Internet Research

"We change our stereotypes infrequently. Even in the face of disconfirming evidence, we often cling to our obviously-wrong beliefs. When we do change the stereotypes, we do so in one of three ways:

Bookkeeping model: As we learn new contradictory information, we incrementally adjust the stereotype to adapt to the new information. We usually need quite a lot of repeated information for each incremental change. Individual evidence is taken as the exception that proves the rule.

Conversion model: We throw away the old stereotype and start again. This is often used when there is significant disconfirming evidence.

Subtyping model: We create a new stereotype that is a sub-classification of the existing stereotype, particularly when we can draw a boundary around the sub-class. Thus if we have a stereotype for Americans, a visit to New York may result in us having a ‘New Yorkers are different’ sub-type."

Source: 

No Author. "Stereotypes." Stereotypes. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2012<http://changingminds.org/explanations/theories/stereotypes.htm>.

I didn't realize the amount of ways we have of creating, mixing, and adjusting our personal stereotypes and views to toward society. I think the method the media utilizes the most, is most likely the bookkeeping model. The perceptions the media continually tosses at the general public seems to change year by year. Unfortunately, many people tend to be influenced by the media in some way or another, especially the younger generations including myself. The media also seems to use the subtyping model as well. Stereotypes are being added, changed, and moved around all the time nowadays. Everyone from kids to teens to adults are being affected by the onslaught of stereotypes from the media.

"Stereotype threat can lead individuals to reduce their effort, perhaps because of low expectations of performance or perhaps to self-handicap. Stone (2002; see also Schimel, Arndt, Banko, & Cook, 2004) provided evidence that individuals who experienced stereotype threat before performing a task related to golf engaged in less voluntary practice compared with individuals not operating under stereotype threat. Stereotype threat can reduce preparation and effort, and such "self-handicapping" can offer psychological protection by providing an a priori explanation for failure. Of course, underpreparation can also produce a self-fulfilling prophecy, producing failure under the very conditions where people fear doing poorly."

Source: 

No Author. "ReducingStereotypeThreat.org." ReducingStereotypeThreat.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2012. <http://reducingstereotypethreat.org/mechanisms.html>.

I completely agree with this possibility of reduced effort and lowered performance expectations. If everyone already has a strong mindset that you were going to be a failure or not as hardworking as others in the same field, there would be no hope for promotion or a goal to strive further for. What would the point in working hard be? Sadly, this line of thinking only perpetuates and exacerbates the issue because only more people would tend to believe the stereotype. However, this does not apply to everyone affected by this type of stereotype. Those pegged with this certain stereotype are able to persuade others to abandon this way of thinking if they are willing to work harder than their coworkers. Thats why people say: Life isn't fair, get used to it. 

"So in death, as in life, the enemy was stereotyped. The Japanese had narrow eyes, thin body and died with a yelp of narrow vowels. The German, broad, with a square head, would die with a deep guttural voice. For a young boythese comics were sublime; they took me to far-off new places and let me see strange, new people. On cheap paper, in black and white, week after week the Japanese and the Germans died in the same way; looking the same, sounding the same. It is just such a ceaseless reiteration of an image that perpetuates stereotypes."

Source: 
Mckenna, Mario. "Coping with Problems Caused by Stereotypes in Japan." McKenna. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2012. <http://iteslj.org/Articles/McKenna-Stereotypes.html>.

While Jane in My Year of Meats talked a lot about ethnic and gender stereotypes, more specifically a japanese housewife, Mckenna addresses how the Japanese male soldiers were potrayed in American media. During WWII, the Japanese were constantly labeled as "chinks," "Japs," and "yellow skinned," which were extremely disrespectful. But these stereotypes were extremely effective in labeling the Japanese as the villains of the tale along with the Germans. Mckenna implied that in the end, it didn't matter what sort of death sound the Japanese or German soldiers cried out. All of it sounded the same in the end because the image and sound the American soldiers already stored in their heads were there forever.