Stereotypes, social groups & discrimination.

Since the beginning of time everyone's felt the need to make groups, that's just how it is. And even if you don't believe in grouping people out, we still do it, it's part of human nature.

I've been called almost everything. "emo" was my nickname for a while, for some unknown reason. But yes, it's just a part of nature, and stereotypes are just something we have to deal with. =/ Unfortunately.

People use labels a lot here where I live. I was also labeled a couple of times.
Back then when I started listening to Green Day, my friends (who at that time never heard of Green Day) labeled me as a goth (). After that they "figured out",if I'm a goth, I must be a satanist as well.
So they kept calling me satanist and goth.

Now they just label me as punk.

Labeling influences the way people think about the person they're labeling. It's lame because,just cause someone is labeled as punk or goth,doesnt mean he's a satanist or God knows what. It's prejudice. It makes other people hate that specific group not knowing what they really are.

I have the misfortune of having to use labels to describe the girls in my school.

ALL GODDAM POSH GIRLS!

There's an Emo girl that thinks she's punk because she listens to MCR.

The boys are different. Well some are posh boys, but in my class most of them like rap music and skateboarding, so they wear DC shoes, blue jeans (a bit low) and Quiksilver t-shirts.

I don't like the idea of fashion, I just want people to be themselves be free.

My sister is a good example of a stereotyped girls:

She wears brand clothes only and has a hairstyle that covers her eye.

I hate girls that do that only to fit in, she wants to be all cool disrespecting my mother (who in my opinion is the best person in the world).

Meski:

I don't like the idea of fashion, I just want people to be themselves be free.

My sister is a good example of a stereotyped girls:

She wears brand clothes only and has a hairstyle that covers her eye.

I hate girls that do that only to fit in, she wants to be all cool disrespecting my mother (who in my opinion is the best person in the world).

Please explain to me how being trendy and liking brand clothes is not being yourself?

I agree, I don't see why people label someone because they wear a specific brand of clothing. If something looks good on and it's comfortable, so help me I'd wear it. I actually had someone say to me a few ago (I think I must have been about 13) 'oh my God, have you never heard of designer clothes?' because I was wearing something I bought at ASDA, which I liked, and still wear now because it's not that bad looking.

I just thought, my God, what's the matter with you; if you don't like what I'm wearing why the hell disciminate against me because I can't afford designer clothes?

Meski:

ALL GODDAM POSH GIRLS!

My dearest Meski, please define what you mean by posh, and why it's a bad thing?

I myself am constantly called posh by a certain group of my friends, and I don't mind at all if I'm honest. They've come to this conclusion because I have a larger than average (but not really all that huge) house, I speak well, I use long words and I'm clever. I mean, it's a massive joke and stuff, so I take it as that, but I really don't see what's wrong with having those traits, if that is what you're defining as posh.

Now if you're talking more about spoilt brats, then fine, I can see why you would dislike that sort of person, but 'posh girls' in general, is a bit unfair.

Well, more than unfair.

I don't think that stereotyping is too much of a problem, it's just when it escalates and turns into discrimination that it begins to cause trouble. Because yeah, if someone thinks you're a goth or an emo or a punk or whatever, then it's fine, it's not hurting you, but if they take that and start abusing you because of it, whether verbally or physically, then it becomes a problem.

My current pet peeve is people saying OMG I HATE CHAVS COS DEY R LYK SOOO OUT OF ORDER. But then these people are basically calling anyone who isn't punkemo/goth/alternative/whateverotherlittlelabelthatyoumightcomeupwith is a chav, when that's just not true. In my mind, being a chav is more a mentality, as opposed to a way of dressing or musical taste, and it annoys me when over-defensive alternative kids won't go near someone because they listen to 50 cent and have adidas trainers.

I belong to a punk group, Im loud and proud

Kurtni:

Meski:

I don't like the idea of fashion, I just want people to be themselves be free.

My sister is a good example of a stereotyped girls:

She wears brand clothes only and has a hairstyle that covers her eye.

I hate girls that do that only to fit in, she wants to be all cool disrespecting my mother (who in my opinion is the best person in the world).

Please explain to me how being trendy and liking brand clothes is not being yourself?

I think he meant that everyone could be a little different, and it doesnt make you a better person when you ONLY wear brand clothes and look like everyone else. And of course, disrespecting your parents is NOT cool. I personally like some brands myself, its a way of knowing for sure that when you cant find anything from somewhere else, you know where to turn.

.. so, what is a chav? Stereotypically, I mean.
I've only ever seen that word online, and I still don't know what it means.

^^^^CHAVS

Flaming Phalanges!:

^^^^CHAVS

O_O

Well exactly.

They're not even the worst ones. They're just normal.

They look like regular people to me. D:

So that's what Chav's are?

For some reason I was under the impression that they were like Vicky Pollard from Little Britain and her group of friends.

i agree with ^

I actually thought they were more... chavey ...

vonny:

So that's what Chav's are?

For some reason I was under the impression that they were like Vicky Pollard from Little Britain and her group of friends.

They are.

vonny:

So that's what Chav's are?

For some reason I was under the impression that they were like Vicky Pollard from Little Britain and her group of friends.

Yeah, Vicky Pollard is the ultimate chav, the ones I posted are quite mild really, but it gives you a general idea.

Flaming Phalanges!:

vonny:

So that's what Chav's are?

For some reason I was under the impression that they were like Vicky Pollard from Little Britain and her group of friends.

Yeah, Vicky Pollard is the ultimate chav, the ones I posted are quite mild really, but it gives you a general idea.

she looks gross, i just googled her...my eyes

Chav = Council House And Violent.

Traditionally, they're people (usually kids) who live in council houses on scummy estates and act violently/nasty to anyone who differs to them in the slightest. Of course if a chav is outnumbered, they don't do anything, which makes them weak, much like a bully. Of course you can get rich chavs, particularly in the music business or married to footballers, but they nearly always have a working class background.

I have nothing against individual social groups at all, as long as they're civilized towards me. But on record nearly every chav or group of chavs I know are utter tossers, picking on people who are different to them, and mindlessly vandalizing the area. I live on/next to one of these estates and every time I have to walk through it they spit, push and throw stuff at me just because of my appearance. My friends and I have been chased by these people a number of times, sometimes with them brandishing pliers, bricks or metal pipes in an offensive way. I've known at least 4 different people to have gotten mugged by a gang of chavs the same age/possibly younger than them.

To be honest, they can dress and look however the fuck they want as long as they don't commit to this mindless way of living. I may be stereotyping the whole lot of them like this, but they're the ones guilty of discrimination.

Our cliques are not so violent.