Why we should NEVER stereotype – Jordan MacMahon
Recently many committed Bubble readers will have noticed a satirically written article about the RHS house ‘stereotypes’, and if you haven’t seen this article then you are probably already aware that there is a certain extent of stereotyping around the school. A quick disclaimer: This article is in NO WAY criticising the original article posted, which was done from a humorous and light-hearted angle This article serves to highlight the much broader picture and dangers of stereo-typing in general.
Stereotyping is a really negative habit to get into and there are many dangers that come hand-in-hand with stereotyping. Firstly it can set unrealistic expectations for those being generalised; for example, if Hood is labelled the ‘sporty house that wins everything’ and one or two members are practically hopeless on the sports field, they may feel a sense of inadequacy as well as being out of place in their boarding house. Furthermore, a stereotype can affect the way others perceive that group. For Howe to be labelled a ‘popular house’ where the girls all have ‘large friendship groups’ may cause people to perceive these girls as self-centred or socially-orientated (as opposed to academically or otherwise). Perhaps more relevant, for a religion such as Islam to be labelled a “violent, terror motivated” religion can (and has) led to people viewing all Muslims as violent terrorists, when in fact Islam is a religion founded on love and peace.
Moving away from house stereotypes, everyday stereotypes are just as dangerous and can lead to generalisation of different races and cultures.
I cast my mind back to three years ago when we were studying a very outdated text book in English (at least 20 years old) and two statements were–roughly- as follows: “Black people are good at basketball. White people have no rhythm.”
For those wondering, it was an exercise on inserting punctuation and was meant to be humorous but the general idea was there. These two groups of people had been heavily stereotyped and generalised. Even if a stereotype is a positive thing such as “Chinese people are good at maths”, it is STILL a stereotype and should not be considered an acceptable thing to assume.
When you meet a new person, regardless of the colour of their skin, hair or eyes, you should view them as a ‘blank slate’. Do not assume you know anything about them; in today’s society it can even be considered rude to assume someone’s gender. This doesn’t mean it’s not acceptable to ask, if you think it is appropriate. Vague questions like “do you have a partner?”, “do you play sports?” or “do you attend a church?” may go a long way and avoid any awkwardness later on.
People are all very different and this is what characterises society. NOT stereotypes. Stereotypes threaten diversity in society and should always be avoided to spare the feelings of others. Just because I’m English doesn’t mean I have bad teeth and drink tea in exorbitant amounts. Just because I attend a boarding school doesn’t mean I have a lumpy mattress and cold showers…
Remember: to ASSUME makes an ASS out of U and ME.
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