【明報專訊】A stereotype is a fixed idea or image which many people have of a particular type of people or things but which is often not true in reality. To a certain extent, a stereotype is a product of the accumulation of social and cultural beliefs. It is not easy to break a stereotype once it is created. An example is gender stereotypes, which are a set of views and expectations on gender roles, i.e. how people of a certain gender should be like and behave.