By Steve Martin, CMCT
The French word stéréotype, originated in the late 18th century, was used to describe a process of printing or reproduction using a solid plate. It would be another fifty years before the word began appearing in the English language. By then its meaning had evolved somewhat to “an image perpetuated without change”, arguably closer and more familiar to today’s modern use of the word.
Stereotypes are widely used in modern day life and can help to simplify how we formulate ideas and opinions about others. When a person learns that someone they are introduced to is a minister, or a realtor, or a politician, or a charity worker, or an athlete they might make certain assumptions about that person’s likely traits, behaviors and attitudes.
But what if that response is unhelpful or simply wrong? For example you may work in an industry or environment where a number of stereotypical reactions are negative? How might you convince people that rather than viewing you as “an image perpetuated without change” they instead see you as a “shining example of change”?
The results of a new series of studies could provide some useful advice.
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