Stereotypes

STEREOTYPES

Every day and everywhere we can find ourselves listening to some stereotypes. Whether we like it or not, stereotypes are part of our lives and they are a way in which society is shaped. As we are either classified or classifying others into categories, in a certain way, we are playing along with those stereotypes and make them stronger. Therefore, it is up to us believe or not what society has established for certain behaviors and ways of thinking. To a certain extent, those categories may be annoyed for the people involved due to the fact that they might be false or they are just an exaggerated version of the truth. On the other hand, they might make people laugh because they are nonsense.

We are the responsible ones for making stereotyping grow, not only when we contribute to creating them, but when we take them as the absolute truth without questioning them. We have grown up in a community where it is normal to define people because of the groups they have been classified as part of. Consequently, stereotypes can damage the image of a person just because according to that person's behavior they are part of a group or community which is not well accepted. 

In the particular case of Colombia, people all around the world have many stereotypes and misconceptions about what Colombia and Colombian people really are. Whenever a Colombian goes abroad they will find with people's rejection because people from other countries believe that we all are drug dealers or that our country is very dangerous due to the thieves and guerrilla fighters. Those are two of the main wrong stereotypes about Colombia, we Colombian people neither go around taking a drug bag with us nor is Colombia a dangerous place to live in. In that way is how a few people screw up the image of a whole country. However, there are also some stereotypes that although they are not bad, can make feel people uncomfortable or out of place. For instance, when people think that every Colombian must dance very well like Shakira or that we all must be good Salsa dancers. Another stereotype is the one that makes people think Colombia just has good and beautiful beaches. Well, for some people it may be a surprise to find out that not every Colombian likes dancing and that in Colombia there are many beautiful places aside from the beaches.

On the whole, stereotypes are a way in which we may think we can recognize and categorize a person into a group, but that does not mean those characteristics are true for everyone in a group. That is why it is important to get to really know different cultures instead of just believe what we hear or what we perceive about them.