? A great philosophical question | Main | Journal Topic ?
February 19, 2005
Generalizations and Stereotypes
Are usually wrong.
Reduce the world down to the size of a pea
and what do we see?
Nothing.
Usually we find that when we stereotype someone we really haven’t gotten to know them. And this is sad.
We usually don't like this done to us.
Posted by carl1236 at February 19, 2005 07:55 PM | Love your Neighbor
Comments
"Generalizations and stereotypes are usually wrong." Might I point out that this statement itself is a generalization and a stereotype?
And one with which I disagree. Generalizations and stereotypes are usually right - or they wouldn't persist. Not only that, generalizations and stereotypes are necessary for us to keep our world from getting hugely complicated. The fact that it may prevent us from getting to know others is often irrelevant. I think the generalizations/stereotypes you are talking about are those that are often seen as negative - e.g racism, ageism, or sexism in the workplace. But there are plenty of more mundane generalizations we put to good use every day.
For example, when I'm on my bike, and I see that a motorist who should be yielding to me is talking on a cell phone, I'll tend to make extra sure that he/she is indeed yielding before I'll proceed. When a driver is not on the phone or otherwise distracted, I tend to give him/her a bit more credit for being aware of my presence. I don't mean to imply that I'm not cautious around non-phone-talking drivers, just that I trust the phone-talkers less because I've generalized that people talking on the phone are often less attentive than other drivers. I also generalize very old and very young drivers as being potential dangers, and I do the same for people in really beat up cars. Young drivers with a carload of friends are another troublesome demographic. Where did I come up with such generalizations? Well, I'd say personal experience more than some irrational prejudice. On the other side of the token, many drivers have stopped/slowed for me when they had the right-of-way, presumably because they've stereotyped bicyclists as irresponsible and/or unpredictable. Since most bicyclists on residential streets are children, this stereotype is likely correct and has probably prevented many thousands of kids from getting run over by cars.
Likewise, I've seen convenience store clerks act suspicious and watchful of groups of rowdy teenagers because they've generalized people of that description as potential shoplifters, while they pay me no mind whatsoever. Is it fair? Maybe not. Is it good policy for focusing one's efforts to best prevent shoplifting? Probably.
Posted by: Jim at February 19, 2005 11:38 PM
"Generalizations and stereotypes are usually right - or they wouldn't persist." is the same argument people used to segregate black people in public places.
By that reasoning, "Black people are lazy" and "People on welfare are lazy." stereotypes still persisting today would mean that they are right.
Educated guesses like, 'Cell phones are a distraction to drivers.' is different than a stereotype like, 'old people or Somalis are bad drivers.'
Posted by: John at February 21, 2005 12:35 AM
I agree. Stereotypes serves NO purpose other than to make unfair and incorrect judgements of others. They perpetuate fear and intolerance of other peoples. Always put yourself in the shoes of another before making judgements about them. See people for what they ARE, as individuals. Perhaps trying to get to know people, we'd learn from them and their experiences rather than assuming we know. Focus on similiarities, respect differences.
"...You got to pass the bowl and make the food go round
Cos that's the only way to trample crime to the ground
Equal rights and justice for one and all
Cos only through liberty freedom shall form
Don't fight against no colour class or creed
For on discrimination does violence breed
We are all in a one and one in all
So throw away the guns and the war's all gone
So throw away the hunger and the war's all gone
So throw away the fighting and the war's all gone
Throw away the grugdes and the war's all gone..."
Stiff Little Fingers (Roots, Radical, Rockers and Reggae)
Posted by: RR at February 21, 2005 09:27 AM
Well, at the risk of offending the PC police, lots of old people and Somalis ARE bad drivers either through having age-degraded senses (driving skill peaks at age 50 or so) or driving inexperience. And some, maybe even a majority, are pretty good drivers. I'm not talking about people I intend to get to know here. I'm more concerned about getting killed because I don't judge the situation properly by applying all information that is available to me in a 1-second glance. Should I drop my stereotypes because they are unfair to those who don't fit them? Or should I continue to make the generalizations that have so far served me well. Better safe than sorry, I say - If my stereotype offends 10 elderly drivers and saves me from one of them, I consider it a success.
There's a house of black residents on my mostly white South Minneapolis street. Every sidewalk on the block is cleared shortly after every snowstorm. But not the sidewalk in front of that house. They never shovel it, and commonly their kids' toys are scattered in the walk for the rest of us to trip over. I would call this brazen neglect of basic social responsibilty a symptom of laziness (note that I am not making any conclusions about the cause of this laziness). So, your example "black people are lazy" stereotype example, in this case, would be dead right. That's not to say that all black people are lazy. It's also not to say that it is necessarily smart to judge a whole population of people by the example of a few individuals. I agree with you that such stereotypes are generally destructive to society as a whole. But at the same time, I don't believe in hiding my (I'd say well-reasoned) thoughts away just because they aren't politically popular. In fact, I'd say that stereotyping a broad group of people is no more socially irresponsible than refusing to acknowledge obvious truths no matter how unpleasant they may be. For example, I'm sure one of you will experience, as a first reaction, a desire to justify the bad behavior of the non-shovelers on my block.
Posted by: Jim at February 21, 2005 05:16 PM
This really has nothing to do with being politically popular, it has to do with treating other human beings with dignity and respect.
Posted by: John at February 21, 2005 09:09 PM
People who can't accept that stereotypes are a psychological economic funtion are people who CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH and like things sugar-coated. Thank you.
Posted by: at October 16, 2006 04:03 PM
Are you trying to make excuses for yourself. Sometimes we think it's ok because 'everyone else' does it. We even rationalize the way we treat others because of our own quest for power and wealth. We somehow think money makes us better, yet, we are just as close to death as someone of a lower economic status. Yes, our society does seperate people into classes, and by race and by other things we use to divide ourselves, but that doesn't mean it's good. Just because it's been done that way doesn't make it the way it's supposed to be. We make those choices. I'm not going to make excuses for myself because of how much I earn. I don't think that's sugar coating things, I think it's brutally honest. Many people can't handle this kind of idea because it goes against what they've been taught their entire lives.
Thanks for your comments.
Posted by: John at October 16, 2006 08:18 PM