1. Stereotypes

2. “They are incomplete. They make one story become the only story
“They are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.” -  Chimamanda Adichie 
An oversimplified idea or image about a certain group of people that is widely accepted by others.
Generalizations about a person or group of persons – ethnic groups, social classes, religious groups, gender groups, economic groups…
Examples:
All Americans have guns
All Canadians speak French

3. Why Stereotype? A major way in which we simplify our social world
Limited contact/lack of exposure to other groups
Justification for differences between groups
Evolve out of fear or misunderstanding of groups
Assumptions and social categorization

4. Types of Stereotypes Stereotypes can be positive, negative, or neutral
Canadians are good at hockey
Canadians are wimps who apologize about everything
Canadians have maple syrup with every meal
Implicit: unconscious attribution of particular qualities to a member of a certain social group
Explicit: intentional, conscious thoughts and beliefs about a certain social group
Regardless of type, generalizations are made about a group that may not be true to an individual

5. Dangers of Stereotypes
May be offensive to individuals
Enforces harmful power dynamics (ie. Perpetuating colonization vs. aiding decolonization)
Propagate implicit biases
Lead to prejudice and discrimination

6. Combat Stereotypes
Take the implicit bias test yourself.  See what biases based on gender, sexuality, age, and race you hold.
Admit that you have those biases 
Keep those biases in mind and take steps to correct them: Slow down and recognize where they might be coming from.
Expose yourself to different experiences. Travel and education go a long way toward mitigating biases.
Raise awareness of biases. Have conversations with friends and encourage steps to fight against bias and stereotypes.