Steve Mensing, Editor
♦ “I hate everybody equally and most of all I hate hate groups”, Steve Allen, social philosopher, TV host, comedian, and jazz pianist
This article and test is an updated version of an article appearing in the early weeks of the Rowan Free Press. Racism and prejudice are an ever present part of the human condition–it is the way many human beings distortedly think. At the heart of racism and prejudice is “stereotyping”.
Likely you’ve received a sampling of George Zimmerman or Trayvon Martin emails or noticed outpourings of racism and prejudice about these two lightening rods for biased thinking in newspaper commentary or on Facebook. And more recently we’ve gotten a dose of Ferguson, Missouri. No doubt you read or heard what folks on opposite political poles say about each other? Or what is said about various ethnic and religious groups?
Prejudice and stereotyping can lead to discrimination and crummy social connections. Both styles of thinking are found in gender and sexual preference stereotyping, racial stereotyping, religious stereotyping, economic class stereotyping, and hundreds of varieties of prejudices and stereotypes. Few human beings are without bias, prejudice, or stereotyping although many may be unaware of it.
Before we get onto spotting our prejudices and stereotyping, let’s look at what prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination are:
Prejudice: A positive or negative attitude toward groups and the individuals within those groups.
Stereotyping: A popular belief about specific types of individuals. Stereotypes are standardized and simplified conceptions of people based on prior assumptions. Stereotypes contain the tendency to assume that all members of a group will have certain traits believed to represent the group, yet individuals in that group may not possess those traits. Stereotyping can also be viewed as an attitude of over-generalization concerning typical characteristics of a group’s membership. Example: Alexandra is a feminist and no doubt possesses these characteristics: Alexandra has _________, _________, and _________.
Discrimination: Those positive or negative actions toward persons toward whom prejudice is directed.
One way of spotting our own prejudices and stereotyping is noticing how we employ the “verb to be” when describing groups and individuals:
(Name a religious group) are ___________, ___________, and ____________. (Name a political group) are ____________, ___________, and ____________. (Name an ethnic or racial group) are _________, _________, and ___________. (Name an economic group) are ___________, __________, and __________ . (Name a union or corporation) are _________, __________, and ___________.
We can stereotype folks living in public housing, on college campuses, in wealthier areas, and so forth. Notice our stereotypes and labels. How do they affect our prejudices?
Discovering Our Hidden Prejudices and Stereotypes
1. Are there groups you feel angry toward or frustrated by? Why is that?
2. Have we ever labeled anyone with a derogatory name because they belonged to a group?
3. Have you ever caught yourself saying: what do you expect from those people?
4. Have you ever stated: I just don’t see color/education/wealth/etcetera. I don’t see you as a ________?
5. Have you ever thought or said: THEY are just as bigoted as anyone if not more so?
6. Have you ever thought or said: This is the land of equal opportunity? If THEY just dug in, did the work, and stopped complaining they might get somewhere.
7. Have you ever stated: Some of my best friends are __________ ?
8. Have you thought: They need to be able to take a joke?
9. Have you said to others: If only they had a stronger work ethic. The Irish, the Poles, the Germans, the Chinese made it–why not them? My people had to climb up the hard way. They want everything handed to them.
10. Have you ever said: Just read a newspaper or watch the news — who is doing all the crime?
11. Have you ever said: They don’t have books in their homes?
12. Ever say or think: It’s not their skin, it’s a cultural thing?
13. Have you ever said: I hate bigoted and ignorant people? I hate hate groups?
14. Ever say: I have fought discrimination and prejudice all my life?
15. Did you ever say: We don’t need to be stirring up trouble and divisiveness around here? People dislike naysayers.
16. Do you have favorite groups of people? Groups you dislike?
17. What do you think about: Small town people? City people? Intellectuals? Gays? Conservatives? Liberals? Corporations? Bosses? Academics? Big pharma? New Agers? Bankers? Stockbrokers? Folks living out in the sticks? Wealthy people? Poor People? Native Americans? Asians? African-Americans? Latinos? Illegal immigrants? Addicts? Artists? College kids? Swamp people? Doctors? Lawyers? Used-car salesmen? Farmers? Downtown types? Truckers? Homeless folks? Someone carrying a Chihuahua in his handbag? Country Western fans? Transsexuals? People with affected voices? Opera lovers? The highly educated? The media? Caucasians? Fundamentalists? Unitarians? Atheists? Hindus? Muslims? Christians? Librarians? Customer service reps? Waiters? Trash collectors? Mentally ill people? Teachers? Police? Folks who live in trailer parks? Persons from the county? Mole people? Gun lovers? Sons of Confederate Veterans? Genuises? Happy persons?
Noticing Stereotypes
Labeling is a common practice in stereotyping. When we stereotype or overgeneralize we employ the verb “to be” about ourselves, others, things, events, & the world. Examples: “I’m no good.” “I’m worthless.” “I’m a failure.” “They are slobs.” “New York is a totally sick place.” “Everything is rotten.” By stereotyping or overgeneralizing with labeling, “we”, “they”, or “it” becomes one or a very few behaviors, traits or qualities.
Examples: I failed a geometry test–I’m a failure.
Or
They behaved badly–they are bad.
Sometimes we might label the world, things, and events with a stereotype. Example: Chicago is a snake pit. Or my job is the pits. Obviously Chicago and jobs contain far more than negative qualities. If we label, it’s more accurate to choose labels that carry the notion that we and everything in this world are multi-faceted and contain innumerable positive, neutral, and negative qualities.
Some more multi-faceted labels for the self: “I’m a multi-faceted person.” “I’m a person with many positive, neutral, and some negative qualities.” “I’m human with a wide range of qualities.” These labels apply to others as well.
Some multi-faceted labels for things, events, and the world: “It is multi-faceted.” “It has many positive, neutral, and negative qualities.”
If you are labeling, ask yourself the following questions:
Do others have thousands of traits & behaviors?
Are some negative, positive, or even neutral?
How can someone have or just be one or a few traits & behaviors?
Can you choose not to rate someone by a gross over generalization?
Is viewing someone as just one or a few traits an over generalization?
List other folks many positive & neutral traits & behaviors.
Is it arbitrary to assign points to a trait or a behavior?
How many points does someone get added or subtracted for fallen arches?
