2. Attributions of Characteristics within Stereotyping-
The definition of stereotyping is to reduce somebody to a oversimplified category. By habit this is something that I have done in the past before I actually get to know the person or group of persons. The following are a list of stereotypes that I have had in the past.
The majority of young african american males are lazy. This is based on personal experience and stories that I hear from other people. I feel that young males attribute to this stereotype because of the unemployment rate and the job performance of this particular group. I see examples as I observe them in fast food restaurants or grocery stores where they are employed. This summer it was very hard for my young african american son to get a job due to this stereotype.
The majority Asian students are gifted in Mathematics and Science. This is based on my exposure to students at Lilburn Middle. The majority of the students excel in the classwork and test better than their american born counterparts. Some are students who are ELL learners and they barely speak in class but still out perform their classmates. A lot of Asian population students are in gifted classes.
The majority of muslim nationalist are terrorist. The information that is displayed on the news channels and newspapers depict a lot of negative references about Muslims. When you read about world events there is always something horrific happening in the Middle Eastern Countries. Also the treatment that Muslims receive at the Airport or other security stops displays that they can not be trusted in the United States.
The majority of Hispanic day workers are illegal immigrants. A Day Laborer is a popular job opportunity for anyone interested in earning cash for doing manual labor. However it is also a way for people to get paid under the table. In Gwinnett county men are usually picked up from gas stations or other established points to be recruited for work assingments. As you are driving by observing this, the first thought that comes to mind is that they may be Mexicans sending money home to their families. Most of the Day Laborers do not speak English and take whatever job is given to them. Legal immigrants are able to get jobs in the regular job force so they would not have to stand on the corner to obtain a job for the week.
All Catholic Priest are pedophiles. In the past there have been a lot of court cases of adults who have accused a clergy man from the church of abusing them as a child. It is well known that Catholic Preist are not able to be married and that they may lead a lonely existence. However as a Catholic myself, I know that extensive background checks are done on all volunteers who work with children so that they can not be harmed in any way.
Based on personal experiences and how information is presented in the Media, stereotypes are developed. As a teacher I try to develop my own opinions about the people I work with and my students.
Examples of Subtractive Schooling
I started teaching at Lilburn Middle School in 2002. At the time Lilburn had over 2400 students and was one of the largest middle schools in Gwinnett. We had a lot of international students as well as international teachers. We had programs that represented the different cultures at our school. Examples include Hispanic History Month, Asian History Month, and Black History Month. During the month that each culture was represented students would read information about the culture and it represatations during annoucements. We also had programs at Meadowcreek where the students were able to perform and do dances that represented their culture. This has slowly faded away and I think this is an example of Subtractive Schooling. I know that we have to focus on teaching and learning first but I think that this is something we could incorporate back into our School.
Mrs. Tate-Thank you so much for your responses. I too wish we had more of the programs your mentioned. Maybe we should start gathering some like minded support who could make it happen! I'm on board! Thanks for the reminder to develop our own opinions about people and avoid prejudgement. We should remind ourselves of this everyday.
ReplyDeleteStereotyping is something that a lot of people do because it is very easy to do. It's human nature to judge other people because it helps people feel more secure about themselves, the way a kid might make fun of a classmate to hide their own fallacies. I feel that educating people, whether through school or through life experiences, is the only way to combat the desire for people to stereotype others. On a personal level, I think that there is a certain confidence that helps an individual avoid stereotyping. Having confidence means putting up less defensive walls, which to me, is what stereotyping is all about- a way for insecure people to put up a defense. However, I think combating stereotyping is an ongoing battle, even for those that think they are above it. I sometimes like to think I'm above it, but then I'll catch myself stereotyping, and realize that I have a long ways to go. I think recognizing that need to grow and learn is the most important thing of all, and that's why I think building student confidence and exploring each other's differences is an important thing to bring into the classroom.
ReplyDeleteLast of all, I feel we really should bring back some kind of international day/week/month to LMS. I remember having so much fun doing these types of things when I went to Meadowcreek. It would be great to expose our student to different cultures.
I agree completely with your contribution regarding subtractive schooling. In the textbook, they only referred to not teaching students in their native language and tracking as being examples of subtractive schooling, but I think your experiences here at Lilburn better demonstrate subtractive schooling. By not incorporating students' unique backgrounds and cultures into their daily experiences at school, we are missing opportunities to strengthen student identities and connect previous background knowledge with new content knowledge. By embracing diversity, we are sending the positive message to students that their unique identities are valuable.
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