The Sorbate: Stereotypes

Introverts, You’ve Got it Goin’ On

Submitted by Grace on Tue, 01/19/2010 - 13:30
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I have recently published a blog post about being an introvert and thought that this week’s Sorbate topic on stereotypes would be the perfect opportunity to spread the good word about us introverts. If you haven’t noticed, the United States is a very extroverted society. As a minority, introverts encounter a lot of misconceptions especially in the workplace.

The "Unlikely" Homeowner

Submitted by Angela on Tue, 01/19/2010 - 13:29
4.2

stereotypesI’ll never forget the first time I witnessed a stereotype in action. I was about 10 years old, playing in the backyard of our old house. It was a sunny fall day and I was blissfully enjoying my last few weeks of freedom before school started up again.

 
My father, who takes pride in making sure our house always looks beautiful inside and out, was cutting the grass. I remember seeing a tall white man approaching our house with something in his hand. He seemed nice enough—clean cut with a nice shirt and slacks on. My dad stopped mowing and walked toward the man. They exchanged a few words and then the man walked away, seemingly confused, while my dad stormed in the house. Not knowing what was wrong, I followed my father inside to listen in as he told my mother what had happened.

Hispanics Are __________.

Submitted by Vanessa on Tue, 01/19/2010 - 13:28
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This has been the most difficult blog for me to write in three months of writing for The Online Grapevine. I attempted to poll my friends for their opinions and only got one response. Stereotypes are something that's really difficult for people to put their finger on. The one response was about people assuming that male nurses are either gay or incompetent, something that would annoy me too if I were a nurse, but I'm not and it's just not something I can speak to. However, something everyone can identify with is the racial stereotype. I spent some time wondering why racial stereotypes are so infuriating and my conclusion is that it has to do with the nature of what a race is. A race or culture is when people are categorized into a certain group for the very reason that is behind stereotypes - because they typically share various traits.

They're Just Born With It

Submitted by Daphane on Tue, 01/19/2010 - 13:27
4

There are so many stereotypes about people of different ethnic backgrounds. Oftentimes we don’t even know that the stereotypes exist before we are knee deep in the midst of them. I don’t really even know what a stereotype is other than someone’s opinion or a faulty judgment. Most stereotypes aren’t credible and aren’t based on any scientific evidence. I have been close to many groups that have been scrutinized and stereotyped.

Busted

Submitted by Rhiannon on Tue, 01/19/2010 - 13:26
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Busted. If stereotypes had speakers, mine would be busted (get it? stereos? speakers?). For the past three years, I’ve had the opportunity to work for the one of the largest nonprofits in the nation with the role of helping people put out an unhealthy, expensive (even more expensive as of April 1st), potentially fatal habit. Addicts. Nicotine addicts. Smokers. Prior to working for this organization, the term “smoker” always lit up images of weak-minded, dirty, broke, uneducated outcasts who had no willpower and didn’t care about their health; people who had some kind of oral fixation that somehow seemed to be satisfied by sucking on some “little white stick.” I didn’t make that phrase up. I once had a caller tell me –in an exasperated voice- how desperately she wanted to quit and how she was tired of “worshipping these little white sticks.”

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