What Are Animal Stereotypes?
Animal stereotyping is a phenomenon that takes place when traits are assigned to a certain species, and the species becomes known for those traits. A stereotype may reflect real behaviour or it might suggest that an animal is a one-dimensional being only possessing those particular characteristics. Animals stereotyping is similar to the way we stereotype humans (e.g., ethnicity, gender, class, career) but it is rarely talked about. However, in the same way that human stereotypes are often unfair and limit our ability to know the real person, so do animal stereotypes hinder us from knowing what animals are like apart from the way we characterize them. For example, crows and ravens are typically associated with death and evil. They play sidekicks to villains like in Disney's Sleeping Beauty, are often the fore tellers of death like in Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven, and an accomplice of destruction like in the movie The Crow. This stereotype is also evident in our language since we refer to a group of crows as a murder or crows. Yet, death and horror have nothing to do with these birds. They have become associated with these things only because we have characterized them in certain ways. In reality, crows are very intelligent creatures who excel at tool-use ...................
Below are some examples of common animal stereotypes. Hover over the photo to read the stereotype.
Below are some examples of common animal stereotypes. Hover over the photo to read the stereotype.
So What's the Big Deal?
You might be wondering why this should be considered a problem What's the big deal if animals are falsely depicted or if we associate animals with negative traits?
Studies suggest that the acceptance of animal stereotypes especially in regard to unpopular animals can inhibit children’s desire to see these animals protected. Indeed, children are less likely to care about the protection of animals that they dislike (Almeida, Vasconcelos, Strecht-Ribeiro, 2014). This means that species who are threatened with extinction, or are particularly vulnerable to being harmed due to their presence in human environments, may not be considered important enough to save because of their low status. A 2014 study conducted about children’s attitude towards animals, the mosquito, cockroach, mouse, snake, and shark were rated the most unpopular, which over 50% of the sample did not regard as important enough to save (Almeida, Vasconcelos, & Strecht-Ribeiro, 2014) . Therefore, it is reasonable to suggest that stereotypes have the potential to result in unfortunate consequences for these animals.
It should be noted that stereotypes are not always about negative characteristics. Some popular animal stereotypes convey positive qualities. For instance, horses are often thought of as noble, lions as brave and majestic, owls as wise, etc. However, even these positive stereotypes prompt us to view animals as one-dimensional figures, blank canvases whom humans have assigned meaning to. Blind acceptance of these stereotypes prevents children from questioning how it is that media and society constructs and perpetuates unfair and inaccurate representations of people groups, and in this case, animals. By encouraging children to question the way animals are represented in books, films, TV shows, toys, etc, we also encourage them to question other stereotypes that they encounter on a daily basis.
Notes
Alan Alexander Miln. (Online image). Retrieved March 16, 2015
from http://www.lib.ru/MILN/pooh.txt_with-big-pictures.html
Black dogs. (Online image). Retrieved March 16, 2015 from http://disneyvillains.wikia.com/wiki/Black_Dogs
Cute and funny pics. (Online image). Retrieved March 16, 2015 from http://www.iscute.com/7kc
Lady and the tramp: Can you sell an entire film on one scene? (Online image). Retrieved March 16, 2015
from http://disneyjuniorblog.blogspot.ca/2012/12/lady-and-tramp-1955-pet-dog-makes.html
Squirrel! A bakers dozen of 2009’s best movie quotes. (Online image). Retrieved March 16,
2015 from http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/01/squirrel_a_bakers_dozen_of_200.html
Swiper- Dora the explorer. (Online Image) Retrieved March 16, 2015 from
http://dora.wikia.com/wiki/Swiper
Studies suggest that the acceptance of animal stereotypes especially in regard to unpopular animals can inhibit children’s desire to see these animals protected. Indeed, children are less likely to care about the protection of animals that they dislike (Almeida, Vasconcelos, Strecht-Ribeiro, 2014). This means that species who are threatened with extinction, or are particularly vulnerable to being harmed due to their presence in human environments, may not be considered important enough to save because of their low status. A 2014 study conducted about children’s attitude towards animals, the mosquito, cockroach, mouse, snake, and shark were rated the most unpopular, which over 50% of the sample did not regard as important enough to save (Almeida, Vasconcelos, & Strecht-Ribeiro, 2014) . Therefore, it is reasonable to suggest that stereotypes have the potential to result in unfortunate consequences for these animals.
It should be noted that stereotypes are not always about negative characteristics. Some popular animal stereotypes convey positive qualities. For instance, horses are often thought of as noble, lions as brave and majestic, owls as wise, etc. However, even these positive stereotypes prompt us to view animals as one-dimensional figures, blank canvases whom humans have assigned meaning to. Blind acceptance of these stereotypes prevents children from questioning how it is that media and society constructs and perpetuates unfair and inaccurate representations of people groups, and in this case, animals. By encouraging children to question the way animals are represented in books, films, TV shows, toys, etc, we also encourage them to question other stereotypes that they encounter on a daily basis.
Notes
Alan Alexander Miln. (Online image). Retrieved March 16, 2015
from http://www.lib.ru/MILN/pooh.txt_with-big-pictures.html
Black dogs. (Online image). Retrieved March 16, 2015 from http://disneyvillains.wikia.com/wiki/Black_Dogs
Cute and funny pics. (Online image). Retrieved March 16, 2015 from http://www.iscute.com/7kc
Lady and the tramp: Can you sell an entire film on one scene? (Online image). Retrieved March 16, 2015
from http://disneyjuniorblog.blogspot.ca/2012/12/lady-and-tramp-1955-pet-dog-makes.html
Squirrel! A bakers dozen of 2009’s best movie quotes. (Online image). Retrieved March 16,
2015 from http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/01/squirrel_a_bakers_dozen_of_200.html
Swiper- Dora the explorer. (Online Image) Retrieved March 16, 2015 from
http://dora.wikia.com/wiki/Swiper