Stereotypes Bite Back
    In this newspaper article many parents and critics discuss the usage of certain stereotypical ideas in Disney movies. One example being the very well known movie Shark Tale, which portrays the antagonist as sharks that are very similar to the Italian mob. Many people were outraged and felt that such portrayals of Italian people being in mobs colors children's perspectives for future ideas at  a very early age. Disney and other parents argue that kids are too young to take such connections seriously. This has caused a very questionable debate on the effects these movies can have on a child.
  Children are very absorbent from the beginning. When being exposed to such ideas from a very young age it becomes engraved into their thoughts. However eliminating these exposures in movies will not make a huge difference. As mentioned in this article, much of the population still see Italians as being mobsters. An idea they call the "Godfather Effect," which occurred after people started viewing Italians as mobsters after watching The Godfather. It is most efficient to teach the child what is correct so that they don't become guible to such ideas later on.
    What is your opinion on this topic? Are children really affected by such ideas? What should be done to help eliminate such enclosed ideas?




Goodale, Gloria. "Stereotypes Bite Back." Christian Science Monitor. Oct. 1 2004: n.p. SIRS Renaissance. Web. 26 Feb 2012.

White on White: When the West Represents the Rest Who Comes Off Worse?
      In this magazine article, the writer is evaluating the validity of certain stereotypical ideas of the past. He is using the studies done by a researcher named Jan Nederveen Pieterse, as a reference to what many people believed about the African American race. Pieterse conducted a study in which people were shown photographs and they had to describe the person based on how they looked. In the study they found many uncertain conclusions drawn from a simple image, many of which were negative. This lead the writer to search for the reason for stereotypes and lead the conclusion that stereotypes are more then just simplified images, but rather a result of a complex dynamic of historical antagonisms.
      When stereotypes first began will forever be a mystery to many, however it is apparent that people were not precise and created these for social reassurance. This leads to many unanswered questions: What is a Stereotype exactly? Where did they first being? What makes one culture better than the other?

Citation:
 Lemke, Sieglinde. "White on White: When the West Represents...Rest, Who Comes Off Worse?." Transition. Winter 1993: 145-154. SIRS Renaissance. Web. 13 Feb 2012.

Question.

The reason for me choosing this topic is mainly because it is a subject of matter that is still present in today's society, however, we dont seem to pay much attention towards it. Even though it is a controversial subject that not mentioned often, it is still hidden in people's ideals and beliefs. Because of this, and other matters I have decided to research how this affects today's society.

So my question is: What stereotypes are still present in america today, and how they still affect our population?