Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The OP is correct. Steriotypes are used because they often are true. They aren't always true and apply to each and every person of that group, but they often are true, otherwise people wouldn't use them.
When I was young I was told never believe in racial, regional or cultural stereotypes, they were hardly ever true. I was told by my teachers that some stereotypes might have been true generations ago but now they are rarely if ever true. I believed them and rejected stereotypes until the last ten years. Then I got the travel bug and traveled overseas and all over America and now I have seen all fifty US States and 53 foreign countries. I make a real effort to learn about the places I visit and chat with as many people as I can.
I also work as a trainer and travel all over America for a large company and get a chance to observe the local culture in cities across the USA. It's been an eye opening experience.
The result of all my reading, study, interaction and travel: I fully support, believe and respect MOST regional, cultural and ethnic stereotypes. I believe they are true most of the time! (And in a minority of times they are not true)
As you get older and experience more of the world do you believe racial, regional or cultural stereotypes more, or less and why?
There is one thing called culture and it exists everywhere. My concern with your OP is that the first thing you mentioned about stereotypes is "racial". It is also the first word in the closing argument. It sounds like you think the level of pigmentation of your skin makes people act a certain way.
My second concern is that you say you in 10 years you have visited 53 countries and all states while according your other threads you have worked in an office environment for years. Even if you have had the time or the resources to go to so many places (I personally don't believe it because the math doesn'add up and no company has operations in all 50 states but for the same of the argument let's "assume" it is true)it is very difficult to figure out a culture in days or weeks. It usually takes many months, if not years especially if you don't speak the local language.
The only impression I have gotten from my travels is that there are good people and bad people everywhere. Also like people, cultures are not perfect they all have qualities and things that I don't think are productive for the human race like discrimination and nationalism (which breed feelings of superiority)
I do not know why people automatically assume all stereotypes are a bad thing. If you look at the definition of a stereotype, this is almost a reflection of the defintiion of culture.
I have found people are all the more willing to embrace positive stereotypes, yet get upset and disavow negative ones, unless it suits their needs at the specific moments. I cannot even count how many times I have experienced this.
One example of this is; in my company's diversity training, of course we went over stereotypes, blah blah. One of the was about Puerto Ricans and their hot temper, and of course everyone jumped on board about how it is not true, blah blah. In that same week, Puerto Rican co-worker, who attended the training, was talking about how some people replaced his hardwood flooring and messed it up, and refused to fix it. In the conversation he stated "they better get it fixed, I am Puerto Rican, we have that hot temper!". Absurd. Even if tongue-in-cheek, obviously the stereotype is not to the level of being offended.
Boxus do you think skin pigmentation makes people act a certain way? because that is where the OP wants to take this conversation to. I said it before his excessive use of the word race makes me extremely suspicious
Do you think your coworker is hot tempered because his Amerindian or african genes make him that way or because it is common in that culture? Do you know any people from Chile or Brazil? They also have the same racial makeup and the only thing in common is the catholic faith.
No one in their right mind would deny there are cultural differences between the different US races and ethnicities but we know the differences didn't come from skin pigmentation but from a recent past where people grew segregated and with limited interaction.
Boxus do you think skin pigmentation makes people act a certain way? because that is where the OP wants to take this conversation to. I said it before his excessive use of the word race makes me extremely suspicious
Do you think your coworker is hot tempered because his Amerindian or african genes make him that way or because it is common in that culture? Do you know any people from Chile or Brazil? They also have the same racial makeup and the only thing in common is the catholic faith.
No one in their right mind would deny there are cultural differences between the different US races and ethnicities but we know the differences didn't come from skin pigmentation but from a recent past where people grew segregated and with limited interaction.
It sounds to me that you want to take the conversation to a racial level. You have been the only one that keeps bringing it up. In my opinion, many cultures are of the same race etc..Nothing in this post has been negative but it seems you want to push buttons to get it to that level. Segregation and limited interaction?
Again I see it as social surveying. You seem to form an opinion around certain aspects of people depending on their actions, styles, attitudes, etc.. After awhile you notice the same type of people doing similiar things and it starts to form stereotypes and isnt it ironic that you noticed the same thing that everyone else notices or that certain cultures even admit to doing because of their culture. I am sure one persons observation isnt going to start a stereotype, its countless numbers of people that notice the same thing. If it wasnt mosty true the stereotype would no longer exist..because you would have no proof to base the stereotype off of anymore and it wouldnt make any sense.
Boxus do you think skin pigmentation makes people act a certain way? because that is where the OP wants to take this conversation to. I said it before his excessive use of the word race makes me extremely suspicious
Of course not, skin pigmentation and other phenotype characteristics would only be associated with a stereotype do to association by culture. An equally dark skinned Indian and dark skinned African are going to have different sterotypes and act differently, but this is due to their culture. A Russian from Russia is going to act different than an English person from the UK, though both having the same tone white skin; yet these two may act exactly the same based on American sterotypes of they were born and raised in the US in the same socioeconomic level and area.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sugah Ray
Do you think your coworker is hot tempered because his Amerindian or african genes make him that way or because it is common in that culture? Do you know any people from Chile or Brazil? They also have the same racial makeup and the only thing in common is the catholic faith.
My co-worker is not hot tempered at all,a t least not at work, calmer than others in a given situation, I do not know about his personal life. I know many Brazilians and none seem hot tempered to me, but I do not know them in a personal way, only through my BJJ.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sugah Ray
No one in their right mind would deny there are cultural differences between the different US races and ethnicities but we know the differences didn't come from skin pigmentation but from a recent past where people grew segregated and with limited interaction.
I agree, the color of skin itself does not associate itself with culture. However, groups will form and develop culture based on phenotype characterstics (as through history), and many groups can form into a larger culture base. An example of this large culture based would be the Russian federation and the former USSR, where people of different race still act similar to each other, thus creating a stereotype of Russian people (Russia the political entity, not ethnicity) and former Soviet people.
Another example was when a black guy stated "you know us (referrring to another black guy), blacks can play ball and dance" (he was shooting a basket at the time). The reaction from the other black guy was "maannn, you just set us back 100 years with that comment".
There is also the phenomenon of playing into the stereotype. Where a person will purposely play the stereotype they think they are suppose to be. An example of this would be a guy in a small midwest town acting like the stereotypical small town guy; truck, boots, country music, cheap beer, smoke, etc. This is an almost something I person does not even think about, and is heavily influenced from the external environment. The person will go along with it because it is the thing "they are suppose to do".
When I was young I was told never believe in racial, regional or cultural stereotypes, they were hardly ever true. I was told by my teachers that some stereotypes might have been true generations ago but now they are rarely if ever true. I believed them and rejected stereotypes until the last ten years. Then I got the travel bug and traveled overseas and all over America and now I have seen all fifty US States and 53 foreign countries. I make a real effort to learn about the places I visit and chat with as many people as I can.
I also work as a trainer and travel all over America for a large company and get a chance to observe the local culture in cities across the USA. It's been an eye opening experience.
The result of all my reading, study, interaction and travel: I fully support, believe and respect MOST regional, cultural and ethnic stereotypes. I believe they are true most of the time! (And in a minority of times they are not true)
As you get older and experience more of the world do you believe racial, regional or cultural stereotypes more, or less and why?
Why don't you provide the name of your employer and your real name so we can all see if you are willing to fully embrace your racist, bigoted statements. Or are you going to reinforce the stereotype of an internet racist being a sniveling coward?
Why don't you provide the name of your employer and your real name so we can all see if you are willing to fully embrace your racist, bigoted statements. Or are you going to reinforce the stereotype of an internet racist being a sniveling coward?
It sounds to me that you want to take the conversation to a racial level. You have been the only one that keeps bringing it up. In my opinion, many cultures are of the same race etc..Nothing in this post has been negative but it seems you want to push buttons to get it to that level. Segregation and limited interaction?
Did the original poster use or not use the word "race" several times in his post? Why is it that you see it in my posts and not in his posts?
Quote:
Originally Posted by HumanNature
When I was young I was told never believe in racial, regional or cultural stereotypes, they were hardly ever true.
As you get older and experience more of the world do you believe racial, regional or cultural stereotypes more, or less and why?
I can assure you that the chances of visting 53 countries and all 50 states(mind you company travel) in 10 years while holding an office job are 0.000001%
By the way this poster speaks she seems to work in a call center and has never visited other countries. In another post she says she wants to learn Microsoft Office. She is no executive or corporate trainer. There is absolutely no reason why a company would send you to all 50 states. Not even 20 states.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
