Stereotype
Article by Yashobha Ranaweera
Description:
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary a stereotype is a standardized mental picture that is held in common by members of a group and that represents an oversimplified opinion, prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgment. In other words, they are “typical behaviors” of a certain culture or group of people that is generalized to the entire group of the “type” of people. Stereotypes are major set backs in the community and they cause people to blindly assume aspects of people’s personality and abilities.
In the American Indian society, family is the fundamental unit of their society and they value family with the utmost respect; however, in mainstream society, this view is slightly skewed. The “liner worldviews” value family less and even to the point where adolescents are isolated from their families. This way of thinking is supposed to promote individualism. This disparity in views of family life results in stereotypes aimed at the American Indian community. For example, there is a stereotype that the youth will do poorly in school due to the inability to maintain their own grades. The American Indian youth feel this oppression at school and in society around them. The only way to combat this is through motivation. The motivation may be interdependent or independent. The idea is to reach out to the youth and show them that these stereotypes do not define them. In some cases a negative stereotype may lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy. For example, if the members of society believe that the American Indian youth cannot handle work because they are so dependent on their parents, the youth may start to believe that this is the ultimate truth and begin to fall into the frame that society made for them.
The best way to overcome the stereotypes that the American Indian youth are forced to deal with is to first acknowledge that suppression does exist. Then we must work to educate the American Indian families and Positive Youth Development would help remove these harsh beliefs.
Contact Person: Cindy J Liberton
Funding for Academic Year: 2008-09