People often create a positive correlation between themselves and their specific social clusters where they project themselves into the group. This phenomenon occurs since they have a more direct access to their behaviors, preferences, and attitudes as compared to the rather incomplete, less reliable and inaccessible traits about their groups. Thus, the victim ends up applying their personal characters as a heuristic cue in comparison to what the group is all about. Using a personal example, I will elaborate on a personal stereotype I encountered, how it affected me and those involved, then present a factual information on how to combat it.
Personal Experience
A few years back, after completing eighth grade, I was faced with a hard decision of choosing the high school I would join; private one where I would school with friends I went to private school with, or join one in Johnstown, often associated with violent kids and drug abuse in relation to the larger community. After thinking critically, I decided on joining the latter. Former schoolmates that I would meet with would ask where I was planning on attending high school, and by the mention of Johnstown, they would give me a queer look, then sum it up by warning me to be careful.
This kind of ignorant stereotypic assumption of Johnstown schools based on the town’s negative history from the media was only meant to ruin the reputation of the school. There are many other students, even from private schools, who abuse drugs and make bad decisions. I almost turned my face away from a school that turned out to offer a great opportunity for successful academic entry into college and the curriculum. Majority of Johnstown student, as I came to know, view themselves less competent as those in private schools, which is incorrect. Just because the school accepts all students and steer them in the right direction does not imply that its services and curriculum are not as good as those of private schools.
Combating Social Stereotype
A social stereotype should be combated by all means possible as it can be detrimental if left unattended to. One way of combating stereotype is through group and self-value affirmation (Purdie-Vaughns, 2018). Stereotyped groups become distrustful of situations that confirm that their behaviors lack the specific valued ability. However, this can be handled by shoring up the victims’ self-integrity by providing the needed opportunities, and constantly reminding them that they are of worth and that they matter like everybody else. Stereotyped people need to identify unimportant values and control them, and also the important ones to them and others, and ensure that they exercise and affirm them whenever applicable (Purdie-Vaughns, 2018).
Another strategy used in combating social stereotype if by raising awareness (Bolton, 2014). First, the victim needs to acknowledge and admit the existence of the bias at a personal and a group or social level. The individual can reach out to others in the same stereotyped group, encouraged them to take a related test on biasness, then reach out to the larger community to counter the problem. The non-stereotyped members, like me in the Johnstown case, need to participate in the creation of awareness, and this is best achieved through initiating contact with the affected group, perspective-taking, and then depicting a positive image of the victims to the biased members of the society (Bolton, 2014). In other words, combating social stereotype should be both personal and a collective responsibility.
Conclusion
As a person who has experienced and observed personal stereotype at first hand, I clearly understand how limiting the problem can be not only to the direct victim but also the indirectly involved ones. However, social stereotyping is not a permanent situation as it can collectively be combated by providing opportunities for the victim’s self and group affirmation and creating awareness.
References
Bolton, E. (2014). Why Stereotypes Are Bad and What You Can Do about Them. Retrieved from https://www.aauw.org/2014/08/13/why-stereotypes-are-bad/
Purdie-Vaughns, V. (2018). Combating the Negative Effects of Stereotypes: Improving Minority Performance with a Values-Affirmation Intervention. Retrieved from https://www8.gsb.columbia.edu/sites/leadershiplab/files/files/Valerie_Purdie-Vaughns_ColumbiaSept09.pdf
