Issue Of The Week VII Fall 2011-2012: Stereotypes And Labels Wield Persuasive Power, Intentionally Or Unintentionally

I do not stereotype people. I believe in seeing each person for who they are not matter their color or race. that does not matter to me. I do not care what is typical for certain races. We all are different people and not all of us follow the norms.

In our society we need to stop making stereotypes for certain people and we need to stop acting like stereotypes. We cannot act helpless because we are a minority or get involved with drugs. We cannot act superior and rich because we are white. If we feed into stereotypes, there will always be stereotypes. We need to break away from them and get people to realize no one fits in a category. We are all unique and no one should be labeled. Harmful and negative stereotypes are what create the ideas of racism. We need to avoid using them so that our youth grows up without the use of them and hopefully they will disappear. We need to stop thinking of everyone as similar or the same. We need to think of people as individuals and stop labeling people but what we see or think of a race as. We have to stop using them or stop acting like them to get rid of them.

What keeps running through my head is a man in an oppressed minority taking his children trick or treating. All of a sudden they knock on the door of an individual whose costume depicts a negative stereotype relating to their ethnic group. How upsetting would that be to a father just wanting his kids to have a great Halloween? His kids wanting to receive the joy of candy are instead being greeted with a visual insult to their culture and way of life. These stereotypes are not funny, hurt others and are sure to take from the joy from Halloween. I know this would ruin my Halloween and the great memories that could have been formed that night. I support what the students are doing in fighting these costumes and there negative stereotypes. We should all respect the differences in others; verity is the spice of life and if we do not embrace different cultures life will be quite tasteless and bland.

Stereotypes are obviously harmful. The common saying, "There is a bit of truth to every stereotype" is nearly as harmful as the stereotype itself. Not to mention that this is completely invalid. A stereotype the article mentions is that "Blacks are lazy." If the "bit" of truth to this is that there are some lazy blacks, we will never transcend stereotypes because there are lazy people and there are black people, so naturally there will be some lazy black people. Just like there are some lazy white people, and some lazy Hispanic people, and some lazy Asian people. The trouble is that these stereotypes which do hold a "bit" of truth for the human race are unjustly projected onto one specific race as a general truth. The first step in overcoming stereotypes is recognizing that there are bits of truth in all stereotypes if we change the target group from blacks (or whites, or Asians, etc.) to the human race as a whole. Realizing that it is just as easy for me as a white male to be lazy as it is for a black male not only overcomes the stereotype, but connects cultures and unifies while preserving culture.

Although stereotypes can be harmful and discriminatory, the whole object of Halloween is to have FUN. I feel that as a human being, if you cannot learn to laugh at yourself, or are easily offended, you are doomed for a lot of things in life. Sure there is an appropriate time and place for humor, but when it comes to Halloween costumes, the idea is dressing up as something different that you normally are not. Whether it be an NBA player or Nazi, it is all for FUN.
The comment above that we as a society need to stop making stereotypes is almost near impossible, as that is how the human brain works. As explained in the article, we naturally categorize people based on experiences and it helps us to know how to react in certain situations. We stereotype all day long without even realizing it. I'm not saying that it is okay to stereotype people. It just really isn't an issue until you add a negative connotation. The truth is, no matter what you say or do in this world, there will always be someone to disagree with you, and/or feel offended. No you can't make everyone happy, and yes, sometimes it is difficult to realize the intention. I don't think it is so much the person making the stereotypes as it is the people reacting to them. It is your choice how you react to a situation, and I think that says the most about a person.

We all need to focus on the ten million things we have in common as human beings as opposed to the few differences. One of my favorite places to go is to a concert and no matter what type of music you like, everyone likes to go listen and sing along to their genre of choice. The reason it's one of my favorites is because a large group of people with different backgrounds, ethnicities, ages, sexes, etc.., get together to dance and sing and enjoy this thing we have in common. To me this is just a sign of something bigger going on in the world and the more our worldview can be about a big picture, the less it will be about us, and as a result, people will love and get to know eachother better. Martin Luther King Jr. said, ""Men often hate each other because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don't know each other; they don't know each other because they can not communicate; they can not communicate because they are separated." We need more get togethers whether its a concert, sport, church, or service project to get people to know and love their brothers and sisters, and see that we are all just that, God's kids in His kingdom, one without borders, one where small differences are beautiful and the the main similarity is eternal.

I wish I could say that I do not stereotype others, but I do because it is part of my human sinful nature to stereotype others. We have been taught since children these behaviors, maybe not directly but indirectly by hearing comments and seeing reaction of people when they encounter others who are not like them. Fact of the matter is that everyone is different and we find common ground with others and cling to the group of people we feel most comfortable around which then creates a group and other groups create a "stereotype" on them. We all want somewhere to belong, although I do believe that stereotyping is wrong but that is only because it has been viewed in a negative way. I think that there is some truth in different stereotypes because a group gets a title by the way they act and do things. If people do not want negative stereotypes then they should change something to make themselves better. With that being said we as a whole need to stop being judgmental and take the log out of our own eyes before we go around picking at the twig in our neighbors. To make changes in this we need to start focusing on the positive in people and watching our actions so that we do not have a negative view of stereotyping. We need to let our guard down and allow our self to build meaningful relationships with many different kinds of people. In simple words love one another how we are loved and want to be loved despite the differences and mistakes EVERYONE has.

It is unfortunate to know that stereotypes and labels exist among us daily. I have experienced and viewed the acts of believing that all these stereotypes are true. As a minority I have experienced such cases. For I cannot speak for my entire race/ethnicity, I can honestly say that I have used such stereotypes has motivation to achieve much more than what is expected of me. Most individuals receive these false stereotypes through what we have been taught indirectly as children. This natural and a difficult process to get rid of. Most of this teaching has been done through the media. They have portrayed minorities to act as such stereotypes therefore influencing the young to believe that this is true for all who look like that particular minority. Limiting this in the media will greatly influence the younger generation to believe in other things. It is the job of the parent to teach the young that each individual has his/her right to achieve and be as he/she inspires to be. I consider myself honored to be able to prove all the false stereotypes and labels wrong. This is what drives me to be the best.

I feel as though people can make costumes into more than they were intended. For example someone wearing a KKK outfit is simply unacceptable but someone wearing a Kat Williams or Madea costume are just trying to have fun. When a costume represents hate towards a certain group then it is uncalled for. But halloween is supposed to fun and that comes with dressing up in crazy outfits. Personally I would rather girls dress as a different race than I would have them wear slutty outfits. Also I do not believe the color of someone's skin describes them as a person. I feel as thought we are making a big deal out of somethings that shouldn't be a big deal. Sure stereotypes are harmful and can hurt our feelings or embarrass us but we ALL have to deal with them. Small children should certainly be spared from adults crude jokes and costumes seeing how the holiday is for them in the first place. Stereotyping is inevitable. Everyone does it on one level or another. I do not agree with it but its a part of everyday reality and the sooner people accept that fact the sooner people will learn to cope with it. And maybe just maybe we will see a day when we can all accept each other no matter what.

Stereotypes are way too common in our culture here in America, and worldwide. We need to see past these stereotypes and into who a person really is. It is wrong to have a costume of a stereotype if it is intended to be hurtful of someone. Racist costumes are wrong, and should not be worn, but some people are just trying to be funny. Also, we do not need to live up to our stereotypes, as said in other posts. This builds a vicious cycle that is not necessary. Stereotypes are wrong and need to be ended, not built up even stronger. We may not even realize when we stereotype someone, but it happens all of the time. It is a tradition that needs to end, no matter what color, race, or ethnic group you are a part of.

I think it is sadly true that stereotypes still dominate the lens through which we see the world today. In the article it talks about the problems with stereotyping different cultures, but how most importantly stereotyping them without a further glance, causes the person who is doing the stereotyping to miss out on the rich culture that is being offered. I know for example that I am disturbed and offended by several stereotypes, but I’m not always making a conscious effort to put myself in that culture and try to get to know it better so I can decide for myself whether or not the stereotype is true. I have gotten to immerse myself in other cultures on the occasion and I can say without a doubt that most of my negative stereotypes were broken, and I loved the time I had with people of that specific culture. I hope we as a nation will try to get to know the rich cultures all around us instead of separating cultures which would make us a lesser nation than what I possible

I completely agree that stereotypes hurt minority groups, absolutely. What I have also found is that it hurts majority groups as much as it hurts minority groups. Consider the stereotypical gender roles that we maintain in america. It absolutely hurts the minority group of women to be told how to behave and how their role is usually lesser than a man's. However, also consider what that does to men who do not fit the stereotype. They also face persecution and hostility. I'm not sure how to combat stereotypes because there is a part of judgement that is natural. Based on what we have experienced and know, it is logical to draw conclusions and predict future behavior. However, it creates tension when the stereotypes affect people, and they become the norms by which we judge deviant behavior.

I believe that sometimes people do not realize how they are affecting a stereotype. I can simplay be a joke or a saying, but it can cause someone to feel pain. I try to look at everyone for who they are as a person and not as a race or ethnicity. As a society we should be more aware of things around us that could harm/effect a stereotype, and take action to aviod anything like it again. I know that because of where i live and how I have grown up I have feelings toward certain ethnifc group that come from the events in my childhood, but all the same I try to understand that everyone is a child of God, and I treat everyone in the way that i would wish to be treated.

Everyday whether I know it or not, I do stereotype anyone, or judge anyone for any reason. I realize that I do this because in our world today it has become "ok" or is the normal thing to do. But, when I think about it, and see the harm that words and ideas have on society and a race as a whole, it leaves them helpless. The big picture of stereotyping can affect the group such detrimental ways. Just because we portray falsely that african americans are "lazy" or "they won't because they want to be on welfare can harm every individual in any job they may or may not get because of race. I believe that when it comes down to it we are all the same, we all have stereotypes and we try to minimize every single one of each other to make that person feel inferior when in reality we are all equal. God made us in the image of Himself and that we are all his perfect creation.

I try not to stereotype. I have to watch myself all the time because it is so ingrained that it seems natural. While I agree with many of the other students that stereotyping can never be eradicated completely, I do think that there are ways to minimize their use. The ad campaign is an excellent way to do that. When used carefully, stereotypes about dominant groups can also be used to draw attention to these issues. Last week’s post, Getting Real About Race Relations, included a link for an interview with Christian Lander, the author of Stuff White People Like. The examples that Lander uses—white people like coffee, the outdoors, microbreweries—could qualify as stereotypes but are being used to draw attention to both white privilege and class privilege. Drawing attention to the stereotypes of dominant groups can help individuals realize that a stereotype, by its very nature, doesn’t necessarily apply to everyone.

Stereotypes are undeniably a major part of my life, but as I am exposed to more people from different walks of life, the possibility of categories a person can fall into has broadened. College and traveling abroad has helped a great deal in forcing me to step out of my comfort zone and interact with people I normally would not know how to approach. In today's global society, if a person doesn't know about other cultures or the significance of certain traditions, symbols, rituals, etc. it's a sign of a major lack of awareness of the world we live in.

Of course negative stereotypes also exist, but that just comes with the territory of having a stereotype to begin with. Nothing is one-sided. I know I fall into many obvious categories, some of which highlight more of the negative side than the positive side at first glance. I take it as a personal challenge to prove myself to be better than those negative stereotypes, which speaks to my strong character and values. Overcoming negative stereotypes shouldn't be the responsibility of external factors such as the media, or other people; fighting negative stereotypes is a character-building personal struggle that everyone should be ready and willing to take it on.

I agree that we do not really understand other people if they do not look like us. We tend to not accept those who have a different way of life. Cultures that do not compare to our norms seem foreign and unacceptable to us. if we continue to dress up and mock other cultures then the world will be extremely separated and in a constant "war." This war means that all countries will be fighting against eachother to make their culture the "right" culture.

I agree that labels, inherently are not a bad thing, but they can be very destructive when used poorly. The idea that you can lump an entire group of people into one category is absurd. People are more than one thing, and to label them based on just one thing makes no sense. I don't think that we as a culture use labels in a positive manner, so we should be very careful to use them at all. A costume worn at halloween can be just as destructive as words or discriminatory actions. We must be very mindful when trying to have fun, as to not do it at someone else's expense.

I am on the fence with this issue and the way that it relates to stereotypes and labels.

On the one hand, I can certainly see that this cause is directly addressing the harmful stereotypes that still pervade American society. While it is not inherently bad to choose a Halloween costume based upon a culture different from your own, the STARS posters demonstrate the ways in which these costumes are not positive reflections, but rather caricatures OF a culture...and, many times, they may cross the line. And, unfortunately, there are people in the world that actually create the labels they have of others dependent upon the caricatures some of this costumes display. If someone dresses in a way that has been used to denigrate a culture in a purposefully hateful manner and then responds to criticism by saying that it's "just a bit of fun," then it is an issue. I think the campaign, at its core, is about the perpetuation of prejudices and negative stereotypes AS REFLECTED through costume choice. And it while it isn't racist to dress up as another culture, if it is done with a mocking intent, then the costume wearer is taking it too far. Most importantly, I think it is important to note that the "We're Not a Costume" campaign was aimed at Halloween, but is likely a reaction to stereotypical attitudes held by people on a regular basis.

This last point (that STARS directed its message at the every day labels and stereotypes and not at Halloween) is the reason I am inclined to believe that this campaign, while a worthy effort, sort of falls short of the mark. While many people do hold terrible stereotypes about historically oppressed and marginalized cultures, I don't think that the people choosing to wear costumes such as Geishas or Native Americans ARE those people. And I don't think these costume wearers are doning their attire with the intention of causing harm and furthering the plight of minorities. While I am the first to admit that some costumes do go too far (wearing blackface, for example, or dressing as a Nazi), the intent for most of these costumes is not to be racially or ethnically insensitive; by that logic, someone could argue that EVERY costume represents a real culture subject to offensive treatment. Should RN's stand against the sexy nurse costumes, because it isn't "who they are"?

Of course not. And that's why this campaign, in my opinion, falls short. Real life RN's aren't "sexy nurses." They aren't parodies, any more than real life minorities are the parodies or "caricatures" portrayed by costumes. Halloween costumes aren't meant to accurately represent anyone: not people of any occupation, not celebrities, not the students in this ad campaign, and not races or cultures. If anyone is deriving real-world ideas about an entire race, culture, religion or occupation based off of the stereotypes that are drawn up in a Halloween costume, we have much bigger problems to address.

No one is saying that one costume of ANY kind encompasses every person of any walk of life. We are all unique. Arguing that a costume of another race is not okay because it does not accurately represent "YOU" doesn't make sense to me. Costumes aren't about who people are. Halloween costumes, especially­, are meant to be anti-reality. I don't think Halloween costumes foster negative stereotypes. They laugh at such stereotypes, and, if anything, help to render them invalid.

Instead of focusing on Halloween, I think the STARS group (and society as a whole) should focus on the stereotypes and labels that pervade society on a regular basis. Costumes should be taken out of the equation. Labels and "boxes" carry more weight when they are outside of the lens of Halloween. If I see a person dressed up as a caricature (of ANYTHING), it makes me confront that stereotypes or assumption, and draw conclusions about it: namely, that they are untrue and not representative of group.

The problems America struggles with are the stereotypes we see when they're not presented in a way that makes them open to mocking and disregard. In order to lessen the impact of harmful stereotypes, I think they need to be open for discussion. If we make the overarching racial and ethnic stereotypes public, more people - in groups and as individuals - are likely to come forward to recognize them as what they are, speak up about the ways that they have colored worldviews and opinions, and render them void. As always, conversation is the jumpstart to curtailing and, eventually eliminating, racist and oppressive behavior.

this is a test comment to ensure this student's comment ability is working.

Before I became aware of my own privilege and penalty in my daily life I would have answered the questions above much differently. Today, I can more easily recognize the "box" that I place others that are different from me in. Sometimes I even find it hard to discredit the stereotypes and schemas that I have for others. Why is this? I can attribute most of the stereotypes that I hold about others to social learning from family, friends, peers, media, etc. The influence is all around us.

Recently, I read a research article on the effects of teacher bias and expectations on students performance. The article examined how the bias a teacher holds about one's race effects how effectively one is taught in school. The results showed that the amount of bias a teacher had for a particular student of a certain race directly effected the performance of that student. So how does this relate to other situations in our world? If our boss holds a bias towards a certain group does it effect our work performance or the amount we get for a raise or bonus? I believe that it does. This is why we need to become aware of the bias and stereotypes that we hold. They can both directly and indirectly effect others.

This article is reconfirming what people, who are able to look past the stereotypes and labels, already know. Reading and reflecting on the author’s point being made, I could not help but to think of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. The point being made here is that there are people who are able to look beyond the political, social, religious, or economic stereotypes/labels, and then there are people, like in Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, who are bound by shackles of unawareness and conformity, in other words the people that subscribe to such labels and stereotypes. However, as much as I am able to see things through a different lens I will from time to time find myself subscribing to such stereotypes/labels. Personally, I find it discouraging when I hear minorities discredit themselves by allowing themselves to be the butt of a joke or allow others to pass comments about their ethnicity, politics, socioeconomic standing, race, gender, etc.; people and especially others that fall into the “minority status” should never give into the stereotypes or labels. Generally speaking, I argue that people who are capable of seeing beyond the stigmas of other groups, minorities or cultures, it is very much our duty to educate people and bring to their attention their unawareness and lack of concern really does have a negative impact upon groups, minorities, and cultures.