Cultural Stereotyping Of Muslims

Great Essays
Introduction:
This report will explore the prejudice and cultural stereotyping of Muslims based on religious conflict throughout the western world. It will evaluate the role of the media and some politicians in such stereotyping and explore the theories of negative and positive face, Otherization and cultural stereotyping. The Report will evaluate relevant pieces of literature that support the suggestions made throughout. The Report will then draw conclusions and recommendations for further consideration on the topic.
Description:
Many individuals have fixed images of other cultures and use these notions to categorize people into groups; this in turn can influence the behavior individuals may present to others. This can be described as stereotyping.
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Identity management theory suggests that we actively manage the face we present to others (Cupach, 1993), and we determine if the face we present is of a positive or negative nature. Cultural conflict can occur when different expectations of positive or negative face collide, for example; how hard an individual will work to rectify a situation if they believe they have been misunderstood. The chance of misunderstanding actions or behavior commonly occurs between cultures which often is the root of conflict. Such conflict is observed between much of the Western world and Muslims. Muslims identities are often frozen meaning that they are unable to present any other face or identity other than the one which has been ascribed to them by others. By ascribing negative face to an entire religion or culture, such as Muslims means that any action that is carried out by a Muslim individual is going to be blamed on the characteristics of the Muslim faith and all those who practice it. This clearly is incorrect as not every Muslim person is going to act in the same way or have the same exact same beliefs, just as not every Christian person is …show more content…
It focuses on stereotyping being a result also of unfair comparisons placed upon Muslims and then presented to the Western world. The paper discusses that because of such stereotyping and prejudice the behavior people will expect all Muslims to partake in will inevitably be wrong but they will see their behaviors as constant

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