The media exists as a particularly invasive as well as informative source of stereotyping that in an attempt to remain objective allows the subjectivity of others to give way to over-generalized beliefs of other cultures. While many feel it necessary to blame the various media sources that feed the fires of stereotyping the media is meant only as the vessel and nothing else. This belief however has been altered throughout the years as the beliefs and practices of several cultures have been categorized and rudely stuffed into the stereotypes that society has forced upon them. A perfect example of this would be the current views on Muslims and their lifestyles.
As a more benevolent and slightly less ambivalent topic, Laila Al-Marayati and Semeen
Issa look to describe how a simple garment worn by Muslim women, the burka (2002), can
become a stereotype just as surely as any article of clothing can come to define any other culture.
In stereotyping a culture in this manner it is commonly seen that an entire society can err in the assumptions that a culture in its entirety is able to be classified by a few defining characteristics. What is not taken into account is the diversity of the said culture. Despite the obvious cultural differences and practices, no one culture is defined by the actions and practices of a its minorities.
Communication is another example of how stereotypes are cast upon different cultures, and how they are understood as well as perceived by others. The simple act of talking to another person can become another stereotype, as accents and regional dialects can often present difficulties and misunderstandings that can develop into a perceived norm of a given culture. When understanding and comprehension are both absent within a conversation there exists a disconnect that will often create a barrier between individuals of different cultures. If this should happen it is likely that stereotypes will form based on false perceptions and faulty conjecture.
Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club, goes into some detail about the language she was taught to use as a girl versus the language she learned to use as an adult. In her experience the language barrier was all but non-existent as she had learned the broken English that her mother used as well as the fluent English she had learned in school. Given that her mother practiced broken English, adhering more to the grammar and syntax that most other languages follow when translating to English, Tan has openly admitted that her mother’s way of talking very nearly influenced (320) how she communicated with others, and was utilized by others to make the assumption that she too would have issues communicating with native English speakers. The assumption that one individual will exhibit the same traits as the rest of their culture is a stereotype born of ignorance.
The need to lump one or more individuals into a generalized group based upon
characteristics, beliefs, and other similar traits is a common occurrence in America and many other countries. Many people who do this consider the matter easier and less involved as stereotyping others based on race, religion, or any other shared similarity erases all individualism. In this way those who attempt to stereotype others do not have to think of those they look down upon as real people, but as examples of a group that are best dealt with as a unit rather than as individuals. In other words stereotyping allows for the dehumanization of human beings.
Stereotyping is a universal habit. At one point and time it was believed that the act of stereotyping was used primarily by bigots, but recent developments have revealed that the true enemy of equality is not confined to a single race, but the entire human species. Annie Murphy Paul states that through cultural norms and practices every last living person is biased in some way (1998) and thus is capable of using stereotypes no matter their views upon prejudice. Bias is a natural phenomenon that occurs without any willful attempt, creating stereotypes out of habit rather than preference.
A good deal of what is learned in childhood comes from the culture in which an individual is raised. From this venue a person tends to learn about race, class, gender, and sexual orientation. In time such lessons impart the need to mirror what is seen and heard, the desire to follow what is considered just, equal, and fair becoming a part of the developing individual. Unfortunately what generally occurs is that personal and cultural biases intrude upon the ideals that are conceptualized and rarely followed. The need to seek fairness and equality in society imparts an ideal that is desperately sought but rarely practiced as bias and prejudice eventually give way to stereotypes that through continual interaction come to define an individual or an entire race.
Works Cited
Al-Marayati, Laila & Issa, Semeen. “And Identity Reduced to a Burka.” Los Angeles Times. 20
Jan. 2002. Web. 24 April 2016.
Paul, Annie Murphy. “Where Bias Begins: The Truth About Stereotypes.” Psychology Today. 1
May 1998. Web. 25 April 2016.
Tan, Amy. “Mother Tongue.” The Threepenny Review. 1990. Web. 24 April 2016.
Annotated Bibliography
Al-Marayati, Laila & Issa, Semeen. “And Identity Reduced to a Burka.” Los Angeles Times. 20
Jan. 2002. Web. 24 April 2016.
In response to a request as to whether or not they could use a burka to evidence how the women of Muslim culture dressed the authors were politely rebuffed. The women in turn revealed to them that they were not as defined by their clothing as their culture had obviously led others to believe, and were instead focused upon other duties such as caring for the well-being of their household. Instead of identifying with the generalized view of Muslim women as wearing a burka as habit and being completely subservient to men, it was seen that they were far more progressive than what was originally believed. This was meant to change the idea that clothing can indicate the nature of a culture.
Within the article it is reflected upon that in many cultures there are bits and pieces of realism that are assumed to pain an accurate picture of each individual within that society. The truth is that no one individual defines a culture, as this article goes on to state. One particular note within the essay states it plainly and effectively when Al-Marayati and Issa (2002) state that “the worth of a woman-any woman- should not be determined by the length of her skirt, but by the dedication, knowledge, and skills she brings to the task at hand.”
This article is critical in defining Muslim women as anything but the stereotypical image that is seen throughout the world. More emphasis is to be placed upon the women than their clothing, and in doing so greater understanding is to be experienced. Without giving in to stereotypes it is possible to view other cultures in a more realistic light.
Paul, Annie Murphy. “Where Bias Begins: The Truth About Stereotypes.” Psychology Today. 1
May 1998. Web. 25 April 2016.
Bias begins in the cradle as some would say, as is evidenced more than once during this article. The author goes on to detail how bias, prejudice, and stereotypes are created from a very young age depending upon the cultural norms that an individual grows with and learns to accept. What Murphy (1998) also shows is that “stereotyping itself is bred in the bone.” What she means by this is simple, human beings are designed to categorize and evaluate every part of their surroundings.
The act of learning justice and equality for all individuals is often tainted early on by the culture that rears the individual, as they are essentially taught how to mirror the beliefs and values that occur in their own spheres of influence. The author is so bold as to state that the only true barrier between equality and mankind is mankind. While simplistic in some regards the article is an interesting peek into the view of those who would believe that stereotyping is inevitable and cannot possibly be eradicated.
While the very likely possibility of becoming stereotypical individuals is prevalent in all humans, the unseen variables that are not covered by this article leave a lot of questions. How can seclusion from society change perception? Can an individual raised among a more diverse community become more sensitive to stereotypes? There are a good number of questions and not enough answers, but the direction the article takes is quite interesting as well as informative from a categorical point of view.
Tan, Amy. “Mother Tongue.” The Threepenny Review. 1990. Web. 24 April 2016.
Going into great description upon how her English differs from that of her mother’s,
Amy Tan brings forth the discussion of how different people look and speak to her regarding her
level of fluency in the English language. While her mother is credited for almost ruining her
chance at becoming fluent in the native form of English, Tan also credits her for having become
a balancing point that has allowed her to better understand her own hang-ups with the English language and how her own biases affected her learning. Through increased self-awareness Tan eventually came to understand the bias with which she had been operating for so long.
Drawing largely off of personal experiences from her life, Tan (1990) goes on to state that “my mother’s “limited” English limited my perception of her.” What Tan is speaking of is a common phenomenon that affects many people who must interact with those who cannot speak what is dubbed “proper” English. Belonging to more than one distinct culture Tan had to learn how to use more than one form of English, that which she had learned during her education, and that which her mother had used for so long, which was a broken form of English that many immigrants still use. In having to differentiate between the different uses of English Tan’s view of each was limited to the point that she could not fully grasp either one at first.
Tan makes a good point as to how those in society who cannot communicate on a professional level, and be entirely understood, are often treated with a lack of understanding. For so long she believed her own mother was holding her back in a way, only to realize eventually that her own perceptions were what was keeping her from moving forward with her education and writing. Once there is understanding the language barriers between peoples tend to not matter as much, and real comprehension can begin.
