In this essay, we specifically focus our attention on Donald Trump's perspective of the conditions of schools that Black children attend. The fact remains that as a presidential candidate, he verbalized stereotypical notions that many people hold about the conditions of schools that Black children attend. Thus, the purpose of this essay is to…

Minority groups are often justified in being watchful for the difficulties that negative reputations can bring on them. The necessity for discovery and discussion of serious issues within a minority community is real, but the resistance to such a candid approach is founded in their position of vulnerability and the power of old stereotypes. Two…

Grant Wood's "American Gothic," intended to represent the Depression Era, Midwestern farmer, has been regarded by many as the stereotypical representation of a true American farmer for decades. While this painting does represent farmers in the early part of the 20th century, the author feels obliged to say that it is time to drop this…

This essay argues for the existence of a form of unconscious racism. Research on implicit prejudice provides good evidence that most persons have deeply held negative associations with minority groups that can lead to subtle discrimination without conscious awareness. The evidence for implicit attitudes is briefly reviewed. Criticisms of the…

Research showing that activation of negative stereotypes can impair the performance of stigmatized individuals on a wide variety of tasks has proliferated. However, a complete understanding of the processes underlying these stereotype threat effects on behavior is still lacking. The authors examine stereotype threat in the context of research on…

Designed to reveal the nature of widespread pejorative orientations faced by youth in an adult world, the diagnostic tool consists of a 9-item inventory which is to be self-administered in group situations and self-analyzed by the subject. The tool provides a means of measuring and investigating the patterns of coexistence among three different…

Identifies and briefly discusses three aspects of the problem of ageism: (1) prejudicial attitudes; (2) discriminatory practices against the elderly; (3) institutional practices and policies that perpetuate stereotypic beliefs about the elderly and undermine their personal dignity. (Author/GC)

Ageism (unfair stereotyping of older adults), deeply embedded in the culture of 20th-century America, is reinforced by television and newspapers. The media depict old people as rigid, meddlesome, sexless, conservative, unhealthy, and forgetful. Most pernicious of all old age stereotypes is that of second childhood. Popular culture portrays…

Discusses negative stereotyping of the public or others in the profession of two-year college educators. Defines the open-admissions student and the emphasis on the "introductory" elements as a mission of transformation. Encourages working together towards a common goal of achievement in the profession of English Studies by crossing the border…

Most American-born (or native) blacks think of Afro-Caribbean women as clannish, thrifty to the point of greed, constant strivers, uninvolved in civil rights and women's rights activities, and believing in stereotypes of native blacks' inferiority. These images are tied to the Afro-Caribbean woman's immigrant status. As a foreigner, she constantly…

Discusses research suggesting that television viewing contributes to negative attitudes and low levels of knowledge about older people. Using the same data set and measurements, concludes that the effect of television viewing on knowledge and attitudes about older people is small and restricted to younger people. (NRB)

Discusses ways in which sports programs in American society provide negative experiences for most boys and almost all girls; calls for sports books for children that present a sense of truth about the role of sports in people's lives, rather than perpetuating the old myths about sports and sports figures. (HOD)

It is argued that negative portrayals of the professoriate in popular culture stem from growing anti-intellectualism in American society. College faculty are often derided as those whose work is primarily or entirely theoretical, too esoteric for practical use. Faculty are also portrayed as foolish or eccentric. Popular culture and public opinion…

Seven common myths about rural America are debunked, and three characteristics of the rural environment (diversity, sparse population, and interdependency with broader social and economic forces) are examined in relation to health care delivery and medical education. Health care contributions to rural economic needs are discussed. (Author/MSE)

Although social gerontologists recognize the heterogeneous nature of elderly populations, they have relied on the use of aggregate data and chronological age rather than sociological variables in their research. The notion of stigma, as developed by Goffman (1963), applied to the elderly focuses on social relationships rather than individual…