Theoretical approaches to the phenomenon of stereotypes in the context of concepts such as myth and prejudice

Mateusz Kminikowski

doi:10.31261/FL.2026.14.1.04

Published: 2026-05-13

2026

Theoretical approaches to the phenomenon of stereotypes in the context of concepts such as myth and prejudice

Mateusz Kminikowski

Section: Studies

https://doi.org/10.31261/FL.2026.14.1.04

Abstract

The article is a review of research on stereotypes and related concepts, such as myth and prejudice. The various definitions of stereotypes which are discussed are embedded in the humanities and social sciences, taking into account the cognitive and ethnolinguistic dimensions of the stereotyping phenomenon proposed by Jerzy Bartmiński. The article cites numerous definitions of stereotypes coined in the last century, starting from 1922, when Walter Lippmann published his groundbreaking book Public opinion, in which he first characterized the structure of a stereotype in relation to the formation of public opinion. The purpose of the article is to provide a holistic presentation of the phenomenon of the stereotype in an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary manner, drawing primarily on German and Polish research. The article also aims to formulate an original definition of a stereotype, which is presented at its conclusion, and to situate it within the broader context of related phenomena. Among the key problems in the presented article such as myth and prejudice, the article also presents cognitive and/or cultural studies definitions of a stereotype, as well as a purely behaviourist approach to the phenomenon, as proposed, for example, by Adam Schaff.

Keywords:

stereotype , cognitive studies , myth , the Ethnolinguistic School of Lublin , prejudice

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Kminikowski, M. (2026). Theoretical approaches to the phenomenon of stereotypes in the context of concepts such as myth and prejudice. Forum Lingwistyczne, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.31261/FL.2026.14.1.04

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2026
Published: 2025-01-30

ISSN: 2449-9587

eISSN: 2450-2758

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Theoretical approaches to the phenomenon of stereotypes in the context of concepts such as myth and prejudice

Abstract

Keywords:

Mateusz Kminikowski

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