Racial and Racist Stereotypes in Media

Racial and Racist Stereotypes in Media   Not all stereotyping is bad.  Stereotyping arises out of the need to generalize in order to make sense out of a very complicated environment. It allows people to easily categorize new things into comfortable spaces already defined by their experiences. This process was described in 1922 by Walter Lippmann, who first coined the term "stereotyping." Lipmann wrote, "the attempt to see all things freshly and in detail, rather than as types and generalities, is exhausting, and ... practically out of the question." Racial and ethnic categories are not natural divisions, but rather social constructs shaped by power dynamics and historical context. Societies often establish hierarchies that privilege certain racial groups while marginalizing others. While perceived physical differences, such as skin color, hair texture, and facial features, are used to categorize people into racial groups, the significance and meaning attached to th...