What else can be done to stop the stereotyping? Many things actually. A country could get very mad about the stereotypes being said about them and fire back with either nastier stereotypes or argue with the people starting the stereotypes. But is that the right thing to do? Of course not! That will only start more problems and cause more hatred around the world. Not something we need! Another solution that could be proposed is to just accept the stereotypes since they exist for all cultures. We could all just laugh it off and think of it as just plain humor. That could very well work and save everyone so much time and effort but is the problem really being solved? Not really. So if we could fix it, why not?
Americans may argue that they are being stereotypes too, so why should they only be the ones to do something to fix it. Which is true, there are many American stereotypes out there but like i said, the people in other countries saying these stereotypes don't actually believe them because they know what America and the Americans are really like. They know that for example not all Americans are dumb, dumb people are found in every country too! But since Americans don't know much about the other countries, they could come off as "dumb". Especially since everyone knows a lot about America. So the other countries deserve to be acknowledged as well.
Americans may also argue that it is only the uneducated people in America that don't know much about other cultures.But people in other countries know MORE about geography and culture than even those that are educated in America. The reason is because they are being taught the material in school. Not only that, but when i first moved here, girls with 4.0 gpa's asked me ridiculous questions about Canada! Some even thought it was a state! But they are not to blame, they were never taught anything about Canada, so of course they wouldn't know. Canada is something that should be taught in schools all across the USA.
Stereotypes have existed for centuries. Even today, in a progressive society where people are connected to the entire world through things such as the TV and internet, stereotypes still exist. Now, how can one define stereotypes? According to the author of the book “Stereotypes and Stereotyping”, Charles Stangor, stereotypes are considered to be the “pictures in the head” of certain individuals looking out into their social worlds. But how are we going to get these “pictures” out of people’s heads and make Americans realize what is really going on in other countries and what their inhabitants are REALLY like? It is one thing for Americans to not know much about a country that is not even in the same continent but Canada!? Come on, not only are the two in the same continent, but they share a border! What is the solution to this problem you ask? How will Americans learn to stop stereotyping? Well let me tell you…
There will always be stereotypes in the world. But there is something that the Americans can work on to eliminate the problem. That is to EDUCATE the people in America about other countries around the world especially Canada (a country that is right above them!). I recieved a comment in one of my previous posts from a classmate that is from Nepal. He says that even he knows more about Canada than Americans do. That shouldn't happen! Americans should know more about Canada than anyone else in the world since they are the closest country to it! How are they going to educate the Americans? Well they should at least start teaching them at a young age during school a little bit more about the different cultures that exist in the world. One thing that most Americans lack is also the knowledge of geography. Many people in America don't know where any country is located in the world. Some wouldn't even be able to recognize what continent a country is in! That is a problem. A big one infact. The solution I am proposing of educating the people in America about other countries in the world could be very beneficial and will definitely address the problem of Americans stereotyping and not knowing where countries are geographically located. This solution will address the problem because when the Americans learn about the other countries' cultures and geography, they will stop stereotyping because they will then be educated about the people that live in those countries and know that the stereotypes are not actually true. For example, they will learn that Canadians don't actually live in igloos but real houses like the ones that are found in the USA. What exactly has to be taught to the Americans? Well, geography of course. I know that the class is taken in Middle School, but should also be a required course in High School as well. Why is it realistic? Well, it is done in Canada.
Geography is a course that is required to take for at least one year in High School, and the students actually know where the countries are and what continent they fall in. If the Canadian schools can do it, so can the Americans! Culture should also be taught in High School. There should be a course where cultures of different countries are to be taught, including the Canadian culture. I know the class exists already in many schools, but only as an elective. It should be a required course before graduation. That way, the students will know more about the different cultures and they will stop the stereotyping once they learn what the people are really like. They can learn more about the country that is right above them, Canada! They will know more about how they live up there and that they do not ride polar bears and it does not snow all year round! This solution is very possible because it is not something that the Americans have to create from the beginning, the classes already exist. The only thing is that it should be a required course just like history or English instead of an elective course. Once Americans learn more about the different cultures, not only will it stop stereotyping but could also bring them closer to other countries in many ways such as the business world. Each country has their own business etiquette which is also part of their culture. But that is a different story that I will not get into. So the point that I am trying to make is that, if we educate the Americans at school about different countries, they will stop stereotyping! They will soon realize that all what they have been saying about countries such as Canada is not true! Canadians deserve respect and stereotyping them does not show respect!
Hey guys I just thought I'd share this picture with you, it pretty much says it all. This is what most Americans think of the rest of the world. This picture really shows how the USA doesn't know anything about other countries. This isn't even what the world looks like..
Here is a funny picture of Man Kind Evolution. It is very stereotypical. It shows how man was evolved in different countries, take a look at what is drawn for Canada and America..
Hello! So I hope you guys enjoyed reading the Canadian stereotypes and getting a good laugh. But take a guess at what I'm going to talk about now. Yup, AMERICAN STEREOTYPES! Not only do the Americans have things to say about the Canadians, but Canadians have some to say about the Americans, and so does the rest of the world. Here are some of the American stereotypes: Americans are FAT!!!
The average American is dumb!
Americans are ignorant about the rest of the world (in geography, politics, and everything else!) and think they are the best.
Americans ONLY eat junk food.
Americans like everything BIG.
Everyone in America is materialistic.
Americans think that everyone else that is from the same country know each other.
So, now that you've read some of the American stereotypes you probably don't agree to most of them and get mad about what the other countries think of you! EXACTLY! Yes, they mostly are funny but it is annoying because they're mostly not true! Well that is exactly how Canadians feel when Americans make up stereotypes. But what's even more sad, is the fact that most Americans don't realize that they are STEREOTYPES and not real! They believe most of the things I listed in my last blog... yet the rest of the world doesn't really believe all Americans are fat and what not. But what I can assure you is a true fact is that Americans need to learn more about other countries ESPECIALLY if they share a border!! Geography is also something Americans should educate themselves in, take a look at a world map once in a while, PLEASE!
So I'm sure many of you have heard of some Canadian stereotypes, most are pretty funny. They're actually funnier for Canadians to read because we could relate to some of them and be like HAHA THAT'S SO TRUE!! But at the same time, they could get us mad. Here's a list of some of the Canadian stereotypes:
-People in Canada live in igloos. (Really? I don't think I've ever even seen one!)
-We have funny Canadian accents. We say eh a lot, and APPARENTLY..we say "aboot" instead of about. (Okay so maybe that one is true..)
-We put maple syrup on EVERYTHING. (Only on pancackes i swear!!)
-Canada has monopoly money (IT'S REAL MONEY!!!)
-It even snows in the summer. (uhh the sun reaches the north aswell! Summers in Toronto could get hotter than New Jersey!)
-We all play hockey 24/7 and have chipped teeth from it. (We don't ALL play hockey..and what's with the chipped teeth? We are very serious about the game though..)
-All Canadians speak French. (French is spoken in only one Province which is Quebec so..)
This picture contains French Canadian stereotypes.
-We ride Polar Bear. (Okay what.the.heck...never even seen one!)
-Some stereotypes that are true.. -We say "Zed" for the letter Z -We always drink beer and Canadian beer is better than American beer
-Instead of saying the ninth grade, we say "grade nine" -There is a HUGE difference between College and University. We say "University" for when we want to reffer to any College. It just makes us sound smarter.
This clip is from the Tv show Family Guy.
I will end this blog with a monologue that was very popular in Canada in the 90's that was written by Glen Hunt. It is from a beer ad, Molson Canadian. Their slogan has always been "I am Canadian".
This is supposed to be your average Joe from Canada..
Hey, I’m not a lumberjack, or a fur trader…. I don’t live in an igloo or eat blubber, or own a dogsled…. and I don’t know Jimmy, Sally or Suzy from Canada, although I’m certain they’re really really nice. I have a Prime Minister, not a president. I speak English and French, not American. And I pronounce it ‘about’, not ‘a boot’. I can proudly sew my country’s flag on my backpack. I believe in peace keeping, not policing, diversity, not assimilation,
and that the beaver is a truly proud and noble animal. A toque is a hat, a chesterfield is a couch, and it is pronounced ‘zed’ not ‘zee’, ‘zed’ !!!! Canada is the second largest landmass! The first nation of hockey! and the best part of North America My name is Joe!! And I am Canadian!!!
hello everyone my name is Sarah and I am Canadian. I moved to Sparta, New Jersey about three years ago from Toronto, Ontario. Now, I was always thought Americans were somewhat smart or atleast knew a little bit about the countries around them. But boy was I wrong. Nobody and I mean NOBODY in my new school knew anything about Canada! People were asking me the funniest questions like if I used to live in an igloo or if I spoke Canadian at home with my parents. They were surprised to hear that Canadian is ENGLISH!! Most Americans don't know anything about Canadians or even Canada in general. I find it very sad because the two countries share a border yet some Americans refuse to even acknowledge Canada as a country. I think the best solution for this problem is to educate Americans about Canada and even about all the other countries in the world. Most Americans don't know much about geography either. There are many stereotypes about Canadians here in the US, and ofcourse, there are stereotypes up in Canada about the Americans. But I'll get to the stereotypes a little later. Right now, I would like you all to watch this video to show you how little Americans know about what I find to be the greatest country, Canada.
