Class 8 Stereotypes 1 What are stereotypes 2

Class 8 Stereotypes 1

What are stereotypes? 2

Definition of Stereotypes • Stereotypes are a form of generalization about some group of people. When people stereotype others, they take a category of people and make assertions about the characteristics of all people who belong to that category. (Lustig, M. W. & Koester, J. , 2010) 3

Problematic conceptualization of ‘culture’ Q: If you learn about culture, do you have to learn about stereotypes? Q: Who are they? (The English, Thais, Americans) very polite, smile a lot polite but don’t smile a lot not polite but smile a lot 4

Q: If you learn about culture, do you have to learn about stereotypes? Thais: very polite, smile a lot The English: polite but don’t smile a lot Americans: not polite but smile a lot 5

If you learn about culture, do you have to learn about stereotypes? 6

What are stereotypes …Cultural stereotypes are perceptions and beliefs based on generalizations made about another culture or their individual members. Such generalizations can be true, but they often only represent half-truth because they are based on incomplete observations or inaccurate information (p. 19). Messner (2013) 7

To illustrate how stereotype works: read the following list. • • • While you are reading each of these, did you associate particular characteristics with each group? Salesmen Politicians Football player Japanese women Teenage girls 8

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What are the consequences of stereotyping? “The consequence of stereotyping is that the vast degree of differences that exists among the members of any one group may not be taken into account in the interpretation of messages. ” (Lustig, M. W. & Koester, J. , 2010) 10

What’s wrong with these? • Traditional focus on ‘big red buses and Thai fish sauce’ – culture teaching as superficial Q: Do you teach about objects, food, buildings, history, how people do things? This is still the approach in many EFL textbooks. 11

Superficiality vs. ICC “In language teaching, a ‘superficial’ conceptualisation of culture has tended to frame culture purely interms of materials and social practices such as festivals, cuisine and traditional dress, and has been criticized for superficiality, and for placing undue emphasis on exotic differences between societies. ” Young, Sachdev, & Seedhouse, (2009) 12

• Negative stereotypes 13

• positive stereotypes 14

• What’s the difference between stereotypes and prejudice? 15

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What do you think about this statement? • “Personally, I do not believe that there is anyone who is completely free of prejudice. To be successful in intercultural communication, you do not need to be a perfect person. But you do need to try to be aware of your own prejudice, question your rationality in holding them at the least, try to distance yourself from them as much as you can. ” 18

Learning Task • Share your views concerning stereotypes of Thai people with your partner. 19