STEREOTIPI

Uno stereotipo è un’ opinione su fatti, persone o addirittura interi popoli che viene ritenuta anticamente vera senza mai essere stata dimostrata. Gli stereotipi esistono da sempre, con la funzione in genere di sminuire o di mettere in ridicolo un popolo da parte di coloro che appartengono ad un altro popolo, di cui indirettamente si suggerisce la “superiorità”. Così per esempio, i popoli mediterranei ritengono quelli nordici piuttosto “ freddi” di carattere, perché si associa l’ ambiente in cui vivono al loro apparente modo di comportarsi. Ora in questo giudizio potrebbe anche esserci un fondo di verità, ma il problema è che in realtà esso viene utilizzato per suggerire la superiorità di coloro che invece sono più “calorosi” e aperti, come si ritengono appunto, i popoli mediterranei . Sotto questo punto di vista , si può comprendere come uno stereotipo possa diventare pericoloso, in quanto alimenta pregiudizi che ostacolano la comprensione fra individui che appartengono a popoli diversi. Se scaviamo sotto le apparenze scopriamo che alla base di molte generalizzazioni si nascondono lontani rapporti fra i popoli, per esempio la dominazione turca sulla Grecia ha lasciato uno strascico di scarsa tolleranza, mentre si possono verificare rapporti di amicizia come per esempio tra l’Inghilterra e il Portogallo, le quali hanno combattuto a lungo tempo fianco a fianco contro la Spagna.

A stereotype is an opinion on facts, people or even whole nations that are believed to be true without ever having been demonstrated. Stereotypes have always existed, usually with the function to belittle or ridicule the people by those who belong to another people, which indirectly suggests the "superiority". So for example, the Mediterranean people believe the Nordic rather "cold" character, because it combines the environment in which they live to their apparent behavior. Now in this judgment there might be a grain of truth, but the problem is that in reality it is used to suggest the superiority of those who are more "warm" and open as in fact the Mediterranean people consider themselves. From this point of view, one can understand how a stereotype can become dangerous since it feeds prejudices that hinder understanding between individuals belonging to different people. If we dig beneath the surface we find that the basis of many generalizations are hidden away relations between people, for example the Turkish rule on Greece has left a legacy of poor tolerance, and friendship may occur for example between England and Portugal, which have fought a long time side by side against Spain.

A stereotype is an opinion on facts, people or even whole nations that are believed to be true without ever having been demonstrated. Stereotypes have always existed, usually with the function to belittle or ridicule the people by those who belong to another people, which indirectly suggests the "superiority". So for example, the Mediterranean people believe the Nordic rather "cold" character, because it combines the environment in which they live to their apparent behavior. Now in this judgment there might be a grain of truth, but the problem is that in reality it is used to suggest the superiority of those who are more "warm" and open as in fact the Mediterranean people consider themselves. From this point of view, one can understand how a stereotype can become dangerous since it feeds prejudices that hinder understanding between individuals belonging to different people. If we dig beneath the surface we find that the basis of many generalizations are hidden away relations between people, for example the Turkish rule on Greece has left a legacy of poor tolerance, and friendship may occur for example between England and Portugal, which have fought a long time side by side against Spain.