Running head: STEREOTYPING, PREJUDICE AND RACISM 1
Stereotyping, Prejudice and Racism and
Development of Identity
Cynthia W. Czerwonka
Gwinnett County Public Schools
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STEREOTYPING, PREJUDICE AND RACISM 2
Stereotyping, Prejudice and Racism and
Development of Identity
Review
According to Noel, (2008), “in coming to understand our own identity, we must recognize the indelible impact that stereotyping, prejudice, and racism have played in our identity development” (p. 43). Rather than denying their existence, she believes that one should adopt a hermeneutical consciousness of prejudice, meaning that we “recognize that context—society, its traditions, its prejudices—is not isolated from our identity. But rather, our identities have been forged with and fused with that of society, including the stereotypes, prejudices and racism within that of society” (Noel, 2008, p. 44). As a result of reading chapter 2 in Jana Noel’s Developing Multicultural Educators, I learned the definition of stereotyping, which is a cognitive tool to allow us to organize incoming information. As human beings, we tend to focus on salient, or vividly memorable aspects of others. According to Noel, (2008), “we decide who is like us and who is unlike us” (p.50). We tend to form in-groups of those like ourselves and out-groups of those who differ from us. This in itself is not harmless, but when combined with what Noel, (2008), calls attributional theory, stereotypes can lead to assumptions about others which may be untrue. Dispositional attributions, which are part of social identity theory (Tajfel and Turner, 1979) assume that a certain characteristic will always be evident in a person in all situations. Nondispositional attributions are attributed to circumstance, and are considered to be beyond the individual’s control. Positive attributions are often given to those in our in-group, while the converse is true for individuals in our out-group.
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Problems may arise when these cognitively formed categorizations merge with the individual’s emotions or socially learned biases. It is at this point that prejudices can form. Prejudice differs from stereotyping in that our attitudes, feelings, and emotions become involved in making judgments. Noel, (2008), states that “prejudice is a judgment about a certain person or object or event prior to understanding that person, object or event” (p. 51). Economic factors, traumatic experiences and even our own personality type can contribute to pre-judgments, or prejudices about others. Prejudice, unfortunately, tends to be learned from society or family, and can be further aggravated by an individual’s poor self-esteem and by viewing the world in an authoritarian or concrete “right versus wrong” way. On an encouraging note, Noel, (2008), mentions that “research has indicated that a positive and well-developed understanding of identity enables people to more readily accept those who are culturally different, while being less likely to develop and continue prejudices” (p. 56). Developing a positive ethnic identity for oneself involves, (as cited in Banks, 1994) the individual being “able to clarify personal attitudes and ethnic identity. . . The individual learns self-acceptance, thus developing the characteristics needed to accept and respond more positively to outside ethnic groups” (p. 225).
Reflect
The section of the chapter on racism challenged me the most. The definition of racism in itself was not surprising to me. Noel, (2008) states that “racism is the belief that ones’ race is superior to anothers’ and conversely that another’s race is inferior. Racism includes beliefs in the behavior, moral, and intellectual superiority of ones’ particular race. A connected
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development is the hatred of other races” (p. 61). Racism stays at a personal or individual level
unless a level of power is introduced (Noel, 2008, p.61). Noel, (2008), believes that racism
doesn’t exist only on an individual level , but that “the way that society has developed over time
has both allowed and solidified racism in its policies” (p.62). I agree with her statement; however, my challenge with her beliefs on racism comes with the extension of racism to other areas. In at least two places in the chapter, she states that “racism (as applied to race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation) exists and thrives within the institutions within society” (Noel, 2008, p. 62). I do not equate gender, religion, or sexual orientation with racism. I can understand how they could fall under the categories of stereotyping and prejudice, but not racism. One can consider his or her race superior, but people of all races have gender, religious belief and sexual orientation. I do not embrace how she equates these aspects of personhood with racism. In studying this course material, I am hoping to see how I, as an individual influenced by my personality characteristics, family, and society at large can better educate children who have different cultural backgrounds and identities than mine. The introduction of this material made me feel that there was a separate agenda in addition to helping me learn how to better educate multicultural children.
Refine
As an educator, I feel that I need to become more aware of the cultural backgrounds of
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my various students, independent of stereotypes. For example, this year, I have a very bright, direct serve EL Korean boy in my kindergarten class who is experiencing significant behavior issues and the need to be first or most important of all the children in the class. He seems to seek attention at all costs, regardless of whether the attention is positive or negative, even to the point of hurting others and slyly taking their things. I learned from one of his afterschool Montessori teachers that the Korean culture allows trusted people to participate in the rearing of their children. It seems so, as this boy’s behavior and almost constant interaction with me feels more like a mother/son type relationship rather than teacher/student. I had a Korean boy last year who was similarly bright, but not extremely well behaved. I read the information on the education of Korean students in one of the texts for this class, Understanding Your International Students—An Educational, Cultural, and Linguistic Guide. It mentioned that Korean students hold the teacher in high regard and would not like to displease the teacher. I see exactly the opposite in this situation. So this stereotype of how a Korean student views the teacher is not what I see at this point. Other issues seem to be impacting his education.
As far as prejudice and racism are concerned, I have felt times that I was on the receiving end of both at times as a classroom teacher. Many years ago, I had a white female student in second grade that I felt had been abused or neglected. The parents were very hostile, feeling that their child was not liked by the other children. They made accusations against me and were prejudiced toward me because of social/economic reasons and felt that I was receiving too much income for my job. As a result of the issues, the parents wanted their child pulled out of my
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classroom and the principal did that, since as he put it “the relationship had broken down”. This seems to me to be an example of the economic competition theory of prejudice mentioned in chapter 2.
Racism has seemed at times, to be an unspoken concern when I, as a white teacher, have had African American students in class. An African American parent, many years ago, took rules mentioned at Curriculum Night as an opportunity to challenge my authority in the classroom. It was almost as if since I said there were rules and consequences, the parent was just waiting for a time to challenge my authority in enforcing them. That night, I distinctly remember having the feeling that I had said the wrong thing in their eyes during the presentation. Confrontation followed, and the parents chose to believe their child over what I had told them about his behavior. They felt they had every right to question my honesty and to not believe me as the teacher. Our white assistant principal said to them that they would need to believe the teacher and they said that they would not. I have also felt challenged by other African American parents over discipline issues with their children, as recently as last year. Questioning of my judgment in disciplining their child always followed in written form the next day. Therefore, on these occasions and others, I have seen the effects of prejudice and racism toward me as an educator.
The chapter has enabled me to bring to mind these instances of prejudice and racism and to reflect on them. It is hard sometimes to feel that similar issues will not arise with parents of
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students in the same socio-economic status or race. Yet, over the years, I have had more instances than not of positive experiences. I have experienced issues of prejudice and racism toward me as an educator, but I will strive to not have prejudice or racism toward my students. My school has come a long way from the days when I had the first African American student that our school had ever had and one of the long time teachers there said “How do you think the houses in that subdivision will sell now?” It was such an unbelievable racist statement to me 28 years ago and still is today as I reflect. I am grateful for all the changes and acceptance that have happened in our school over the years.
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Banks, J.A. (1994). Multiethnic education, theory and practice, 3rd ed. Boston,MA: Allyn and
Bacon.
Noel, J. R. (2008). The concept of culture. developing multicultural educators. Long Grove, IL:
Waveland Press, Inc.
Tajfel, H. & Turner, J.C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In W. Austin &
S. Worchel (Eds.), The social psychology of intergroup relations (33-47). Monterey, CA:
Brooks/Cole.
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Cynthia:
ReplyDeleteDuring the mini conference the Korean translator spoke about discipline. She explained that in the Korean culture parents do not discipline as they believe children will grow out of these behaviors. As you are dealing with a situation that may be hurtful for students, you will have to deal with it as you must maintain a dafe environment for all children in your classroom.