Stereotypes attack correctness
own wiin stereotypes!
• • I 1 Stop your prejudice!”
JL^ some people accuse, wag
ging their fingers at the politically
incorrect.
“We are not prejudiced! Leave us
alone! ” their disillusioned targets cry.
Ironically, these two groups are la
menting the same ongoing problem:
inter-group conflict.
One way which those striving to be
“politically correct” (PC) may try to
influence die problem is by changing
minority labels, eliminating stereo
types and angrily accusing non-con
formers of racism. Unfortunately,
however, the ongoing ethnic violence
here in America, the conflict in Bosnia
and the Neo-Nazi activity in Ger
many are but a few situations attesting
to the apparentineffectiveness of those
efforts. Furthermore, many people
have noticed this ineffectiveness and
become disillusioned and resentful of
wnai mey see as useless rv. attacks.
Why is it that, over the years, we
can make such monumental leaps in
terms of technology, but make so
little progress towards learning to live
together peacefully? Part of the prob
lem is that our focus is wrong.
Too often our focus is to blame
conflicts and violence on impersonal
concepts such as “stereotypes” and
“prejudice.” Or, if we do choose to
blame people instead of concepts, we
often blame others for their discrimi
natory actions while defensively
claiming our own innocence. Both of
these tactics not only serve to distance
ourselves from taking any personal
responsibility or action, they are also
dishonest.
The tactics distance us from the
problem by making us feel as though
there is nothing we could do and,
therefore, that we have no personal
responsibility.
However, this is dishonest because
none of us can claim to be immune to
using stereotypes. Studies have shown
that situations where there is liule
time to think op where we arc lacking
more specific information, both preju
diced and unprejudiced people will
use stereotypes to make decisions. At
first this may seem like a frightening
Why Is It that, over
the years, we can
make such monu
mental leaps In terms
of technology, but
make so little
progress towards
learning to live to
gether peacefully?
thing, suggesting that we are all racist
by nature.
But, in the correct contexts, having
and using stereotypes is also very
adaptive because it helps us to orga
nize information, remember things
and make decisions despite time and
information constraints.
For example, we all share concep
tions about animals that can be very
useful. Let’s say that, for some
unknow nreason, I am walking on a
fence separating a pitbull from a
golden retriever and begin to lose my
balance. In this case, I do not have
time to personally get to know each
dog to find out which one is friendlier.
But by relying on previously formed
stereotypes and prejudices about these
two breeds, I can quickly, almost
unconsciously, discriminate against
the perhaps more dangerous pitbull
and try to direct my fall toward the
retriever, possibly saving my life.
Because the tendency to use ste
reotypes does Seem to be both innate
and useful, it doesn’t make sense to
either condemn others for using them
or to deny our own use of them. What
we could do, however, is accept that
we all use them and that we often do
so unknowingly. Then, since we are
all in the same situation, we could
stop condemning others, stop deny
mg our own part ana roc us on learning
from each other how to use stereo-'
types more appropriately.
One problem with using stereo
types concerning people, forexample,
is that we often tail to see how inaccu
rate they are. And stereotypes may be
inaccurate for a number of reasons.
They may never have been true, as in
the past when it was commonly be
lieved that Caucasians had the largest
heads and therefore were more intel
ligent than other races.
Moreover, stereotypes may have
once been true but then changed over
time, as in the case of women’s occu
pations. Or, stereotypes may be inac
curate because they represent either
an average or a somewhat common
occurrence of behavior that applies to
only very few but very visible mem
bers of a group, as is often the case
with stereotypes concerning gays and
lesbians.
In addition to simply using inaccu
rate stereotypes, we often overuse
them. That is, we use them even when
we don’t have to. We use them in
situations where there is little danger
and where we have access to enough
time and information to make a well
thought out decision. Sometimes,
though, we simply forget to question
ourconceplionsor to waitand find out
if they apply to a certain individual.
Other times we are simply too impa
tient to take the time to get to know an
individual, and stereotypes seem like
good alternatives. With practice, how
ever, we can learn to see when we
show these tendencies and then learn
to overcome them.
At the very least, the approach of
ceasing to condemn each other and
deny our own tendencies to use ste
reotypes, prejudices and so on, would
create a bit more peace between the
PC and non-PC. Ideally, it would also
result in the increase of individual
inter-group communication skills,
because the only way to really stop
mter-groupconflict is to startby chang
ing the individuals within those groups.
PyUlk is a graduate psychology student
and a Summer Daily Nebraskan columnist
What do you think about the proposed tuition increase by the NU
Board of Regents?
I think that education should be
affordable to all students — educa
tion is expensive enough as it is. I
don’t feel that a tuition increase would
benefit students.”
Amy Lind
Sophomore
Journalism
“I don’t like it because college is
expensive enough the way it is...but I
personally don’t really care, because
I don't pay for it, financial aid does."
Kyla Rawley
Junior
Engineering
If the money is going to pay tor a
program like the Academic Success
Center, then the increase doesn’t
bother me. But if the Chancellor’s
going to get another raise, or if the
money is going to send administrators
to the Orange Bowl, then forget it.”
Jim Crable
Junior
Accounting
— Compiled by Kristin Armstrong
The Daily Nebraskan wants to hear from you. If you want to voice your
^ opinion about an article that appears in the newspaper, let us know. Just write
a brief letter to the editor and sign it (don’t forget your student ID number)
and mail it to the Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 ‘R’ Street,
Lincoln, NB 68588-0448, or stop by the office in the basement of the
^ Nebraska Union and visit with us. We’re ail ears.
__I
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