*msu.edu was used in partner with this post* My friend, we'll call her "Rose" for privacy reasons, and I have been on a month long argument about stereotypes. She believes the following: a) Stereotypes all come from a little bit of truth b) The world can't go on without stereotypes. People from an early age begin to label people and put them into small, constricting boxes. This eventually leads to stereotyping and training your brain to see people, then place them in your made up sections. According to msu.edu, "people [feel the] need to categorize the world ... into preferably neat little groups." They do this because
So maybe stereotypes do come from some colonel of truth depending on whose eyes you're looking through, but that doesn't mean people should walk around putting people in boxes and labeling them. People should have the right to challenge stereotypes and live how the want without being judged. Last week, I was asked to submit a recording about my views on labels. So I thought I'd share some of them here:
Labels can either make you feel powerful or constricted. To me, labeling myself as a "feminist" makes me feel like I am part of a strong band of people who believe the men and women of all races should be treated the same, paid the same, have the same rights, feel safe walking down the street, etc. However, when others label me, I feel as if I've portrayed myself in such a way that I was the one who locked myself in a box of words and names. If you label me, I feel as if you think you know me SO WELL that you suddenly have the right to assume things about me. If you decided to shove me into a place where you only see me as smart, don't be surprised if I didn't do the homework from last night or did badly on our last test. Most importantly, don't get annoyed and roll your eyes when I do support your stereotype or I don't surprise. I never put myself in that box... you did. So, yeah, labels and stereotypes are pretty sucky and I definitely think that the world doesn't need them to survive or continue. Just because you want to make life easier on you, doesn't mean you have to make life harder for everyone else. We're already surrounded by so many that have broken boundaries and they've mostly been successful so far. Living in a world with no stereotypes is just a matter of having an open mind.
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FEMINISMthe advocacy of women's rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes |