10. Typology of Stereotypes. Match stereotypical verbal expressions in the left column with the type of stereotype in the right column (the first has been done for you).

Stressed-out New Yorker		Territorial / geographic
Redneck		Professional
All worried about their little children being forced to go to schools with little nigger kids.		Gender
Ed Thomas had a wonderful voice, of course; he was one of those Welshmen who would sing all day on his farm tractor, sing while he was milking or bathing in the tub, sing harmony with Ruth as they drove along the road...		Social
It was strange knowing a woman had written it. She got inside a man's head. She put down thoughts and feelings that he had imagined only men knew about.		Racial
tight-mouthed, tight-fisted New Englanders		Gender
The Pink		Ethnic / ethno-cultural
Americans are loud		Political
Czar (V. Putin)		Cultural
The literal interpretation of the word Babushka into English is Grandmother. But it was very clear that Grandmothers in the West are not made in quite the same way as the Russian Babushkas. The Russian version has apparently spent about forty years of her life carrying 50kg or more of vegetables around the streets each day, selling them on street corners in order to learn money to live. (M. Francis, p. 18)		Based on age

11. Write down all the types of stereotypes that you know (fill in the boxes).

12. Ethnic stereotypes may be classified into two groups: autorstereotypes (what one group think about themselves) and heterostereotypes (what one group think about the other).Give your examples.

13. Functions of ethnic stereotypes. Think over the functions and give your understanding of their role.

1. From sociological viewpoint, ethnic stereotypes have two functions:

• Ideological (formation and maintenance of group ideology that explains the group’s behavior).

• Identifying (creation and maintenance of a positive image “WE” that is actualized through rituals and nonverbal signs).

1. From cognitive viewpoint, ethnic stereotypes have three functions:

• Social environment orientation.

• Reflection of perceived reality with relative authenticity.

• Creation of a certain reality.

1. In naïve world view, functions of stereotypes are the following:

• Create fear.

• Create distrust.

• Continue the circle of prejudice.

• Widen the distance between people.

• Make it harder for people to work together to solve the world’s problems...

• Serve no function except to set up groups of people for ridicule.

14. Think over the evaluative aspect of stereotypes given below and rank them on your own on the scale of “positive,” “neutral,” and “negative.” (The first has been done for you). Which evaluative aspect prevails and why? Give your reasons.

“positive”	“neutral”	“negative”
		Stereotypes are generalizations that ignore subtle differences among members of groups, individuals in a society

• Stereotypes are generalizations that ignore subtle differences among members of groups, individuals in a society (Stewart and Bennett, 1991, 163-164).

• As such, stereotypes are not bad or good.

• Stereotypes are understood to be a threat to human cognition.

• Stereotypes are understood to be a threat to intercultural communication.

• In cognitive terms, stereotypes help us orient in the social environment.

• Stereotypes are dangerous because they provoke racial prejudice.

• Stereotypes form a kind of individual’s natural defense in confronting cultural difference (M. Bennett, 1999).

• Stereotypes are based on half-truths, distortions, and often untrue premises. (Porter..p.246)

• Stereotypes are harmless sorts of jokes we tell about other nationalities.

• Stereotypes tend to impede intercultural communication in that they repeat and reinforce beliefs until they often become taken for “truth” (Porter et al.p.246).

• Stereotypes are essential life tools, are accurate much more often than not, and that we do not use them as much as, from cold practical considerations, we should (Derbyshire. http://www.olimu.com/webjournalism/texts/commentary/Stereotypes.htm)

Send the results in a table format to the teacher’s e-mail (lebedko@ephil.dvgu.ru).

15. Comment on alternative theoretical views of teaching about stereotypes. Using these statements as a reference discuss the controversy of stereotypes in groups of four or five and report the outcome of your discussion to the class giving your arguments.

Stereotypes should NOT be taught because…	Stereotypes should be taught because…
the teachers spread and reinforce them	students become aware of them and would not stereotype any more
stereotypes are abusive and false	stereotypes are true to life
they are generalizations that ignore subtle differences among individuals in a society	they are the individual’s natural defense in confronting cultural differences
they are the products of limited and lazy perceptions	as mental structures they simplify and facilitate our understanding