In the article “Understanding Generalizations and Stereotypes” Sally Raskoff states that generalization is just a concept for making sense of the world and your surroundings. Generalization is also used to describe stereotypes and sometimes differentiate with other objects or creatures. For example, some say that cats are dumber than dogs, while others say that dogs are dirtier than cats. But the question that keeps coming up with people “in general” is: where do we draw the line? Or is there even a limit? By now, most cultures have experimented with generalizations and stereotypes within and outside of their bubble. Even though generalization is sometimes dangerous and critical in some respects, it is still part of anthropology and human development to become more aware of our surroundings, whatever they were. But the opposite is true for stereotypes because they can harm the thinking of a community compared to other communities. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Some argue that generalization is just an excuse to be stereotyped and ignore others. Sally Raskoff said, “Stereotypes are overgeneralizations; often involve the assumption that a person has certain characteristics based on unfounded assumptions..” He also described that judging people based on their sexual orientation or their color and ethnicity is merely a stereotype rather than a simple generalization based on external characteristics and principles of society. He also discussed how generalization is used not only socially but also in a more scientific way, because scientists base their knowledge analytically and try to be more accurate and precise. Generalization is often used as a key component to capture the everyday similarities of a given group. While generalization can be modified on a constant input, a stereotype is closed once clarified. Generalization can often be pursued descriptively and flexibly while stereotypes are rigid and judgmental. Furthermore, some characteristics of generalization can be completely the opposite of what overgeneralization is. Eduard Ezeanu stated that generalization is the process of extending the characteristics of a number of elements of a group or class to the entire group. He also said that generalizing is a very intriguing process, but can often be used as a way to separate certain things from their origin and vice versa. Generalization is a component of the human brain that cannot be ignored or stopped since much of history is based on generalizations and assumptions that could be used to manipulate a component without knowing everything about it. Furthermore, stereotypes generally can be composed into six main points which are: stereotypes do not help people understand their differences, stereotypes leave little or no room for exceptions; stereotypes create categories that often dominate all other characteristics of a person, not allowing other characteristics to be seen and appreciated; stereotypes do not tend to change, even when disproved, which supports the idea that they are not supported by empirical evidence after all; furthermore, stereotypes are not formed by said empirical evidence, to begin with, but rather through anecdotes or otherwise and, finally, stereotypes judge. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Customize EssayIn conclusion, generalization can be conducted using evidence, 80(2), 476-493.