Racial and Ethnic Distinctions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Racial and Ethnic Distinctions - Essay Example Such processes and reactions are widely spread in the contemporary world, and for their description are often used notions of ‘racism’, ‘stereotype’, ‘prejudice’, ‘discrimination’. Unfortunately, these terms are frequently used, without a precise understanding of their meaning that only aggravates the issues they should clarify. The discussion of any concepts is impossible without their preliminary careful definition. Most of the differences in opinions regarding any matter of disa put usually arise not because of disagreements in understanding of values or importance of these notions in our daily life, but because of some distinctions in their definitions. It should be stated that some categories are variable and mostly depend on the meanings inserted by contemporaries. The term ‘stereotype’ was for the first time used in the book ‘Public Opinion’ written by the classic of American journalism, Walter Lippmann (1922). Using this term he was trying to describe the method, by means of which community tries to categorize people. As a rule, public opinion just put stamps basing upon some characteristics. Lippmann marked out four aspects inherent all stereotypes. Secondly, people get stereotypes (from friends, relatives, co-workers, mass media, etc.) rather then formulate them grounding on their own experience. As an example we may take the image of a perfect woman. There is a stereotype that she must be blond, tall, skinny, with blue eyes, and long legs. But it is not a secret that a lot of men on becoming older and getting own experience realize that they like women with dark hair or plump women. The fourth aspect is that stereotypes are extremely tenacious of life.