Stereotypes!
The next in a series of Blogger’s Consortium topics, this topic chosen by Ashok Murthy and mused upon by Ramana Rajgopaul, Grannymar and yours truly. Good choice, Ashok! And, dear readers, take a look at what they have done with theirs.
In an experiment, scientists took a bird from a flock and painted it to have different markings. Then, they released the bird back to the flock. The other birds killed it. Science and compassion don’t always go hand-in-hand and sometimes, I would like to paint a scientist…
The question this experiment raises in my mind – other than the arrogance of human beings – is, “Why would the other birds do that? What did they respond to?” The answer that I come up with is that the equations are simple for a biological group:
- Like us = safe!
- Unlike us = dangerous!
Like with most biological impulses shone through the human lens, it comes out rendered in odd ways, found in virtually every aspect of our lives. One of the ways that we determine and anticipate safety and danger is to determine the characteristics and nature of other creatures and groups before we have adequate information in the immediate situation upon which to base it. This saves us time that would be valuable in wild life or death situations. For example, most of us would be extremely cautious and seeking a safe haven if we were told that a lion was loose, even though we have never been around a loose lion. My stereotype of a loose lion is that it is a creature dangerous to my health and well-being!
But, just as with so many responses that would serve us in the wild, we can turn them off when we enter civilization. Sometimes, the stereotyping becomes political and the cartoon below catches this essence very nicely, thank you very much!
Stereotypes usually are misguided attempts to categorize people and their outcomes are usually to limit human potential and imagination. Some of them are so deeply ingrained in us that we never even consider them from a fresh perspective. To wit, I give you this story as an example of how we stereotype on an everyday basis – and just how pernicious it is.
A woman, renewing her driver’s license at the County Clerk’s office, was asked by the woman recorder to state her occupation. She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself."What I mean is, " explained the recorder,"do you have a job or are you just a …?"
"Of course I have a job," snapped the woman. "I’m a Mom."
"We don’t list ‘Mom’ as an occupation,’housewife’ covers it," Said the recorder emphatically.
I forgot all about her story until one day I found myself in the same situation, this time at our own Town Hall. The Clerk was obviously a career woman, poised, efficient, and possessed of a high sounding title like, "Official Interrogator" or "Town Registrar.""What is your occupation?" she probed.
What made me say it? I do not know. The words simply popped out. "I’m a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations."
The clerk paused, ball-point pen frozen in midair and looked up as though she had not heard right.I repeated the title slowly emphasizing the most significant words. Then I stared with wonder as my pronouncement was written, in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire.
"Might I ask," said the clerk with new interest, "just what you do in your field?"
Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice, I heard myself reply, "I have a continuing program of research,(what mother doesn’t) in the laboratory and in the field,(normally I would have said indoors and out). I’m working for my Masters, (first the Lord and then the whole family) and already have four credits (all daughters). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities, (any mother care to disagree?) and I often work 14 hours a day, (24 is more like it). But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers and the rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money."
There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk’s voice as she completed the form, stood up, and personally ushered me to the door. As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants — ages 13, 7, and 3. Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model, (a 6 month old baby) in the child development program, testing out a new vocal pattern. I felt I had scored a beat on bureaucracy! And I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable to mankind than "just another Mom."
Motherhood! What a glorious career! Especially when there’s a title on the door.
As bad and limiting as this practice is, stereotyping has a worse problem – it hangs around with really bad company and the longer you stereotype, the more prone you become to visiting its friends. The first companion is prejudice which is even more effective at preventing accomplishment of potential. This is not just a prejudgment, but a negative one. And, ultimately, this can lead to one of the ism’s, which is one of the great violations. It doesn’t matter whether it is racism, sexism, nationalism or any of their clan, the hallmark is that it’s not simply a negative prejudgment, it’s the belief that another group of people is actually inferior. And, that belief not only justifies abuse, it practically demands it!
Ending on a lighter note, certainly less severe than the transgressions of the ism’s, but often with negative personal impact is the simple everyday act of assumption about other unrelated characteristics that grows out of stereotyping. For example, a person we find attractive we tend to assume good things about – without basis, but you WANT to believe good things, don’t ya know – delightfully illustrated by the following story:
A man met a beautiful blonde lady and decided he wanted to marry her right away.
She said, ‘But we don’t know anything about each other..’
He said, ‘That’s all right, we’ll learn about each other as we go along.’
So she consented, they were married, and off they went on a honeymoon at a very nice resort.
One morning they were lying by the pool, when he got up off of his towel, climbed up to the 10 meter board and did a two and a half tuck, followed by three rotations in the pike position, at which point he straightened out and cut the water like a knife.
After a few more demonstrations, he came back and lay down on the towel.
She said, ‘That was incredible!’
He said, ‘I used to be an Olympic diving champion. You see, I told you we’d learn more about each other as we went along.’
So she got up, jumped in the pool and started doing laps.
After seventy-five laps she climbed out of the pool, lay down on her towel and was hardly out of breath.
He said, ‘That was incredible! Were you an Olympic endurance swimmer?’
‘No,’ she said, ‘I was a hooker in Pittsburgh and I worked both sides of the river."
We all fall prey to stereotyping. What are some examples you have experienced – from either side, received or given? Or, did I just stereotype all of us?
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