A theory of stereotype negotiation

Inequality is pervasive, challenging people and organizations. Yet we lack a clear picture of how people navigate inequality in everyday social and organizational life. I propose a theory of stereotype negotiation—whereby people use voice (linguistic expression), body (nonverbal expression), and culture (expressed preferences) to counter stereotypes applied to their own social identity group and comply with stereotypes applied to their audience’s social identity group. I first synthesize research on the function, content, and costs of stereotypes. I then construct a behavioral, multi-level model of stereotype negotiation, including individual, interpersonal, and institutional antecedents and consequences. I close with a future research agenda to nuance our understanding of how people, as informed and agentic actors, navigate an increasingly diverse and unequal world: one interaction at a time.