SBP

We’ve all heard the nursery rhyme “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” No one gets out of childhood without hearing it at home, in school, or on the playground. It’s part of our social DNA. We are taught to take it very seriously. However, when we get older we learn to ignore this teaching to satisfy our desire to hurt others. One of the ways in which we do this is by applying stereotypes. This blogging prompt  is designed to get you thinking about stereotypes from both the user and the victim’s perspective.

Prompt: Think of a time when someone applied a stereotype to you. What do you think their intention was in using it? How did it make you feel? Research the origins of this stereotype? (i.e. Where do you think this stereotype came from?) Looking into the history of a certain stereotype never hurt anyone!

On the flip side, reflect on a time when you applied a stereotype to someone else. What was your intention in using it? (i.e. To hurt, tease, humiliate, etc.) What were the effects of its use? If you don’t know the origin of this stereotype, look it up and share.