L 3 Stereotypes and prejudices

LinellDavisStereotypesandprejudicesCulturalawarenesslesson3Cross-culturalcommunicationLinellDavisReviewWhatimagesdoyouhaveofvariouscultures?Wheredothoseimagescomefrom?Howdothemetaphorsforculturehelpyoutounderstandthatconcept?Whatisyourlevelofculturalawarenessinrelationtospecificgroups?Whatisyourinterpretationoftheresultsofthesurveyfromourfirstclass?Whatquestionsdoyouhaveaboutthetextandlectures,yourhomework,etc.?LinellDavisCow1isnotcow2Itissensibletogeneralize,tocreatecategoriesthathelpustorecognizesimilarities.Problemsarise,however,whenweexpectallmembersofacategorytobeidentical.LinellDavisPoliticalcategoriesmakeithardtoseesocialandeconomicrealitiesNineNationsofNorthAmerica–JoelGarreauPoliticalmapLinellDavisLackofknowledgeleadstooversimplifiedgeneralizationsApopularimageofMexicoAcollageshowingtherichnessofMexicancultureincludingitsarts,religion,andlifestylesTheeagleandsnakeimagefromanAztecmythappearsonthenationalflagTheVirginofGuadeloupeLinellDavisSomegeneralizationsareoutdatedNativeAmericansnolongerwearwarpaintorfeathers;noraretheynomadslivingintentsTheyarefullymodernpeoplewhoselivesaresimilartothoseofwhiteAmericansMohawkironworkerLinellDavisSomegeneralizationscomefromviewingagroupfromonlyoneperspectiveLearnersofEnglishareinfluencedbylinguistswhoadmireupperclassBritishspeech.ThisneglectswhattheyknowabouttheBritishfrompopularculture–football,music,films,etc.AtraditionalBritishgentlemanmaybeconservativebutBritishrockstarsandfootballplayersarenotDavidBeckhamPrinceHarryinAfghanistanLinellDavisSomegeneralizationsarepromotedbythemediaFrenchfashion,styleandcuisineareactivelypromotedTherealityofFrenchlifeismorediverseRecentdisturbancesinParisrevealedthatnoteverythingFrenchisromanticTheaftermathofriotinginaParissuburbLinellDavisWhichimageareyoulikelytoseeonTV?FamilyinTurkeyonanoutingStudentsinPakistanprotestingagainstUS.LinellDavisMisperceptionsaboutArabs,MuslimsandtheMiddleEastTheMiddleEastisonebigsandydesertwithlotsofcamels,populatedby...meninturbansandlongwhiterobes...womeninblackwiththeirfacescovered...menwavinglongcurvedswords...haremswithscantilycladwomenservingoneman...husbandswithfourwives...richoilsheikhs…andterrorists.ArabandMuslimrefertothesamepeopleMuslimsarefanaticsIslamisviolent19thcenturyEuropeanOrientalistpaintingLinellDavisStereotypespersistbecausewedon’toftenseeimagesliketheseCo-workersinLebanonMuslimgirlsatschoolinThailandLinellDavisHowdoyouvaluedifferentcultures?Whenyousaythatacountryisdeveloped,isthatapositivejudgment?Whenyousaythatsomethingisprimitive,isthatanegativejudgment?Ifso,yourattitudesarebasedona19thcenturytheoryofculture.LinellDavisTheoryofculturalevolutionprogressbarbarismsavagerycivilizationprimitiveculturesL.H.MorganproposedthistheoryofcultureinhisbookAncientSociety(1864)LinellDavisFlawsofculturalevolutiontheoryOnlyonecriterion(technology/materiallife)isusedtoevaluateculturesModernWesterncultureisseenasthehighestlevelofculturaldevelopmentCulturalevolutiontheorylumpstogetherallsocietiesdisplayingcertaincharacteristicsAssumesaprogressiveriseinhumanrationality–Someculturesgetlabeledas“child-like”andothersas“mature”intheirthinking–Aremodernpeoplereallythatlogical?Dogroupswithlessdevelopedmateriallifethinkinsimplistic,childlikeways?LinellDavisThistheoryprovideda“scientific”justificationforWesterncolonialismInthe20thcenturythistheorywasdiscredited,butitcontinuestoinfluenceattitudesIronicallythetheoryismostpopularindevelopingcountriesLinellDavisDevelopmentisakeygoalinChinaYouknowmoreabout“highlydeveloped”culturesthan“lessdeveloped”groups.Consciouslyornot,youmayhavetheattitudethatyouhavenothingtolearnfromthosewhoare“lessdeveloped”Yet,asChinareachesouttogainresources,youarelikelytohavecontactwithpeoplefrom“lessdeveloped”countriesThedangeristhatyouwillcommunicateanattitudeofsuperiorityLinellDavisTypesofprejudiceSevere–somepeoplearenotworthyofequaltreatment–Example:menaresuperiortowomenSymbolic–somepeopleareathreat–RuralmigrantsthreatentheurbanwayoflifeTokenism–coveringupprejudiceswithpositivebehavior–HelpingadisabledpersoncrossthestreetSubtle–maintainingadistance–FormallypolitewhileavoidingintimacyGenuinelikesanddislikesPreferenceforthefamiliarLinellDavisWeallhaveprejudicesHerearesomeofmineSevere–Ican’tthinkofany,maybebecausethisislessofaproblemwithhighlyeducatedpeopleSymbolic–IthinkfundamentalistsofallreligionsandideologiesthreatencivilsocietyTokenism–IfIperceivesocialpressuretodoit,IwillgivemoneytobeggarsSubtle–Idisapproveofpeoplewhodrivebigcarsandplaygolf;Idon’ttellthem,butIdon’tmakefriendswiththemeither.Likesanddislikes–Idon’tlikemassappealsportslikefootball;allthatgroupenthusiasmisunpleasantPreferenceforthefamiliarLinellDavisFornextweekReadchapter4:ContextandCommunicationWriteinyourjournals–Undergraduates:stereotypesorprejudicesthatyouhave–Forinstance,whydothesepeoplegetalowscoreontheattitudesurvey?•Actor/actressfromSweden•PetroleumexpertfromNigeria–Post-graduates•Howdostereotypesandprejudicesinfluencetheteachingandlearningofculture?•Howdoim