One of the main foundations of Canada as a country is the fact that many cultures make up the fabric of the nation, and many of the communities scattered across the country have many different connections to these cultures.
We live in a country that is diverse in so many ways, however one of the biggest challenges still facing many Canadians is dealing with stereotyping.
A stereotype is a generalization used to define a group of people based only on the words or deeds of one member of the group. When we oversimplify an individual or a group through generalizations, we’ve stereotyped, not bothering to consider the differences between all of us.
When most people think of stereotypes, they think of negative assumptions, but positive stereotypes can also be just as dangerous. Positive stereotypes influence how people see the nature of the differences in a specific group of people and this can, in turn, trigger negative stereotypes.
The most dangerous thing about stereotyping is that it can happen to anyone. It can happen to any race, religion or culture. It can happen to any age, gender or sexuality, and it even make reference to the height or weight of a person.
Often, the base of stereotyping starts at an early age, with a child learning these behaviours or thoughts from an older role model. But in today’s society, those role models are also based on what is seen or heard on TV or in social media. Sadly stereotyping still plays a large role in TV and movies, which makes it harder to step away from the issue.
It can be very difficult to consider how stereotyping might make the victim feel, especially when there are many times people don’t realize that they are making a stereotyping comment.
We have to be very careful with stereotyping and prejudice, and remember that often these prejudices stem from our own fears, with no basis for the judgement other than the fact that what we are judging is different from our own comfort zones.
When confined to a single culture or the comfort of our own communities, those stereotypes can be made simply because it is different than what we are used to. Sometimes the best way we can break out of these comfort zones is to travel to other countries, and embrace other cultures. But of course, this concept is not feasible for everyone.
One of the benefits to the the technology is to be connected online, which is another way to explore other countries and other cultures right from the home (or local library for those who might not have internet at their personal residence).
It is important to carefully think before making a stereotype, and consider where these thoughts are truly coming from. Most importantly, we must keep in mind that no matter the differences that we all share — the one thing that is shared across the world is that we are all human beings. We must be respectful to the emotions and personal history of other people, before making any destructive comments.
