Missionaries of the Sacred

Most of us can easily think of several examples of stereotypes, and most likely these examples will be of negative stereotypes. Yet stereotypes can also be “positive.” Regardless of whether a stereotype is positive or negative, it disrespects the dignity of the person and can perpetuate social injustices. Consider this example:

According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders face several stereotypes, including being seen both as hardworking and good at math and science, but also as quiet, passive, non confrontational and antisocial. It’s easy to see how being prejudged as passive and quiet could pose problems in the workplace (and other places), especially in terms of career advancement, but in the United States, being “hardworking” is usually considered a very positive attribute. So what’s the problem with that stereotype? If an employer assumes that certain employees to be more hardworking than others because of some physical characteristic, such as their gender, ethnicity or national origin, it will be unlikely that he or she can assign and evaluate work fairly. The employer will likely create a double-standard, evaluating performance according to expectations based on personal characteristics rather than the true quality of the work being done.

The bottom line is that stereotypes are based on assumptions. Each person is unique, with their own personality traits, experiences and attitudes. None of us should be prejudged, categorized or limited according to stereotypes.