In order for people to communicate effectively with each other, they need to begin the process of respecting, understanding, and empathize with people of all genders, races, cultures, classes, ethnics, religions, and sexual orientations to name a few. If we cannot do that, we cannot communicate effectively. By educating ourselves about our differences and engaging in respectful behavior, communication will flourish and meaningful relationships will develop. I don't just mean friendships, I mean even communicating with a stranger on the street that is from a different background than you. Prejudice lives within us all, regardless if we believe so or not. By accepting this, you will be a better person and embrace the need for development in your own character.
Crashing Through Prejudice
by Rebecca Schingel
Crash. It is the perfect analogy of how we as a human race deal with life, people and our own experiences. Physical characteristics and racial differences may be interpreted as two distinguishing traits that separate us. I think it’s what keeps us apart. That leaves several abstract questions that the film Crash illustrates. What are the origins of personal prejudice? Do individual experiences fuel standing stereotypes? Is it easier to perpetuate existing stereotypes because “things will never change?” Can people battle internal struggles within their own ethnic group? What prohibits us from overcoming these prejudices?
Ponder these questions and respond.
I'm going to break my blog down into parts because I wrote a lot...
ReplyDeleteI believe that we as humans have certain natural inclinations. One side of those inclinations is that of good-will/compassion & the other side is that of selfishness/vanity. If we do not put the effort to train ourselves to incline towards consideration by restraining ourselves, we often become self-righteous and intolerant. The origin is what creates our humanity, our distinction between right & wrong. These distinctions become blurred if we experience life & do not ponder why we do what we do. It is impossible to not judge one another, but it is not impossible to rethink those prejudices & to have an open mind thereafter.
I do believe that certain experiences do “fuel” stereotypes, but this isn’t an impassible obstacle. What is needed to be considered is that generalization of any certain group people will never be accurate. Humans may share common characteristics, but all are unique with their own sets of perspectives, values, & opportunities. This is crucial to realize if we want to break down stereotype barriers or stop all the pain we experience from being judged & misunderstood.
That attitude is exactly why stereotypes have become so seemingly unbreakable. People raise them to the status of idols by following them (even unconsciously) and do not remember to think for themselves. When the issue is addressed, “that’s how it is” seems to demolish all hope to conquer them. My view is that change starts with one idea/thought, one action, or one person. There is never any wrong that is set in stone, existing because it HAS to exist. Open your eyes; it will lead you to open your mind. Open your mind; it will lead you to open your heart. It takes work and reconditioning ourselves to love each other for how we are, but it is entirely possible.
ReplyDeleteYes, people can & do struggle within their own groups. Once a stereotype is made, people tend to start actually becoming those things if others classify them that way for long enough. I have two examples that are very saddening. One is the Ummah, or Muslim community/nation. Although my faith teaches that we must love one another (no matter our color, sex, age, level of knowledge, etc.), currently other peoples of the world are classifying us as hateful, violent people. Muslims who cannot gain education & have a lack understanding of Islam tend to submit their selves to these ideas because they do not know otherwise & are being taught by people who take advantage of their ignorance to promote their own agendas in the name of Islam (which is horrible & something that we Muslims need to better address). The other group that is fighting a battle is the women of the world, especially those in Western countries. We are stereotyped as sexual objects that only serve the purpose of being beautiful. Supposedly, “Girls just want to have fun.” Women here don’t even realize how they are acting & following these judgements. They don’t even dress in comfortable clothing. Do they realize why? Many say that they want to look nice/trendy/chic/beautiful… Some say they just like the clothing. The reason most of them wear the clothing is for show, because men like it. Women may catch onto those things, but it tends to be marketed to them in such a way that they don’t realize whose interests are being served. After these initial “brain-washings,” women start to encourage each other to dress a certain way, attention is gained from both genders (which usually is negative as well), and the big picture isn’t seen. Being on the outside & looking back on how I used to dress, I was doing what others wanted. I had lost respect for myself as a woman, but I have finally gained that back. I hope no one takes offense to what I’m saying, but I speak only what I know to be true.
The thing that is prohibiting us from overcoming these prejudices is our own mindsets. We are stuck in our day to day lives believing that things will never change because there are setbacks. Everything contains hardships, but the things worth fighting for contain the most and are the hardest to attain. If we want a world with more acceptance, open minds, & tolerance that also contains diversity, we must work on ourselves while being sure to question and scrutinize the stereotypes to learn how to break them down. It takes time, effort, perseverance, but most of all, hope. These are our lives so let’s reclaim them. A closing thought: I’m me & you’re you. Does anything else matter?
ReplyDeleteI think that personal experiences fuel stereotypes. If you got stereotyped as a child, you might just go off and do it to another kid because you think it's right. If you grew up thinking that everyone belongs in "groups" then you will most likely stereotype. There are other experiences that people go through that will probably also lead them to stereotyping. People shouldn't have a "things will never change" attitude about things like this. If people do their part to help stop it, things will change. Power comes in numbers. People need to be aware of problems like this and help to stop it. I believe that people can have struggles within their own ethnic group. Just because they all have the same color of skin or something doesn't mean their much different than a random group of people. They will still have their differences and opinions. Something that prohibits us from overcoming prejudices is the way we think about other people. Many people are different on the outside, but it really is what's on the inside that counts. We need to look past the differences every person has and just think of each other the same and treat everyone with the same amount of respect. This will result in happier people, more friends, way more effective communication, and people who get along better. There are such little things that would make this world a better place. We all just need to be willing to put in effort to make these changes for the good of everyone.
ReplyDeleteKristin Sorensen
Personal prejudice has its origins in social construction. Throughout the centuries, people have acquired ways of seeing other people and thus have created a framework by which they see society. For example, it’s still very common in many parts of the United States to have some senior citizens and even some middle aged Americans think that black people are in ways, “inferior” or “not as respectable as White people.” They usually point out the higher crime rates of blacks or other minority groups and their lack of education as a clear indicator of what’s wrong. However, such people often times miss the big picture. Not to single out a race in particular but continuing with the black person example, if a white girl is robbed or molested by a black person, she will likely display hostility towards all black people regardless. The equation for such behavior is simple: she has already been told that white people are in a sense “more trustworthy, hardworking and honest” than black people. Thus, when something bad happens to her, she uses that experience as an example to support her biases. It’s clear that not all black people are bad, but the past stereotypes and privilege she was brought into, acted in such a way. I’m sure she wouldn’t think that every person of her race is a thief, for instance.
ReplyDeleteIt’s difficult to change this vision due to the extreme and deep roots privilege on one hand and stereotypes on the other have when placed as models to follow for a society. What comes between us and our realization that not all stereotypes are based on actual fact is our own selves. We are used to live in our comfort zone. We need to have an understanding of society that is both stable and solid. When our views are challenged with new data we often resist because it would mean we have to change our understanding not just of others but of our own roles in the places we live in. I’m not very sure if things won’t change, but it always takes considerable courage to start the change process. People tend to favor quick one-size-fits-all solution. But when it comes to Diversity such solutions are seldom easy and never common. The government has done extensive efforts towards increasing the share of services and goods minorities enjoy, but I do know there’s much to be done.
I believe that the origins of personal prejudice starts when you are a very young child. I believe that how your parents are will influence you and how you judge others just because if your parents judge people for everything they do, they typically you will pick up on that and start to do the same thing. I do believe that individual experiences can fuel standing stereotypes just because everyone will have their experiences where stereotyping will happen even if it is different from someone else’s experience. I think that things can change and you just have to work with them in order to get the result you want. I do believe that stereotyping can happen in their own groups just because once someone says something long enough then they could start changing their ways, just because of they are apart of the same group does not mean they have to be exactly the same person as every one else, people are going to have their differences in groups and others will have to accept that. One thing that prohibits us from overcoming prejudices is how we judge others. We judge the book by its cover a lot of the time when you really need to take some time and get to know the person before you make your judgement about them. Sometimes you dont think that you may like someone at first but once you get to know them they could end up being your best friend, and you could have felt dumb knowing your judgement was totally wrong. I think we need to have an open mind when going into a new situation or meeting someone new because you dont actually know anything about them.
ReplyDeleteNikki Darker
In my opinion, individual experiences definetly fuel stereotypes. If people don't have knowledge about the world around them, then they place people into stereotypical groups. People form a judgement about that specific group based off of one person's actions or one experience. This experience changes the way they view that "group" as a whole. Everyone is different even if they are the same race, sex, etc. so there shouldn't be stereotypes because no one is the same. People become who they are by how they are raised and how they live their life. It is ultimatly your choice on if you want to learn more about others who are put into stereotypes or if you want to close yourself off and have the attitude that “things will never change". To understand where other people stand in the world, you have to get to know that individual. People shouldn't be put into groups because oftentimes they are completely different than what they are stereotyped as.
ReplyDeleteTia Lindberg
I truly believe that individual experiences lead us to have stereotypes on other people. This comes from either wanting to put someone down because you were too, or because you think its ok because it happened to you. Stereotyping is always around us. Half of the time I don’t even realize I have just stereotyped someone. Once you hear a saying enough times, one seems to pick up on it whether you want to or not. This happens to me all the time. I don’t do it on purpose—it virtually becomes a way of life. Once I realize I’m doing that, I try to stop, but it is usually a difficult task. I am pretty sure that everybody, at some point of their life has stereotyped somebody. It would be a very difficult task to get everybody to stop, but it starts with one person. If we all try to stop stereotyping, I think we will all be a lot happier. There is always somebody who refuses to change how they are; even if it’s going to make others happier. I believe there are a lot of these people out there, but it is solely their choice. The only thing preventing us from overcoming prejudice is ourselves!
ReplyDeleteI think that what leads to stereotypes is personal experiences, and it goes back to what your parents thought. I believe that if you hear something enough, you start to believe it. So if you grew up in a prejudice house, the odds are is that you too will be prejudice to some extent. But that does not mean that you have to stay that way. Many people have changed the world all because they wanted to change it. So the idea that "things will never change" is false because things can change. Yes it is harder to change the viewpoints of the older generation. Everyone is different no matter what race, age, gender they are but at the same time we are all alike. Stereotyping is an issue that is everywhere. At highschool we stereotyped the kids in my class by where they lived. They would either be one of those "Carver County kids" or one of those "Chaska kids." And thats just how it was. We never discriminated to a point where it was a serious issue, but it was still stereotyping. What prohibits us from stopping the stereotypes is ourselves. We are the reason why it keeps going.
ReplyDeleteKatelyn Geib
I believe that personal prejudices originate from what we learn and see as children. Whether we want to agree with it or not, from a very young age, society constantly sends us the message that we are different from one another and these differences separate us. It is definitely seen in the media and often times we hear it from our parents or friends, or we see it with our own eyes. I feel that individual experiences can fuel these standing stereotypes but they can also help to remove them. Often times if a person blindly believes in a stereotype and then sees it as true with regards to one individual, they will see the entire group as a part of that stereotype. People often perpetuate existing stereotypes because they do believe that things will never change. In an answer to the question, yes it is easier. But why must we always look for the easy way out? Don't we have to work in order to make the world a better place?
ReplyDeleteThere is no doubt in my mind that people battle internal struggles within their own ethnic groups. This may mean that they become angry with someone because they make those in other groups confirm that a stereotype is true based on the actions of that one person. I think that people in general do not overcome prejudices because they are part of the norm. It takes courage to go against the norm and, because of that reason, few have done so. We need to examine ourselves and realize how quickly we stereotype and put in a valid effort to change this. There must always be awareness before there can be action.
Michelle Fischer
I believe that personal prejudice starts when we are very young because it is all around us. Children first start to learn about personal prejudice from their parents and the people the are always around. Even though most children don’t really understand what they are doing, they still think it is a part of a normal thing people do, so why wouldn’t they do it too. However you can always change the way you think about people later in life, because sometimes you need to break away from what you have been taught or what everyone else thinks, and stand up for what you truly believe in. Therefore things can change if you put a little effort into stopping the stereotypes others make. Yes it is probably the harder path to take but wouldn’t you want someone to do the same thing for you if they had the chance?
ReplyDeleteMany people never give others a second chance, which is defiantly the wrong idea. Sometimes people can surprise you and change how you first looked at them. You never know how these people can change your life just by giving them one more chance. I think we just have to be more accepting to people and realize everyone is different. It is probably one of the hardest things to stand up to people who are in your own group, but everyone thinks about things differently. So, therefore people might bump heads a little bit but in the end it makes you grow as a better person. However there are so many things that stand in our way to over come prejudices. Some of these include trying to fit in, wanting to be licked, taking to much work, and of coarse being scared. I think if everyone works as a group to work on little things we can actually make a big difference and lessen prejudice.
Maggie Dolan
I believe that the origins of personal prejudice come from parenting, the environment we were brought up in and the personal ways that we've learned. Yes, I believe personal experiences will affect your stereotypes. I think it would be easier to let stereo types be, because it would take allot to stop them. Also Yes I believe any one can battle individual struggles. What prohibits us from is social barriers, because we all grew up in a different environment. Also different parenting patterns can contribute to stereotypes. Television is huge affect on also stereotypes.
ReplyDeleteKayla Heisler
TO Maggie-
ReplyDeleteI really understand what your saying, like how children learn from their parents as a young child, then break away and believe what they want when their older. Also standing up to an individual that has a different belief would honestly be the hardest thing for me because I don't enjoy bumping heads, I'd rather sit and listen. It's great that we have think the same!
I think the origins of personal prejudice go back to your childhood. A big influence on how we are today comes from our parents and family. If you grew up in a prejudice family the likely you will look at it in a similar way as you grow up. I also believe that personal experiences fuel prejudice. If you have a had a person tease you or been prejudice against you and they are a certain culture, you will label that group because of the one person or one group. I’m not saying always, but in certain circumstances. I don’t believe it’s right but I do think it is easier to go along with existing stereotypes. It’s tough to change stuff like that when people that are being stereotyped are also stereotyping themselves. I do believe that people can fight struggles within their own groups. They could stand up and try to gather people to stop the bad things that are going on in the group. I think a big thing that stops us from stopping these prejudice comments or actions is just embarrassment. People don’t want to get away from the norm of their friends or what everyone else is doing because they don’t want to be the one getting teased. That’s how I look at it. I don’t believe people should be judged by their cover. I’m not saying I have not done it because that would be a lie. People should be given chances.
ReplyDeleteChildren learn to stereotype by watching and listening to their elders as they grow up; mainly the ones they learn from are their parents. I would have to agree with Katelyn's comment about hearing something so many times that you start to believe it. I think the same things go with seeing as well; The other night watching tv a cop show came on. Every person they arrested on that show was a younger black male. This is a very well known stereotype. However I have friends who fall under this stereotype but are nothing like what the stereotype perceives. They are people that i can trust with my life.
ReplyDeleteThe idea that "things will never change" is wrong. Things will change and actually are changing right now. The changing is just not occuring at a noticable or alarming rate. I dont see an end to stereotyping in my lifetime which could bring up the saying that things will never change because our generation wont be alive when it happens.
The end of stereotyping will occur when individuals are able to stretch their necks out and take the risk of doing something about it. Because afterall we are the ones that makes the stereotypes so we are the ones that have to stop it. This risk of stretching your neck out is something that very few individuals; which is why is will take decades if not centuries for stereotypes to fall. People would rather follow than lead it is just a fact. We are an indivialistic nation of follows.
I think personal prejudices are things that you adapt too or learn to form when you are at a young age from your parents. I think in some situations individuals experiences do fuel stereotypes and can help influence them. But at the same time I think experiences don’t fuel stereotypes too. I don’t think it is easier by any means I think it makes it harder because everyone wants to see change just most people don’t think that the change is impossible. But in most cases the change is possible. I think it depends on what ethnic group that certain individual is involved with. What prohibits us from overcoming these prejudices is how much they are formed in our brains and that’s what we feel is right as individuals.
ReplyDeleteJake Turkowski
Everyone has prejudices in their life at one point or another. I believe that prejudices are something that is passed down through generations just like cultural practices. When it comes to prejudices, I will be the first to admit that I have some, and the reason that I believed that I developed them is from listening to my parents. Granted that my parents are good people, but everyone has their flaws.
ReplyDeleteAs for individual experiences fueling standing stereotypes, I believe that it happens all the time. I will give you an example from my experience just to show that it does happen all the time. Going into college I had a negative view about homosexuals, but now that I have opened my mind and views a little bit just to see the whole perspective, one of my best friends here is a homosexual and I have no problem with it, and my stereotype on gays has changed completely.
The words “things will never change,” are some pretty strong words. I would say yes, that using those words makes it easier to perpetuate existing stereotypes, but I would like to think of it as more of an excuse. When it comes to change people aren’t really accepting to the whole idea, so they would rather just stick to what they know even if it does mean holding on to a stereotype.
Ethnic groups battle internal struggles all the time. When society puts a stamp on you and you are faced with that stamp every day you are going to believe that, that is your label and that is how you reform yourself. Even though it is bad, think about all those kids that get bullied and then turn around and commit suicide because they believe that they are the scum of the earth and have no point in living. Now even though that was a harsh example, it is the same basic principle with ethnic groups and when society puts a label on them.
When we form prejudices, we become afraid of what we judge so there for we will never confront the people/things that we judge because we are to wound up with all that society and stereotypes have drilled into our heads. If people would take a step back and make an effort to learn about the people/things that they have prejudices about, I believe that we would have a lot less problems with prejudices. Also even through judging is bad in some cases, I believe that no one has the right to judge until they have learned about what they are judging, granted that we are all guilty of it, even myself, and yes I did just call myself a hypocrite.
Maggie Carlson
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePrejudice's origin is based on community. How a person is brought up alters how they view the world. People born and raised in the midwest view the world and other people differently than people in the east. It's based on how our parents raised us and the values and morals they ingraved in our minds and souls. As kids grow up, they begin to act like their parents because it's our parents who we want to be exactly like someday. With that thought in mind, we begin to develop their way of thinking and that view point is passed down from generation to generation. I do believe that individual experiences can fuel standing stereotypes because everyone has different view's and opinion's on where stereotype first came from based on their own personal experiences compared to other's experiences. Things can change in our society; we do not have to keep them this way. We just have to say "I am going to change and no one can tell me otherwise." If each person would take a step back, look at the world and themselves, decide to change their behavior and attitude, the world could be changed in a day. I believe stereotyping can happen in our own groups based on the fact that not everyone is the same person inside a group. Each person has differences and once someone begins to stand out with their personal view point, the rest will begin to slowly stereotype them. What stops us from overcoming these struggles is because we judge to quickly. We do not take a breather and really get to know the person passed their skin tone or the color of their hair or eyes. If we would simply explore someone deeper, we'd probably determine they are just like us in so many ways. Maybe that person could teach you something about this world that you never thought of. It's a learning experience.
ReplyDeleteMeghan Mittelstadt
I think that individual experiences definitely fuel stereotypes. If one person sees something that they disapprove of then they will automatically tell someone else. All of this happens by word of mouth. What that one person said may get spread around to people who have not had that experience yet, so once they do experience it they already have a stereotype based off of someone elses thoughts. Yes I think it is easier to perpetuate existing stereotypes because there are so many people that are set in their ways that they don't bother to look outside of the box or try to see it from someone elses point of view. Yes people can battle internal sturggles within there own ethnic groups by people gossiping about the issues. I feel as though these issues will never go away unless there is world peace.
ReplyDeleteI think individual experiences fuel stereotypes. People learn by grouping things together. We find it easier to just group things by appearance, cars are cars, trucks are trucks, ect. We don’t always take into consideration that everybody is different. We group individuals into stereotypes so we don’t have to spend the time getting to know the person. It is really easy to perpetuate existing stereotypes by saying “things will never change.” Saying things wont change just means that our society is too lazy to even try to change their ways.
ReplyDeleteCoyer Mackner
I believe personal prejudice and stereotypes not only form from personal experiences but also what your parents think. When you’re young you don’t have enough knowledge or understanding to form your own opinion on the matter. You tune in and hear what your parents think and eventually form your own consensus which, I feel, is greatly influenced by your parents point of view. As far as personal experiences swaying standing stereotypes, I would have to say it depends where you are from. What I mean by that is I’m from a small school that happens to have many students with lots of money. One of the stereotypes would be it’s a bunch of snobby, rich, white kids using daddy’s money. That stereotype might not be found in an inner city school. I feel like many people just give up on fighting against stereotypes regarding their own culture because many people do think that nothing will ever change. I see it as a hopeless cause. As a Christian, I face many stereotypes. Instead of getting upset and defending myself I just keep quiet and let other people see with their own eyes that I’m just like everyone else, regardless of my religious practices. I really don’t know what stops us from overcoming these prejudices. Americans are very judgmental and quick to make assumptions. Maybe its just lazyness or just cause people don’t care? I’m not sure
ReplyDeleteNikki-
ReplyDeleteI agree with you when you say...
I believe that the origins of personal prejudice starts when you are a very young child. I believe that how your parents are will influence you and how you judge others just because if your parents judge people for everything they do, they typically you will pick up on that and start to do the same thing.
Young children don't know anyone as well as they know their parents. They think that their mom and their dad are the perfect people, and therefore everything that they do is right. If they see them stereotyping people, they are going to think that is what you're supposed to do. Children repeat the words they hear their parents say, so they are also going to do the things that they see their parents doing.
Kristin Sorensen
Quoting Meghan Mittelstadt:
ReplyDelete"We do not take a breather and really get to know the person passed their skin tone or the color of their hair or eyes. If we would simply explore someone deeper, we'd probably determine they are just like us in so many ways. Maybe that person could teach you something about this world that you never thought of. It's a learning experience."
I agree with you completely...by looking "into" someone (past outward appearances) you may find that you are very similar to someone in ways you never considered. I'm guilty of judging, but I don't want to do so if at all possible. I force myself to stop & reconsider. We are all human, able to do both wonderful & horrible things due to our respective strengths & weaknesses; that's how the people of this world are connected. If we don't remember that aspect, we'll create more disparity amongst ourselves. How we look on the outside is not a flaw, rather we are different (which is actually a good thing since most humans are easily bored). On the other hand, how we look on the inside is more important & this is how we are truly beautiful or ugly. This is how we should be judged. If we look inside not only ourselves, but inside others, we will connect with one another & learn so much more. All you have to do is call yourself to account if you disapprove of someone; ask yourself WHY you dislike them & try to understand them in another way to see if there is something you've missed (oftentimes there is). We're all akin to one another in some way, shape, or form...so why don't we try to reconcile our differences & love one another for being unique?
In response to Maggie: I think that Maggie brought up a very good point when she said that “Sometimes people can surprise you and change how you first looked at them. You never know how these people can change your life just by giving them one more chance.” If one were to stop stereotyping, and get to know that person, life would be more enjoyable. This, of course, is a very difficult task! What Maggie stated could even be taken one step further by saying you never know how you can change their life. It is always such an amazing feeling to know that you have changed someone’s life and hopefully it was to the better.
ReplyDeleteReply to Jake H
ReplyDeleteI agree with you when you say the origins of person prejudices goes back to your childhood, because I believe your childhood has a huge impact on your life. When you are younger you dont really know the wrong from right and the influences around you will build you or break you as a person and the view you will have on things. I also think things can be changed but it can take a while and may not be the easiest thing to do, So I think a lot of people see it as It is what it is kind of thing. I think that people do follow what their friends do a lot of the time because they dont want to get teased and they feel that if they hang out with a group of people that they have to be the same as them, when they dont but thats what people believe.
Nikki Darker
I really liked the point that Maggie said about second chances. I never thought about it that way, the fact that by giving people second chances can change everything. Also I agree with the idea that if a little effort is put into something, it can change.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how KATELYN said, "What prohibits us from stopping the stereotypes is ourselves. We are the reason why it keeps going." This statement is so true its crazy. When someone comes to an obstacle they have to face a lot of times they don't overcome it because they cant overcome themselves. I think sometimes your biggest weakness is your own mind.
ReplyDeleteMICHELLE made a really good point by saying, "We need to examine ourselves and realize how quickly we stereotype and put in a valid effort to change this. There must always be awareness before there can be action." I really think if people looked into themselves they would realize what we really have to do to try and stop stereotypes. I just think Michelle put it into the perfect words of what we have to do to stop all the stereotypes.
Maggie Dolan
In Response to Megan:
ReplyDelete"If we would simply explore someone deeper, we'd probably determine they are just like us in so many ways. Maybe that person could teach you something about this world that you never thought of. It's a learning experience."
I could not agree more with these statements. The majority of the time, we don't put in the effort to get to know someone on the inside. If only we could do this, we would see how similar all of us really are. We would also learn so much more. We need to see differences not as barriers, but as opportunities for knowledge and understanding.
Michelle Fischer
In response to rebenson133:
ReplyDelete"I believe personal prejudice and stereotypes not only form from personal experiences but also what your parents think. When you’re young you don’t have enough knowledge or understanding to form your own opinion on the matter. You tune in and hear what your parents think and eventually form your own consensus which, I feel, is greatly influenced by your parents point of view."
I agree with you 100%. Parents influence us more than we can imgaine. Every feeling and every thought we have are all based on how they felt and thought as we were growing up. We began to see the world through their eyes. There's nothing we can do to prevent because we do not have enough knowledge to stop it at that point in age. The biggest problem is sometimes what our parents think are not right or fair so it's our responsibility now at our age of being on our own to stop and think about what's right and what's unfair. To rethink our actions and beliefs.
In response to Katelyn:
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with what you said about the more you hear something the more you believe it. The more someone hears something the more persausive it sounds. This doesn't mean that you cannot change the way you think. It is all up to the person on how they want to portry things and what they want to believe. Overall Katelyn had great points on her blog.
Origans of personal Prejudice come from how you are raised I belive. Coming from a very accepting back ground where we dont judge people. Not saying we dont ever do it but in my family we do it very little.
ReplyDeleteIndividual experiences fuel standing stereotypes by the fact that if you have an older sister like me and she brings home a black boy and you step dad does not like that. I was not agreeing with what he said but my little brothers may have. He is there father and listens to him over anyone. Our house was divided at that time Me being the son of a black man and my step dad not agreeing with my sister hurt me, her and my mom. He just said he did not want the same thing happening with her as it did with my mother witch was understandable.
Stereotyping does happen but it does change too. People go threw experances where they forget that stereotype but that also back fires too. Like when you go threw something bad like my mom did. That stereotype for her has changed though threw his family but it has not changed for my step dad.
Within ethnic groups the battles they face are hard but they do face them head on. Like the civil rights movement in the 60's. We faced that head on and over came alot. So it does happen and does work in some cases. But the thing that keeps stereotypes from changing and prejudice from not happening is socity. it takes every one for these things to have a big change in how we view them and every one is not all on board.
Sher-"It’s difficult to change this vision due to the extreme and deep roots privilege on one hand and stereotypes on the other have when placed as models to follow for a society."
ReplyDeleteIn response to Sher
He made a very good point here. It is hard for these things to change because of socity and socity will have to change first before any of the stereotypes change.
Coyer-
ReplyDelete"Saying things wont change just means that our society is too lazy to even try to change their ways."
I believe this is the big problem we are facing. We need to step out of our comfort zones in order for stereotypes to change.
Nikki
ReplyDeleteI agree with you with what you said about children picking up on what their parents say. Even though I love my parents, I did pick up on a lot of the things that they said. You will always hear parents saying things like “kids say the darndest things” after they say something that portrays the parents and that is a prime example of how kids pick up on what their parents say. The other thing that I liked about your post is what you said about if people are around people with a certain view for long enough that they will start to change what they believe in. I have been put in that situation many times before and it is very hard to stick to your beliefs because everyone around you is trying to get you to see it their way.
Maggie Carlson
In response to Michelle
ReplyDeleteMichelle, you brought up many great points to how we percieve human prejudice. I was intrique when you say that we learn most of our prejudice when we are young. This is a strong statement, however I agree with you on this because when we are young, were still learning, and the media and everything we see reflects on our view of things. You had several great comments about human prejudice and how it'll be hard to change which was similar to what i said.
I believe the origins of prejudice start with the views your family has and where you grow up. If you are told from a young age that a group people are not good or they are different and they shouldn't be accepted by your parents then you begin to believe that. Personally I grew up in a family that never had any prejudices for any type of people and I am grateful for this. Growing up in a family business showed me that we need to accept any customer no matter what color, race, or personality they have because in the end they are paying us money and keeping our business alive.
ReplyDeleteSo, yes I think the idea of prejudice has a lot to do with personal experience. I can see why people have prejudices about people, but at the same time I don't see why they can't give those type of people a chance. The old saying is so cliche but it's true, "Don't judge a book by its cover." Look past what you see on the outside and accept the person for who they are even if they are a totally different person than you.
As much as I want to say yes we can change stereotypes, I really don't think there is much to do. You can educate people about different groups of people and hope they have an open mind, but it seems like society today is too stubborn to accept new things when they have grown up with those thoughts.
They say family is the closest thing to you and you should never turn your back on your family. This is my thought of why prejudices will always exist. If you try to be different from your family and accept something they don't then maybe they won't like the person you have become. I think the worst feeling is letting your family down and I think many people can agree with this. So, many people think why change their views on their prejudices if their family won't like that? Why not just accept what your family thinks so you fit in? I might be wrong for some families but I think many people could agree with this.
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ReplyDeleteJosh, I can relate to what you said about growing up in the family you did. Like it or not, where you grew up is a HUGE influence on the person you are today. I grew up in a very small town, and I'm very lucky to have the parents I do. They were very against racism and every type of prejudice, which helped shape my attitude against those feelings.
ReplyDeleteMary, myself and I'm sure everyone else appreciates the comments you wrote. I agree, thinking outside the box takes courage, mind, and heart. Take it from anyone that has a chip on their shoulder; being prejudice and then trying to not be is a very difficult thing. With some determination and an open mind, however, you will be a better person in the end.
Basically. everyone is a product of their environment. Your values and morals start when you are very young, whether its obvious or not. For instance, I grew up in a very small town. We never had an array of beliefs, values, etc. When I went to college, it definitely opened my eyes. From the start, I've never been one to judge right off the bat. Why? There's really no need to. My parents aren't prejudice, so I've never had that instilled in me. We are ALL human beings. Why dehumanize someone and make them seem inferior? Maybe, people feel threatened. When someone isn't like everyone else, people automatically label them an outcast. This isn't fair, but I'm as guilty as anyone. In our culture, people tend to have a difficult time going out of their comfort zone. As a whole, we need to open our eyes. We need to stick up for the minority, stand up to the majority. In order to do so, you need to heart to do it. You need to research yourself, do your own investigation. Be informed! It takes stepping up and doing something to break the barriers of prejudice in order for any change in our world to be done.
ReplyDeleteMaria Valesano
I believe the origins of prejudice start with the views your family has and where you grow up. If you are told from a young age that a group people are not good or they are different and they shouldn't be accepted by your parents then you begin to believe that. Personally I grew up in a family that never had any prejudices for any type of people and I am grateful for this. Growing up in a family business showed me that we need to accept any customer no matter what color, race, or personality they have because in the end they are paying us money and keeping our business alive.
ReplyDeleteSo, yes I think the idea of prejudice has a lot to do with personal experience. I can see why people have prejudices about people, but at the same time I don't see why they can't give those type of people a chance. The old saying is so cliche but it's true, "Don't judge a book by its cover." Look past what you see on the outside and accept the person for who they are even if they are a totally different person than you.
As much as I want to say yes we can change stereotypes, I really don't think there is much to do. You can educate people about different groups of people and hope they have an open mind, but it seems like society today is too stubborn to accept new things when they have grown up with those thoughts.
They say family is the closest thing to you and you should never turn your back on your family. This is my thought of why prejudices will always exist. If you try to be different from your family and accept something they don't then maybe they won't like the person you have become. I think the worst feeling is letting your family down and I think many people can agree with this. So, many people think why change their views on their prejudices if their family won't like that? Why not just accept what your family thinks so you fit in? I might be wrong for some families but I think many people could agree with this.
Josh Kellner
Maria, I like what you said about we are all human beings. This is true that is part of our nature to judge even when we know we don't need to. So many people judge to quickly, even myself, but if you take a step and just listen to someone you may find out they are not really what you think. I experience this first hand all the time. People automatically think that since I work out all the time I am just some "tool". If people really knew me they would know working is a passion for me not something to do to look good to pick up ladies and hook up with them. I'm not that kind of guy and I respect women too much to do that to them.
ReplyDeleteJosh Kellner
I agree with Michelle from when she says personal prejudices originate from what we learn and see as children. Also when she says that society constantly sends us the message that we are different from one another. I can’t agree with her enough, because there are people out there who are racist, prejudice, and stereotypical. And if your parents are like that , that cause the young one to form a certain mind set towards certain individuals. I also agree with Kayla when she says that parenting patterns help influence and contribute to stereotypes that kids learn at a young age, and that television can have a big affect on stereotypes.
ReplyDeleteJake Turkowski