Phi 103 - Stereotyping Paper

Stereotyping Paper

Ryan Meersman

PHI103 Informal Logic

Instructor Jennifer Creekmore

April 21, 2013

Stereotyping Paper

I think the idea of one should never be judge by its cover is a good way to think, but unfortunately today's society judges on the outer cover of everyone. Society judges on sexuality and it not being able to be expressed freely. When a African American moves into a mostly white community they feel uncomfortable. When a overweight person walks into a gym they are worried about being judge by the way they look. Today in society people are embarrassed or humiliated because of the color of their skin or the shape of their body, the look of their face, or how much they weight. In my paper I will elaborate on three different stereotypes I have experienced personally in my life and how it has affected me and others.

A stereotype is a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. We say and should be all equal but, there is still racism and sexism. People judge others based on their beliefs, color of skin, how much they weight, what they wear, and what they eat.

While I was in high school I was stereotyped in different ways, a bum, lazy, fat, lack of motivation. I was overweight and I only committed myself to sports for my freshman year. After that I just skated through school, but I did work a lot and was passing all my classes. I was a hard worker and wanted to enjoy my 4 years before the real world hit me. I couldn't be categorized in a click or a group of people since my friends where all different groups of people. My mom is the principals secretary so I was always watched.

When I was growing up, I had a cousin that would play with barbies instead of action figures. He would always want to be a girl when we pretended to play superheros. Of course I didn't think anything of it, I was a kid and was too young to think anything different. Now my cousin ended up coming out and telling the family he was gay around his senior year. I don't look at him any different and I love him the same way I did when I was growing up. As I got older I had my suspicions, but didn't say anything because I thought he was just a little feminine. When I found out he was gay I accepted his was of life with no restraint because it's his life and he can live it anyway he wants. Plus the choice of being gay is not a terrible thing and I respect him even more to have the courage to come out. There are people in society that are not sure about their sexuality and experiment, but my cousin was born this way. This is who he is so with all of the stereotyping that goes on with homosexuals, it is not fair to judge those who feel this and its