Tessa Perkins 1979 'stereotypes' theory (representation)

A stereotype is a group of people assigned a label and put together as a group based on who they are, how they dress and things they have in common. These stereotypes also give us an idea about their behaviour. Tessa Perkins thinks that stereotyping isnt a simple process.

Her 5 assumptions:

• stereotypes are not always negative
• they are not always about minority groups or the less powerful
• they can be held about one's own group
• they are not rigid or unchanging
• they are not always false

People assume stereotypes are negative for example: youths are troublesome and are part of a 'hoodie culture', however youth can also be a positive but it is dominantly negative.

Not all stereotypes are made about the 'less powerful'- they can be made about the upper class. In the same way the upper class stereotype lower classes. They are basing it on what they have seen in the media rather than their own personal experiences.

People are even stereotyped at college even though we belong to the same institution. A famous example of this is Taylor Swift and Katy Perry. They both produce similar music and yet they both don't like each other.

Stereotypes can also change. A famous example of this is Miley Cyrus. She went from being on Disney Channel to being one of the most controversial pop stars ever.

Stereotypes have to have some truth in them otherwise where would the representation come from.
We witness and read stories in the media that help us shape and understand these stereotypes.
We can witness it first or second hand however there must be some truth in the stereotype otherwise the ideology behind them would not have existed in the first place.

Implications of Stereotypes:

• Stereotypes are always erroneous in content (usually wrong) and are negative concepts
• They are about groups with whom we have little or no social contact; by implication therefore, they are not held by one's own group
• They are about minority or repressed groups most of the time creating a negative representation of the lower class possibly giving the upper class more power. 

People 'hold' stereotypes of a group or don't. This can lead to negative and wrong assumptions. Stereotypes lead to unfair treatment, Stereotypes are an invaluable aid in understanding the world.