? Do you know of any films, commercials, books, etc. that reinforce this stereotype?
What can you do to handle these situations? How do you want people to perceive you? What can you
do to change people’s perceptions?
You must include an outline before you write, remembering that all essays have a logical progression: a
beginning, a middle and an end.
