To dissolve human beings to nexuses of processes may be useful if you had previously thought of them as solitary atoms, but unhelpful when you want to insist on their moral autonomy.
T. Eagleton 1997, ‘Spaced Out‘, London Review of Books, p. 22



The psychology of stereotyping

Stereotypes and the processes of stereotyping are central topics in social psychology. Traditionally, most studies of stereotyping focused on race, ethnicity and nationality, and questions of groups stereotypes have always attracted social scientists working in the field of ethnic and racial studies. The field of stereotyping covers a variety of topics, such as stereotype development, stereotype structure, stereotype change, the content and origin of stereotypes, processes of stereotyping, connections of prejudice and discrimination, stereotypes and stigma, and more. It simply is too much, too dispersed, and too diverse, ranging from strict cognitive accounts of stereotypical information processing to the content of stereotypes of particular subgroups in particular circumstances. Purely cognitive approaches to stereotypes and stereotyping are, of course, limited. Stereotypes can be seen as the results of our cognitive activity, but they are also social products. Stereotypes are product of cultures, group relations, historical conditions and many other factors. Cognitive approaches, for example, have little to say on why some ethnic or racial groups and not others are stereotyped, why group stereotypes differ, and how the content of stereotypes influences behaviour and policies. Group categorization gives rise to stereotypes and various reasons are assumed for why people tend to think about their own group and other groups differently. Stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination often do not form a neatly coherent package, and the many possible relationships and the factors and conditions that strengthen or weaken these relations should be examine.

Stereotypes do not simply arise out of the blue and do not stay fixed in culture and individual minds. Cultural, social and historical circumstances are important for the development of stereotypes, as are individual experiences and actual situations. However, it is argued that much of our thinking about the development of stereotypes is far too simplistic. The influence, for example, of parents, peers, schools and the media is complex and often not consistent. A related rather simplistic view, is often taken on the question of possible change of stereotypes and prejudices. There are many interventions and initiatives trying to change stereotypes, but in general, it is unclear how change can be assessed, what actually changes, and what the mechanism of change are and there are the questions of desegregation and multiculturalism. Social psychological approaches to stereotypes, racism and discrimination ae sometimes shunted aside as being too mentalistic, too individualistic, too far from everyday reality, and as being ineffective in addressing social problems.
Schneider, D. J., The Psychology of Stereotyping; Guilford Press, 2004