stereotype from Fotothek D

[IMAGE: "Making a stereotype flong." 1953 Leipzig. Deutsche Fotothek, via Wikimedia Commons.]

In the 19th century, printers cast a stereotype in metal from a mold of set type (photo above). Look closely at the image. Can you see each separate piece of metal type set into the tight frame in order to reproduce words on two pages, with metal spacers for the blank space? The stereotype, also called a "cliché," was one of many technologies of visual capture that emerged two centuries ago, including photographs, mimeographs, and daguerreotypes. Making a stereotype for each page of a book meant that a book could be reprinted without having to re-set all the type for each page. In printing, stereotypes saved labor and time.

To "stereotype" became a metaphor for re-using a fixed impression of someone or something instead of having fresh perceptions. Stereotypes for groups of people, places, or experiences can get re-used again and again with little mental effort.

Becoming globally competent means avoid lazy thinking about intercultural experiences. It means recognizing that it takes effort to understand people on their own terms. We have to re-set our perceptions when we travel. We may need to expand our tool set and acquire a new vocabulary or even a new language.

As you take pictures during your travels, ask yourself: am I reproducing a stereotypical image?

Learning to look with fresh eyes and tell new stories is at the heart of deepening our intercultural knowledge.

Learning activity: respond to the discussion about stereotypes and visual conventions. You can respond to a question, comment and/or by posting images to illustrate your understanding of stereotypes of intercultural experiences.