Combatting
Stereotypes
By Emma Jayne Morgan
In a multicultural community like the U.A.E., how do we work with children in a way which combats gender and
cultural stereotypes? Not only can stereotypes shape children’s beliefs but also their behaviour. Even by the age
of 3, girls and boys may stop trying certain activities just because they feel that they are not appropriate to their
gender. Research shows that very subtle features of language can cause children to view things in a socially
stereotypical way.
We often try to avoid such stereotypes by saying positive things about certain groups which combat the
generalisations, such as “boys can play with dolls” or “girls can be leaders”, however even these seemingly positive
statements can have negative consequences.
For young children, how we speak is often more important than what we say. Statements about specific groups
of people, even when positive, still communicate the idea that we can tell what someone is like just by knowing
their gender or ethnicity. By doing so we are suggesting that people can be grouped rather than seen as
individuals. It is how the sentence is said rather than what is said that makes the difference to young children.
Language that uses specifics instead of generalisations can avoid these problems such as “Her family is from
Japan and they like to eat sushi”, “These girls are great at maths”, “You can be anything you want” - these all avoid
making generalisations about groups.
When a child uses a generalisation themselves we can guide them away from this by asking them for specifics,
which can lead them to think in terms of individuals instead of groups, for example; if a child says “boys play with
cars” we could ask “Who do you know that plays with cars?”. Even if the child only names boys they are now
thinking in terms of individuals.
As important adults in a child’s life our language can help children develop habits of thought that challenge
stereotypical views of the people around us