All the life of a person is surrounded by other people, constantly he is in communicative relations with society. Therefore, often, in doing this or that act, we look back at the society, even if unconsciously, hoping for it, and fearing condemnation on its part. By this we, without noticing ourselves, establish certain limits for ourselves, restrict our desires and actions. After all, all the time we are afraid of criticism of society, our environment. Not reflecting on the fact that the established stereotypes govern our life and our decisions.
Stereotypes - this is a kind of tribute to the individual society. This is a certain pattern of behavior. Many create their own personal stereotypes after they have suffered repeated failures in some business. But also society creates stereotypes of communication.
For a certain period of time, stereotypes are formed. People communicate and share their experiences, soon find themselves like-minded people. Then their pattern of behavior can become really social after a while. Stereotypes are not studied in schools, they are not written in books, but in life we actively use them as ancestor settings that are firmly entrenched in our minds.
How does the pattern of communication arise?
The stereotype in communication arises with the knowledge of each other, which in social psychology has a specific meaning. As a rule, both modern and established stereotypes arise on the basis of past experience caused by creating human conclusions, despite the limited information. Often stereotypes arise regarding the group affiliation of a person, for example, her belonging to a profession. As a consequence, the professional pronounced traits of a person in the past, a representative of this profession, are viewed as traits that are inherent in every member of this profession.
Stereotypes are transmitted from generation to generation, they are so stable that at times they are perceived as given, as a biological fact, as a reality.
Stereotypes in communication are divided into two categories:
- Surface stereotypes.
- Deep.
Under the first category understand the ideas about a particular people, which is due to international, domestic political or historical situation. These stereotypes change or cease to exist depending on the stability of society, on the events that influence the formation of views among the majority of the population. In the study of such stereotypes, historians, and those who are interested in socio-political processes of society, are interested in the first place.
Deep stereotypes are unchanged. They, in comparison with the surface, do not change for a certain period of time. They are stable and are of the greatest interest in the study of features of a national character. Social stereotypes can be defined as a negative phenomenon that prevents adequate, not distorted, mutual understanding.
The reasons for the emergence of both stereotypes in communication, and in general, are diverse. But the most important reason is the defensive reaction that the human mind develops in order to prevent brain overloading from information, the volume of which is constantly increasing. If there was no such protection, consciousness would become entangled by the continuous ousting of value judgments.
Examples of stereotypes
Stereotypes are an integral part of mass culture. They are formed on the basis of:
- Age (for example, "Young people listen only to rock").
- Paul ("All men need sex only").
- Races ("The Japanese are all on the same face").
- Religions ("Islam is a terrorist religion").
- Nationalities ("All Jews are very greedy").
The most common example of the stereotypes of communication is "Blondes are stupid."
It is important to note that a stereotype always presents information in the most understandable and easy form, but, in turn, this information is able to disorient a person if it disagrees with its reality. To decide only to you, whether to believe in the opinion of the majority, in stereotypes or to adhere to your individual attitude towards someone or something.