Surprisingly, stereotyping still occurs in our daily lives- the workplace, personal interactions and our internal reactions to stories and events.
I'm not talking about the traditional stereotyping that we've tried so hard to leave in our past. Rather, it's form of modern day misunderstanding.
Though stereotyping is still rampant, much of it is unintended. We think we know a bit about other cultures, and we apply what little we know to all people of that culture. This is, by definition, stereotyping. Even though these thought processes don't carry malicious intent, by applying a standard to people because of where they come from or what they believe, we are still engaging in that oh-so-taboo behavior. But then, if we can't stereotype, how are we to learn about other cultures and respond appropriately in given situations?
Do what is referred to as 'generalizing'. It's akin to stereotyping in that known cultural values and norms can be applied to most people of a culture, but you allow room in your assumption for individuals within that culture to adhere or not to those values and norms as they choose.
For example, having lived in Egypt, I understand more about the Muslim community than I did previously. I know that most Muslims fast during the holy month of Ramadan. However, not all Muslims do. There are various reasons behind a decision not to fast, but by generalizing instead of stereotyping, I am not scandalized when I see my Muslim friends eating during daylight hours that month.
It's as easy as changing the sentence "Asians are healthier than Americans" to "Asians tend to be healthier than Americans" or "On the whole, Asians are healthier than Americans".
Though the first sentence is not negative or disparaging in any way, it is still a stereotype and is inaccurate- I know a few Asians who aren't so healthy. The second and third sentences are examples of generalizing and are more accurate. When words like 'some', 'many' or 'tend to' are used, room is created for people to not conform to our expectations of their culture.
Generalizing is a way to get a grasp on other cultures while avoiding putting people in a box they may or may not fit into. It seems like a small shift in thought processes, but it makes for a large difference in understanding and interaction between cultures, and it allows individuals to be individuals regardless of what they look like, their belief systems, and where and how they grew up.

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