Well, yes, a generalisation to form a stereotype needs enough to discriminate between groups.
One event isn't enough to show a trend. But 100 is starting to look habitual.
Most people know the old joke about Germans, French, Italians, and English being in charge of police, love, cooking and bureaucracy and one version being hell and the other heaven.
Which doesn't mean there are no good English cooks or German lovers, etc.
I'd say there is enough carnage around the world by Moslems that it's a trend.
If you think of Islam and Buddhism, not many people would be confused about which is the religion of peace. Peace be upon them both and you too.
Which is not to say that there are no violent "Buddhists" [even if just in name]. It's the weight of numbers which sets a stereotype.
People who can't form generalisations about different groups are lacking in intelligence, as they are unable to discern patterns. One wouldn't want them employed to do epidemiological studies looking for needles in haystacks.
Others who lack intelligence ascribe a stereotype or generalisation to all individuals within a group.
So, for example, the fact that women are not able to be the super champions of maths, physics, weight-lifting and many other things, does not mean that any particular male is smarter or otherwise superior to any particular woman or the average woman. But some people, learning that men are smarter than women, mistakenly think that means them in particular.
Sure, one swallow doesn't make a summer, but when you have 100, it's getting crowded.
Mqurice |
