Blog - Stereotypes

So, in all honesty, I was going to wait a few days to write this blog. I noticed at the beginning of class that the due date for it was this Friday so I immediately thought to myself, “Hey, no rush. You can do it on Wednesday or something. No worries.” But that mindset of mine was completely altered after I left class today. I just HAD to write down my thoughts on the discussion we had this afternoon the moment I got home from school. Today, as you all know, we talked about stereotypes and how they impact the society we live in. I always had a common perception of what defines an actual ‘stereotype’ but I learned so much more from our professor and realized just how much stereotypes shape the way we view individuals without even getting to know who they truly are. I have a short story that I would like to share with you that is relevant to our discussion of stereotypes and their influence on our lives. During high school, I joined a few clubs and played sports in order to meet my fellow students and form friendships with them. This one girl and I became good friends and we began hanging out after school since we took the same bus home. I remember this one conversation we had involved our heritage and where our families originated from. I told her that my family came from Germany. She gave me a long stare and then said to me, “You’re not a Nazi, are you?” I was shocked, speechless, and didn’t know how to respond to her. I thought she was kidding or just being facetious but that wasn’t the case. Her statement was serious and she wanted an answer. I gave her an emphatic “no” and we moved on to a different topic. I never told her this but, on the contrary, my family left Germany during the early years of WWII in order to escape Hitler and his Nazi buddies. My family members were the exact opposite of Nazis, and yet, I still got pinned with being a Nazi simply because my ancestors came from the same country that the Nazis called home. I forgot all about that uncomfortable moment until after class today when I was walking to my car. I realized for the first time just how common and prevalent stereotypes can be in our society and how false and ridiculous they can sound. Are all Germans associated with Nazism? No. Are all Americans obese? No. Are all blonde women dumb? No. Are all people who live in the South considered rednecks? No. I’ve come to the conclusion that stereotypes are everywhere. They have become entrenched in our society and continue to influence the way we think and view individuals whom we don’t even know. The Nazis were defeated over 60 years ago in Germany, and yet, stereotypes about individuals of German descent being associated with Nazis are extant in modern society. I understand that we all make stereotypes even when we really don’t intend to do so (even the kindest of people do it). So, I guess the best action we can take is to try to be less judgmental when we carry out our lives. I’m not quite sure if it’ll extirpate stereotypes but it’s certainly worth a try, no?

Field Day Assignment - ENGL M01C

CRITICAL THINKING EVALUATION SHEET

A – always

S – sometimes

N – never

If the participant records 5 or more of the following questions with the letter “A” then the participant can be deemed a critical thinker.

1. Is the participant willing to read and listen attentively? A
2. Does the participant think before acting? A
3. Does the participant keep curiosity alive? S
4. Does the participant base judgements on evidence rather than personal preferences? A
5. Is the participant honest with himself/herself? A
6. Does the participant strive for understanding and put forth a genuine effort to do so? S
7. Does the participant avoid pretending that he/she knows more than he/she actually does? A
8. Is the participant interested in other people's ideas even if they oppose his/her own viewpoints? S
9. Does the participant regard controversial topics as exciting challenges? A
10. Does the participant avoid becoming preoccupied with himself/herself and his/her opinions? A

My participant recorded 7 of the questions with the letter “A” forcing me to believe that he is a critical thinker.

CRITICAL THINKING CONVERSATION

Conversation Facts

Topic: Poverty

Duration: Just over 5 minutes

Location: Thousand Oaks Library

Note-Taker: Matthew

ME: What, in your opinion, is poverty? Give me your best definition.

JONATHAN: Lacking the means of acquiring material needs. Not having enough food and money to live comfortably. I'd say that'd be my best definition, I guess. I've never been asked to define it before.

ME: I'd say the same thing. Not being able to afford fundamental needs such as food, healthcare, clothes, and shelter. I might include education in there too.

JONATHAN Yeah, I suppose. Not having an education can land someone into poverty.

ME: Do you think poverty is a legitimate issue in our society that every American citizen should be concerned about? Or is it not everybody's problem? For example, should you and I be worried about poverty in our country?

JONATHAN: Well yeah, I believe everyone should be concerned about it.

ME: Why?

JONATHAN: All the indicators of its prevalence in this country.

ME: What indicators? You mean like statistics?

JONATHAN: Yeah, the gap between the rich and poor is growing, the middle class is shrinking, more minorities and also more children are living in poverty. I could go on forever about this.

ME: I remember reading an article in “The Economist” a few months ago and it said that most Americans will live below the poverty line for at least one year.

JONATHAN: Well, that answers your question then. We should all be concerned. You and I might live in poverty one day. That's a scary thought.

ME: Why don't you think we, collectively as a society, are not as concerned or worried as we should be?

JONATHAN: People are just oblivious. Too locked up in their lives to recognize its significance. Maybe people are more concerned with paying attention to other issues like healthcare and the wars in the Middle East. I'm not sure really.

ME: What do you think causes it?

JONATHAN: Individualism. Definitely, individualism. That's the first thing that comes to mind.

ME: Individualism? What do you mean by that?

JONATHAN: Well, individualism is all about self-reliance, right? Our country places a great importance on that. Maybe that's one of the reasons why people aren't concerned about people being poor. They don't view it as being their problem to fix or deal with.

ME: If you're poor, it's your problem. Not mine.

JONATHAN: Yeah, exactly. I'm not saying everyone is like that but I know lots of Americans who live by those words. They appear to only worry about themselves.

ME: Well, besides individualism, what are some other causes of poverty? Or is it just individualism?

JONATHAN: Oh, no. Individualism was just the first thing that came to my mind. Lacking an education, failing school systems, and the formation of gangs could all be causes. Perhaps the minimum wage being too low. That could be a cause too, I guess. I'm sure there are more causes. Those are just the ones that I can think of at the moment.

ME: Formation of gangs?

JONATHAN: Yeah, there is no family connection. People form gangs because of conditions associated with poverty.

ME: What about the obstacles pertaining to poverty? What do you think they are?

JONATHAN: Obstacles?

ME: Yeah, what are the obstacles in defeating poverty? Overcoming it? Getting rid of it in society?

JONATHAN: Fixing the causes of it, I guess. Budget cuts for social programs and people turning to crime. Living arrangements could also be an obstacle in defeating poverty. These days, it costs a lot of money to pay for rent and utilities and all the other necessary items that people need such as food, clothing, and transportation. Our government should do more than what its doing right now. Did you know that 1/6 families live below the poverty line in California today?

ME: Really? Where did you hear that?

JONATHAN: My dad told me.

ME: I never heard of that. Speaking of our government, what do you think its role should be in combatting the growth of poverty?

JONATHAN: I said the middle class was shrinking a little bit earlier so making it easier for people to gain access to the middle class should definitely be one of our government's primary priorities in fighting poverty.

ME: But how would our government do that? I bet lots of people in America would deem that difficult. Some would probably say that's impossible right now.

JONATHAN: Yeah, but the government could invest more in education so students, like you and I, could receive a better education. It could raise the minimum wage for struggling individuals. I know lots of people who can barely make it with the salary they make. It could also improve public transportation and raise taxes on the extreme wealthy and large corporations but that's another issue entirely.

CRITICAL THINKING PARAGRAPH

            Are we all critical thinkers? If you had asked me this question a few weeks ago, I would have sent you a blank stare with a slight smile certifying my defeat. Critical thinking, I learned, can be defined as a quest and a search for answers concerned with what to believe or what to do. Based on my field day assignment about poverty, my participant turned out to be a great critical thinker throughout the conversation. He demonstrated numerous traits typical of critical thinkers such as listening attentively, thinking before acting, regarding controversial topics (such as the one we discussed) as exciting challenges, and being honest with himself. So, are we all critical thinkers at this very moment in time? My response to that question would be no. Some of us happen to be strong critical thinkers (like my participant), some of us are satisfactory critical thinkers, while others really struggle with it. Nonetheless, all the folks belonging to the latter category possess the capability and the unique potential to transform themselves into successful critical thinkers if they wish to do so. They all have a quest along with opinions and beliefs pertaining to certain issues whether they will admit them or not. It's up to them to subjugate their tendencies associated with uncritical thinkers such as acting impulsively, basing judgements on first impressions, being impatient with complexity, and preferring to remain confused instead of seeking understanding. Will they cease thinking uncritically and join the rest of the critical thinkers around the world? I guess we'll see.  

It's me!

So, I thought I'd try out this new blog. I guess I should begin by introducing myself since this is my very first post (yay!). My name is Kevin, I'm 21 years old, and I was born in the beautiful city of Thousand Oaks, California. I'm currently attending Moorpark College as an international relations major. I love traveling around the globe and experiencing all the various and unique cultures that the human race has to offer. Learning foreign languages has always been one of my primary passions. I can speak English and French fluently and I'm on my way to learning both Mandarin and Russian. I also know the Arabic alphabet so if you would like to see your name in Russian or Arabic (or both, why the heck not?), just let me know. My family and friends mean the world to me. I enjoy spending time in libraries and bookstores and going to the movies with whoever will join me. I'm also a big fan of art, sports, operas, and the ocean. I can't stand selfish individuals nor inconsiderate people. If neither one of those descriptions fits your personality, I promise we'll get along perfectly. I also like pillows, books, and cookies (especially all three at the same time). I'll end my first post with one of my favorite quotes:

"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter." - E.E. Cummings

Laugh it up, people!