Introduction

Abstract Chapter 1 gives an overview of stereotypes, social scripts, and generics, and discusses the role of scripts and generics in creating and maintaining stereotypes. This chapter argues that generics both introduce and reinforce stereotypes about social kinds. Social scripts both inform stereotypes are parts of stereotypes. A social script can be understood like an interpersonal dialogue, as with a script in a movie or play, that tells someone how to act in a given scenario—for example, saying “thank you” when receiving a compliment. A social script can also be understood to be more structural: a narrative about how one’s life or behavior ought to go, or a set of expected generalizations and behaviors for a certain social role. On all conceptualizations, social scripts contribute to and reinforce biases and stereotypes.