What are the effects of stereotypes?
Stereotypes are damaging and can hold us back as a society. Stereotypes
have negative effects, such as the creation of laws and rules where some
people benefit and others do not. People may internalize these
stereotypes, which eventually becomes a burden because they do not fit
the stereotype. Stereotypes can also inhibit us form learning real facts
about people. They may derive from fear or ignorance about a person from
another group different from the observer. A person may not be aware
that they carry stereotypes of others or that these stereotypes
influence their beliefs. They may start as a joke but eventually lead to
racism, sexism, prejudice and discrimination.
