Final answer:
Authors use stereotypes to comment on and often satirize various cultural conventions like traditions, customs, norms, and practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
Authors often present stereotypes to poke fun at cultural conventions, which include traditions, customs, norms, and practices. These aspects of a culture represent the day-to-day behaviors and expressions within a society. For example, folkways, which are norms without moral underpinnings, guide how we greet others, what we wear to events, and how we interact in public spaces, varying greatly from one culture to another. Norms may also manifest as mores, which embody the moral views of a society and can have serious consequences when violated; these are often reflected in laws.
In literature and other forms of media, stereotypes can be used to illuminate these cultural norms and perhaps challenge or satirize their relevance in society. They offer insights into the expectations of a culture and can also highlight issues such as cultural lag and the impact of globalization on cultural practices.