Author Topic: Stereotypes (Read 3503 times)

Matthew · « **on:** July 28, 2011, 03:49:36 PM »

I was discussing stereotypes on another forum:

Quote

So in your mind, because one potentially false stereotype fails, most stereotypes can't be false? Outside the US there are plenty of stereotypes about Americans - are all those true?

If they hold any water, yes.

Too many people today are brainwashed by "political correctness".

Think about it RATIONALLY -- why do stereotypes refuse to die? The one about women liking to shop? The one about software engineers being male? The one about "boy bands" having vapid lyrics? The one about sports fans not being deep-thinking philosophers? The one about Americans being smug, not learning other languages, and being materialistic and taking on too much debt? I could list dozens of them.
If they had no basis in reality, they would die quickly. But they have quite a basis in reality.

They're a shortcut to complete analysis, yes. But a shortcut that works MOST of the time, with few exceptions.

We make all kinds of assumptions all day, every day. You don't always have the time for a fair, objective, in-depth analysis of everything.

I'm sorry, but if were a hiring manager, and there were three people applying for a software engineering job, named Amanda Jones, Deshawn White, and Wolfgang Wattenburg, and I didn't have access to any information than their names, I'd probably do the "un-PC" thing and choose the German-sounding guy. True, he might be the one exception to the stereotype, and the female might be particularly good at programming -- but it's usually smart to go with the odds.

And remember -- the exception proves the rule. Just because you can show me a single female computer programmer will not cause me to throw my hands in the air and say, "You're right, there's no pattern. Programmers are male and female." No, you merely showed me an exception, which is remarkable because it's an exception to the rule.

Kailyn · « **Reply #1 on:** July 28, 2011, 04:11:11 PM »

I'm not sure what you're trying to say, Matthew. Stereotypes are true if they're true? We can't know a generalization "holds water" until we actually examine it - go beyond mere generalization - at which point we no longer have a stereotype.

Matthew · « **Reply #2 on:** July 28, 2011, 05:02:29 PM »

I'm just saying

"Show me a persistent stereotype, and I'll show you a statement that is true more often than not."

I'm sure the Media could consistently propagate error via things like TV and movies, but even then they'd be swimming upstream -- only the powerful engine the media possesses would be able to counter the downstream motion of the water.

Does anyone have a commonly believed (by many different people, in many different places/times) stereotype that's complete hogwash?

I don't think such a thing exists.

I'm saying that stereotypes are a hat-rack or practical tool that people use to make real life judgments/actions more convenient.

If judgments/actions based on stereotypes blew up in their face more often than not, people wouldn't use them.

Matthew

roscoe · « **Reply #3 on:** July 28, 2011, 08:15:04 PM »

Archtypical example of a stereotype-- MJ smokers are lazy hippies who end up heroin junkies listening to Bob Marley. :roll-laugh1:

Matthew · « **Reply #4 on:** July 28, 2011, 08:34:07 PM »

Quote from: roscoe

Archtypical example of a stereotype-- MJ smokers are lazy hippies who end up heroin junkies listening to Bob Marley. :roll-laugh1:

And I'm sure many MJ smokers were just that -- or the stereotype wouldn't have been created (and sustained).