Special Issue January 2016 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES AND CULTURAL STUDIES ISSN 2356-5926 http://www.ijhcs.com/index.php/ijhcs/index Page 2333 Parents' Attitudes of Persian Family Stereotypes: A Cognitive Linguistic Study Arezu Molavi Vardanjani1 Department of English Language, Islamic Azad University, IAUO, Omidiyeh, Iran Molavi_ar@yahoo.com Mahmood Naghi Zadeh Assistant Professor, Department of Foreign Language and Linguistics, Payame Noor University, IR. Iran Mahmood_naghizadeh@yahoo.com 1. Abstract This article challenges the idea behind family stereotypes reflected in Persian teenage and youth humor jokes and expressions as well as the Iranian parents' attitudes of them, based on the prototype theory and most specifically the notion of Goodness-Of-Exemplar (GOE) of which a partially distinct linked concept is stereotypicality (Croft & Cruse, 2004). The most basic definition of stereotype describes it as trait, characteristics or qualities attributed to a group or members of that group based on group membership (Schneider 2004, 24). The phenomenon seems to be deeply embedded in our minds and our culture as well. For a detailed analysis of the content of Persian family stereotypes, the present descriptive analytic research paper collected 78 pieces of family jokes spread through cyber humor pages and virtual groups illustrating various father/mother role stereotypes. Then, using a three-scale, 10-item questionnaire the attitude of Iranian parents was evaluated. Findings, explore six frequent features related to the father-role features as being sparing, nonsensical, invective, mean, hard-feeling and betraying, and six most frequent features referred to the mother-role as their fantastic air, scrupulosity (in neat household), indifference, invectiveness, disinterest in husband and children and their talkativeness. Studying parent attitudes indicates that they are not familiar enough with the issue and have no idea how to interpret and react to them. Keywords: Cognitive Linguistic s, Stereotypes , Persian family . 1-Corresponding Author