I do think you have a good point there. Everyone is an individual and it is not fair to characterise anyone because of where they are from.

I do, because it still sounds petty and insulting. Why say something like that in the first place? If, as you say, someone is good in math, just SAY it, you don't have to bring the whole 'race/sterotype thing' into it.

ANY stereotyping is both non-productive and can be damaging to all concerned. Not to mention the fact that often it is completely not true or accurate. It is as bad as having a bias or prejudice or being bigoted.

Not necessarily as damaging, but certainly as ignorant. Look beyond race/ethnicity, each person is different, and the differences are not based on race.

They can be..what if you are of Asian background and no good at maths, or you are black with no sense of rhythm...but you might be great at something else.

Definately. Especially in the way that they reinforce currently held notions of simplicity (i.e. no matter how you justify it, the human species cannot be cleanly divided into separate 'races'. That's a left-over from the racist Eugenics movement).

Stereotyping is the result of mankind's lack of orginality. Every person is unique and it is entirely wrong to make assumptions based on a person's race

No, I don't think positive stereotypes are as damaging as negative stereotypes. "Stereotypes" is just another word for "categories"... we all have them about many things (and people). The basis of our ability to think abstractly is completely dependent on the ability to create categories and classify individual things. It's one of the mind's ways of dealing with the overwhelming complexity which life presents it with. However, just letting these classifications and simplifications operate unchecked can produce bad things, such as prejudice and bigotry. The solution isn't to throw out categories (or stereotypes), the solution is to develop awareness -- to challenge specific stereotypes often enough and deeply enough so that we can relate to each individual AS an individual when needed... as long as we don't just blindly believe our stereotypes, as long as we notice them operating, they really don't get out of control. It's the blind commitment to stereotypes that makes them dangerous.

I don't think that stereotypes are "positive." There is never a good reason to judge someone without knowing anything about them. Even these so called "positive" stereotypes come with a price... Because you are placing someone into a box and limiting that person or group as a whole.

well, It can affect other ppl. I'm black and I remember my mom talking about how asians push thier kids to be good in school and then push them to be lawyers, doctors, etc. She feels blacks in the USA need to do that as well. So I got alot of Career and Medical Fields pushed on me. She feels she is doing me a service but it only makes me feel stressed. We'll see what happens though. Its getting diffcult to live a decent life in the USA unless one has a specialized degree. It doesnt help that the math department at my university seems to be an import of India with parts from China =)

i really don't think their actually is a "good" stereotype. Just think, if all Asians are expected to be good at math, and one comes along who sucks at it. He'll probably be constantly reminded that hes Asian, that he has to be good at math, its in his blood, etc. Sometimes they are just harmless jokes, and other times they can drive someone crazy since they want to met the expectation but no matter how hard they try, they can't and they get frustrated. I've personally seen this happen with an asian friend in school who sucked in math and got teased about till he moved it since some other asians in it got 100's.

There is no positive stereotypes. The may look positive on the surface, but if you analyze what is being said, you will see they are negative. For example, all blacks are good ball players. Looks good on the surface, but really its derogatory. The only good stereotype I see is "all Asians know karate, Kung Fu, etc..." This is good because if you believe that, you might be scared to harass the little math geeks...Just kdding, no stereotype is good.

THERE ARE positive stereotypes contrarily to intuitional belief. ALSO, they have an OPPOSITE effect than the negative ones, but not in all cases. It is easy to think there are no positive stereotypes and think they are all bad but it is also ignorant to propose such facts. It has been proven through research that you have two different types of esteems. One is personal esteem which is solely based on your indiviual aptitudes and capacities (which we all are aware of). The other is the esteem you have versus your culture. Depending on how people generally perceive your culture, your esteem will also be affected. If you perceive your OWN culture as being good, positive, your esteem will be boosted as well since you feel like you belong to a good group. The opposite will not necessarily do the same impact. Let me explain. Lets say you are muslim and come to the USA. People obviously have a negative perception of your culture there. This is technically called "the negative social mirror". You then have 3 possible reactions to that mirror. 1- The fatalist approach. you will accept those judgements as being factual and valid and then will feel diminished in your whole since you feel like you are part of a negative culture, thus resulting in bad self-esteem. 2- The positive rebellion you will NOT accept those as being valid and try to prove people wrong by showing them how good you really are, thus having a positive, productive effect. 3- The negative rebellion you will NOT accept those as being valid and have agressive impulses and well... a rebellious attitude towards society... thus resulting in crime and hatred, reinforcing the stereotypes against the culture. BUT THE POSITIVE STEREOTYPES have a good influence on your self esteem as you are proud of your culture and the positive perception. Only thing is, if you do fail to meet those standards, you fould feel like you are a disappointment to those of your culture, but the stereotypes wouldn't change a thing about that since your would feel like a disappointment for the failure with or without them anyways. It is what was learned in my psychology class on cultural psychology.

They may not be as hurtful, but it's still kind of ignorant. While many might argue that stereotypes are at least based in reality, I wouldn't live and die by any of them, positive or negative.

God is not partial (Acts 10:34). Stereotypes cause division and create boundaries. It’s time to move past looking at someone’s appearance and jumping to conclusions. So yes, all stereotypes are damaging.