A counterstereotype is an idea or object that goes against a standardized mental picture that is held in common by members of a group and that represents an oversimplified opinion, prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgment.
Although counterstereotypes arise in opposition to
stereotype
In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can be, for example ...
s, they may eventually become stereotypes themselves if they are too popular.
An example is the character type called the ''
magical negro'';
Spike Lee popularized this term deriding the
archetype of the "super-duper magical negro" in 2001 while discussing films with students at
Washington State University and at
Yale University.
Examples
*American popular literature in the 19th century contained
stereotypical
In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can be, for example ...
images of
black people
Black is a racialized classification of people, usually a political and skin color-based category for specific populations with a mid to dark brown complexion. Not all people considered "black" have dark skin; in certain countries, often in s ...
as grotesque and servile. In protest, a counter-stereotype arose which showed black people as graceful and wise.
*In the United States during the 1970s, in response to
feminist
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
criticism, advertising agencies chose to display counter-stereotypical images of women as sexually assertive and intellectual.
*In
comic books, when the
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
began in the 1930s, he was an invulnerable, unalterably benevolent figure. However, a desire for increased
dramatic potential led to a move away from this
stereotypical
In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can be, for example ...
character, until in the 1980s and 1990s, the counterstereotypical
angst-ridden
anti-hero had become so popular as to constitute a new stereotype.
*
Michael Moorcock's character
Elric of Melniboné—a tormented, sickly
albino sorcerer with a demonic sword and a sizeable evil streak—was intended to be the polar opposite of the typical fantasy heroes of the time, who were almost universally muscular,
Conan-like figures. As in the above example, Elric's success was such that he inspired an explosion of similar characters in popular fiction.
*
Scott Adam's ''
Dilbert'' featured the character Antina, created in response to allegations that Tina the Brittle Tech Writer was too stereotypical. Antina was, of course, herself considered to be too stereotypical.
*The
noble savage
A noble savage is a literary stock character who embodies the concept of the indigene, outsider, wild human, an "other" who has not been "corrupted" by civilization, and therefore symbolizes humanity's innate goodness. Besides appearing in man ...
myth, used by supporters or admirers of
indigenous peoples, is the opposite of the usual stereotypes implied by the word "savage".
*The
bear subculture, composed of gay men who embrace a
hypermasculine image, has made headway in countering the old stereotypes of
campiness and effeminacy.
*The Lazy Husband is a trope typically portraying a dysfunctional man, married but incapable of contributing equally to his partner's efforts in a relationship either practically or emotionally. This counterstereotype is used heavily in advertising but is also seen in cinema and in various TV series. It contrasts with the old-fashioned view of the husband as the breadwinner and of the man as the charming and chivalrous knight.
Social psychology
Social psychologists have found that people tend to react more negatively to counterstereotypical people than to stereotypical people.
[Rubin, M., Paolini, S., & Crisp, R. J. (2013). Linguistic description moderates the evaluations of counterstereotypical people. ''Social Psychology, 44,'' 289-298. doi]
10.1027/1864-9335/a000114
{{webarchive, url=https://archive.today/20130804104844/http://psycontent.metapress.com/content/ah383r0617452nt8/ , date=2013-08-04
See also
*
Affirmative action
*
Benevolent prejudice
Benevolent prejudice is a superficially positive prejudice that is expressed in terms of positive beliefs and emotional responses, which are associated with hostile prejudices or result in keeping affected groups in inferior positions in society. ...
*
Overcompensation
*
Political correctness
''Political correctness'' (adjectivally: ''politically correct''; commonly abbreviated ''PC'') is a term used to describe language, policies, or measures that are intended to avoid offense or disadvantage to members of particular groups in socie ...
*
Reverse discrimination
Reverse discrimination is a term for discrimination against members of a dominant or majority group, in favor of members of a minority or historically disadvantaged group. Groups may be defined in terms of ethnicity, gender identity, nationality, ...
*
Women are wonderful
A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female humans regardl ...
*
Xenocentrism
Xenocentrism is the preference for the cultural practices of other cultures and societies, such as how they live and what they eat, rather than of one's own social way of life. One example is the romanticization of the noble savage in the 18th-cent ...
References
Stereotypes
Linguistic controversies