Admit
it, we’ve all allowed stereotypes to influence us. We joked, or at least
laughed, about stereotypes like mother-in-laws, blondes, cops and donuts,
cheerleaders, women drivers, and so much more. No one can truly deny that they
have some bias based on patterns of behavior we’ve seen or heard about.
According
to Wikipedia, “Stereotypes are standardized and simplified conceptions of
people based on some prior assumptions.”
Most
stereotypes are not harmful or malevolent, however when we allow our bias to
form a negative reaction we breach the territory around prejudice. Negative stereotypes
can and do offend. Some of these negative stereotypes can also become political
or social platforms, pack audiences for high-demand comedy acts and teach
hatred and fear.
Fictional
characters can make decisions based on past experiences and learned behaviors.
Allowing your character to have and act on bias is not unhealthy but needs to
be done carefully and not too heavily; readers may become too angry and focus
that resentment on the book and author instead of a lone character. It’s a good
idea to “punish” the character who willfully hurts someone else because of
prejudice in order to win your audience back.
When
you decide to tread thin-ice and test political correctness, be very aware of
the audience you are writing for. Many cultures have unique attitudes which
could make their reactions to a bias very different. For example, many American
women are taught that they can lead and even be the breadwinner of a family or
the CEO of a company, but in many Arabian cultures men and women are in very
traditional roles, women are homemakers and men are the leaders and
breadwinners. If you are stereotyping gender roles and it is contrary to the
audience that will read your words, it may very well offend and be rejected.
Be
careful also if your character reacts to actions against him/her by blaming a
general group such as a religious order or political supporters for their
specific beliefs. If you stereotype a group in a negative way, you might
offend. Politicians often use negative stereotypes to inspire fear and
political support as in the Cold War from the end of World War 2 through the
early 90s, or the period since September 11, 2001. Being culturally aware of
your audience will clue you in as to how stereotypes will be received.
Writing exercise: Write a paragraph (or
two) about an ethic you were taught as a child that you changed your mind about
as you grew. Was there a specific event that helped to change your mind? Are
there any actions you would do differently based on your current beliefs? (For
example, many children are raised to agree with their parents’ political
beliefs, but as they grow older they may form different opinions).
Writing prompt: You
will be spending the next three days in a locked safe-room by yourself. The
room is furnished with a bed, food, water and toiletries. There is NO internet or
telephone and radio, TV and cell-phones will not get any signal. You are
allowed to bring only three objects with you (no humans, no pets). What will
you bring with you? And why?
