Stereotypes create blindness. The case study of the woman who wasn’t examined for a blood test shows how stereotypes create deadly biases. A similar study led by Dan Battey has found that white teachers in majority-black classrooms have more negative behavior than white teachers in majority-white classrooms and black teachers in either majority white or black classrooms (Battey et al., 2018). For the study, the researchers observed student-teacher interactions from twenty – five middle schools with three different levels: white teacher and predominantly white class, a black teacher, and predominantly black students and a white teacher and mostly black students. Then they examined the way teachers handled and talked to their students regarding lessons, discipline and day-to-day interactions (Battey et al., 2018). Their results showed that all teachers, despite race, were more likely to discipline bad behavior than to applaud good practice. However, white teachers of black students reprimanded their students four times more likely than the other two groups who were the same race as their students. This behavior though implicit is deadly and blindly behavior.
Critical Thinking
I hadn’t heard of that second study before, but I think it is the perfect example of the implicit biases that we’ve been talking about. I’m sure the white teachers don’t intend to overly discipline their students, but it is the result nevertheless and will have lasting negative effects on the students. Knowing this information, my question becomes how do we move forward? What steps can we take to push ourselves over these biases?
I agree that stereotyping can be quite harmful and it was a good point that you brought up. I found the case about the woman and the doctor most disturbing because of her life and death situation. I also wonder if the case with the teachers has anything to do with being raised differently. I believe there was a test (don’t quote me on this) that black households tend to discipline more frequently. Maybe this could be an explanation for the results. In all, I would repeat Alex by saying how do we avoid these harmful stereotypes and overcome our unconscious mind?
I agree with your statements regarding how stereotyping is still prevalent and harmful throughout our society today. I found the study about “becoming famous overnight” very alarming because it proves what most people realize is common in our society but hope is not real: sexism. It was discovered that there was underlying bias towards a man having the ability to be more successful and famous than woman ever could be. Subjects automatically assumed that male name would be famous over a female name when given the option.