TheNegativeInfluenceontheCommunity.

Stereotypesaffectthecommunityinanumberofnegativeways.Stereotypesnotonlyaffectthe
personbeingstereotyped,butthepersonusingthestereotypeaswell(Aguilar).Imaginetwoyoung
whitekidsplayingataparkthrowingafootballtooneanother.Ablackkidtheirageapproachesthem
andasksthem,HeycanIplaywithyouguys?Tothistheyreply,Noyou'reblack,yourejustgoing
tostealtheball.Nowtheblackkid,whosjustbeenstereotypedandexcludedfromthegamedueto
hisskincolor,hastheideaplantedintohismindthatsincehesblackhemuststeal.Butheisnotthe
onlyoneaffectedbythisstereotype.Thetwokidsthatstereotypedhimarenowshowingthatthey
actuallybelievethisideaandinturnatsuchayoungagetheyalreadyhaveafixedviewonagroupof
people(Aguilar).
Anotherideathatcancomefromtheinteractionbetweenthethreekidsisselffulfilling
prophecy.Selffulfillingpropheciesaretheexpectationsthataccompanythestereotypetriggerachain
ofeventsthatleads,almostinevitably,totheirownconfirmation(Snyder).Aresearchteamatthe
UniversityofMinnesota,leadbyDr.MarkSnyder(aresearcher)provedthecorrelationbetween
selffulfillingpropheciesandstereotypes.Inhisstudy,Dr.Snydergatheredagroupofundergraduate
menandwomenandpairedthemuprandomlytohaveatelephoneconversationwithamemberofthe
oppositesex.Themenweregivenpicturesofwomenthatweresaidtobethewomenthattheywere
havingaconversationwith.Howeverthepictureswerentactuallyofthewomentheyweretalkingto
though.Halfofthemengotapictureofanattractivewomanandtheotherhalfapictureofan
unattractivewoman.Aftertheconversations,themenwhobelievedtheyweretalkingtoanattractive
femaleratedtheirconversationhigherthanmenwhothoughttheyweretalkingtoanunattractivefemale
(Snyder&Tanke).Whentheconversationswerelaterlistenedtobyjudgesitwasseenthatthewoman
whowereportrayedasbeautifulweremoresociableandlikeablethanthewomanwhowereportrayed
asunattractive.Thiswasbecauseeventhoughthewomenthemselvesmaynothavebeenattractivethey
begintoactbeautifulwhenthemenactliketheyare(Snyder&Tanke).Ifapersonistoldsomething
aboutthemselvesandtreatedacertainwaytheymayendupbecomingwhattheyaretoldtheyare.So
theblackkidbeingtoldthatallhedoesisstealthingsmaymakehimfallintothatveryuntruestereotype.
Nowhecouldgrowuptobeamenacetosocietyandpossiblyendupinjail.
InastudyconductedbyDr.JeffStonefromtheUniversityofNorthCarolina,agroupofboth
blackandwhiteathletesweregatheredandgiventwotestsbothrelatedtogolf.Inthefirsttestthe
groupofathleteswastoldthatthetestwasgoingtomeasuretheirnaturalathleticabilities.Onceall
athletescompletedthetesttheresultsshowedthattheblackathletesperformedbetterthanthewhite
athletes.Inthesecondtestthegroupofathleteswastoldthatthetestwastomeasuretheirabilityto
thinkstrategically.Inthistesttheresultsshowedthatthewhiteathletesperformedbetterthantheblack
athletes.Inbothtests,stereotypeswereactivatedintheathletesmindsandthey,withoutknowing,fell
intothestereotypes.Whenthewhiteathletesheardthatthetestwasameasureofnaturalathleticability
thestereotypethatwhitepeoplearentnaturallygoodatsportsbegantounconsciouslycloudtheir
thinking.Whentheblackathletesheardthetestwasameasureofstrategicthinking,theyweresimilarly
affectedbystereotypessuchasblackpeoplearestupid.Thesestereotypestriggeredbeliefsandfears
and,thoughuntrue,thestereotypesbecameselffulfilling(Stone).
Stereotypescanalsobedangerous.Acommonstereotypethatyouthhaveisthatpoliceare
awful.SpokenwordpoetJavonJohnsonexplainshisnephewsperceptionofpoliceofficersinoneof
hispoems.Javonexplainsthatwhileheandhis5yearoldnephewweredrivingdownthestreethis
nephewspottedapolicecarandtoldJavonthattheyhavetohide.Javonthenexpressedthatheis
angrythathisnephewlearnedhowtohidefromthecopswellbeforeheknewhowtoread.Javon
thenalsotalksabouthowfartoomanychildrenbelievethisstereotype,andhowbelievinginthis
stereotypeispreparingchildrenforawaragainstauthorities.Achildhavingthisstereotypeplantedin
theirmindcanputthemselvesandothersatrisk.Forexampleifachildhasheardfromayoungagethat
policeareawfulheisgoingtogrowupbelievingthatpoliceareawfulandinturnhaveasenseof
resentmenttowardsthemeventhoughhemaynotpersonallyhaveanyrelationshipwiththelaw
enforcement.Thiscouldbethedifferenceinsavingalife.Thechildmaywitnessesacrimeandnotcall
911duetohismindsetthatpoliceareawful.