This document discusses cultural stereotyping and its effects on power balance. It defines stereotyping as over-generalizing group characteristics. Stereotyping can be positive by assigning good traits to one's own group, or negative by assigning bad traits to other groups. Two examples are analyzed: a rice cracker ad that positively stereotypes Japanese women, and online comments negatively stereotyping Asian drivers as unsafe. Negative stereotyping creates an in-group and out-group, allowing the in-group to feel superior and gain dominance over the out-group. By over-simplifying cultures, stereotyping can lead to misunderstanding between groups and affect power relations.

1. Cultural stereotyping and its effects on power balance.

2. Definition of Stereotyping Bowe & Martin (2007) define stereotyping as an over-generalisation of the characteristics of a group. Often such stereotyping has a polarising effect- that is assigning positive attributes to the in-group and negative attributes to the out-group.

3. Fantastic Rice Cracker Advertisement 2010 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTuQmf02WS0

5. The Solidarity Fallacy is when a group creates common ground by blending their characteristics with another group.

7. fucking asian drivers..... asian r the mostyfunnyist thing in the world

9. Stereotyping within the Pulp Sport Comments In this case the in-group are the New Zealanders who are not “Asian” with the inferred positive value of being good at driving. The out-group is the group considered to be “Asian” has been assigned the negative value of being poor drivers. The simplistic categorising of the man in the clip as “Asian” is a form of negative stereotyping. The over-generalised idea that people from all Asian countries are similar enough to be categorised “Asian”; this creates a over generalised view that a large population of people can all be the same.

11. Such a limited view can lead to misunderstanding and miscommunication.

12. Negative stereotyping creates an in-group and an out-group as seen with the Pulp Sports Comments.

14. Such grouping outlines the two groups as binaries – opposites of each other.

15. This process is one of Otherisation. That the dominant culture is the norm and “them”-the other cultures are different and therefore outsiders.

17. References Bowe & Martin (2007) Communication across cultures: Mutual understanding in a global world. (pp.87-89) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.