Into the Eyes of Stereotyping
William D. Radcliff
McLennan Community College
Table of Contents
Title Page
Into the Eyes of Stereotyping
What is it?
Opportunity
My Life
Understanding
Conclusion
Into the Eyes of Stereotyping
Stereotyping is something that every human does at some point in their life. For some it occurs every day and there really is no way to stop stereotyping. The book defines stereotyping as “when we offer a hasty generalization about a group based on a judgment about an individual from that group”. Stereotyping takes place all over the world and some people even stereotype themselves. When stereotyping yourself you are able to get a sense of your culture and how others perceive you.
What is it?
I would define stereotyping as treating someone different based on their skin color or their ethnicity. I believe that stereotyping is much different from racism because stereotyping is not always negative, but racism is. However, in some instances stereotyping can be negative. For example, a negative stereotype would be when a person of Muslim descent gets on an airplane, some of the people feel unsafe towards that race because of the 9/11 incidents; ever since this incident stereotyping has become increasingly common. An example of a positive stereotype would be that all African Americans are athletic and excel in sports; some may think that it is a racist stereotype, but it really is a complement.
Overall, I personally do not think that all stereotypes are negative. There was a study back in 2013 in which an Asian and an American male were given a math packet along with a verbal packet. The American believed that Asians were better at math, so he gave the Asian the math packet and he decided to work on the verbal packet. One of the most interesting things about this study is that the white male did not even attempt to look at the math packet and instantly gave the Asian the math problems. He did not give himself enough credit because he was stereotyping himself, as well as the other man. I believe that he used a positive stereotype of the Asian man being good at math in a negative way (Markman).
Opportunity
One of the continents I would be stereotyped the most in is Africa. They would see me as a rich white kid because I was able to get on a plane and travel across the world where as some might have never been on an airplane or potentially a car because it is less common there. They would also judge me on what I wear such as nice jeans, polo shirts, and especially the shoes I wear. They are not given the same opportunities as us and definitely not the clothing options. Just about every black person has the same genetics when it comes to hair color, skin color, and eye color. I believe they would judge me on mainly the color of my skin and also think that I am wealthy as well as an important person overseas. In the article “Are There Stereotypes of White People”, it says white people are generally seen as superior to all other races because of history (Are There Stereotypes…). A lot of foreign countries view Americans as having “The American Dream” or in other words, the white picket fences, the nice house, the nice car, and making the big bucks.
My Life
Throughout my life I have been stereotyped as a rich white boy who has grown up with parents who have done well, maintained a sustainable income, and that I have a perfect life. I do believe that this image that has been portrayed of myself is a true statement. I am not fancy, I know that there are many people who are richer than me, but that stereotype does not hold true for all white people. It does not matter what your race or ethnicity is if you are a rich person it does not have anything to do with your skin color. Another example of a stereotype is gender profiling. Some people might treat others differently based on their gender role; for example, a mom is seen as someone who cleans the house, makes sure the kids get to school on time, and cook’s dinner on time every night. Some men are viewed with a negative connotation if they are the “mister mom” of the household. Another common stereotype is weight. People who are in shape tend to work out excessively, maintain a healthy diet, and are consistent with a daily routine.
Understanding
By understanding how you are stereotyped, you are able to get a sense of how others feel. We may stereotype other races, while they also stereotype us. There is also this mutual respect at a certain point which follows the golden rule “treat others how you want to be treated” which is how we should all treat other races. While at Baylor I have noticed that everyone seems to think that the people around them all come from money, when in reality most of the students are on financial aid or student loans.
Conclusion
Overall, stereotyping is not something that should be looked at in a completely negative way. Some stereotyping is good while for the most part it is not. People should not be judged based on skin color, gender, or their physical appearance. Although stereotyping is not all negative, we should all make it a goal not to stereotype.
References
Are There Stereotypes of White People? (2014, May 09). Retrieved May 21, 2018, from https://perception.org/regular/are-there-stereotypes-of-white-people/
Markman, A. (2013, February 15). The Pain of Positive Stereotypes. Retrieved May 21, 2018, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/ulterior-motives/201302/the-pain- positive-stereotypes