Common Stereotypes in Society
Common Stereotypes
Connie L. Scott
PHI 103 Informal Logic
Angel Vasquez
September 10, 2012
As a society, we tend to stereotype. Whether our presumption is right or wrong, some common stereotypes are still accepted as truth no matter how much evidence there is proving another point of view. Three common stereotypes I see are those that involve abused women, Blacks and their love of fried chicken and the ability of older people learning foreign languages. Many of these stereotypes are reinforced by cultures and what is commonly seen within their culture. These stereotypes can have a long lasting effect on the people that are judged by the stereotype and a long lasting effect on the perception of those people. When most people think about an abused woman, many see the woman with a black eye not realizing that abuse is more than physical. Verbal and mental abuse are also used to control the victim. In many cases, physical abuse is the latter and verbal and mental abuse is the first type introduced. Although there are many shelters and agencies available to abused women, many believe that these women are too afraid to leave the relationship and are blamed for any further abuse they suffer because they didn’t leave or call the police. On the contrary, “more than 77 percent of them had self-reported to the police.” (Barrett, B., Nov 2011). In the cases when the women have children, many think that they stay because they do not have the means to provide for their family if they leave the home. Based on a handbook by the Santa Clara Probation department, “victims of domestic violence leave their abuser seven times on average before they are able to stay on their own” (Prophet, T., 2006). Many of the abused women are presumed as weak and people in general, do not want to assist a weak person because they will more than likely go back to the situation they were just helped out of. There are many shelters available but the funding needed is scarce due to
Connie L. Scott
PHI 103 Informal Logic
Angel Vasquez
September 10, 2012
As a society, we tend to stereotype. Whether our presumption is right or wrong, some common stereotypes are still accepted as truth no matter how much evidence there is proving another point of view. Three common stereotypes I see are those that involve abused women, Blacks and their love of fried chicken and the ability of older people learning foreign languages. Many of these stereotypes are reinforced by cultures and what is commonly seen within their culture. These stereotypes can have a long lasting effect on the people that are judged by the stereotype and a long lasting effect on the perception of those people. When most people think about an abused woman, many see the woman with a black eye not realizing that abuse is more than physical. Verbal and mental abuse are also used to control the victim. In many cases, physical abuse is the latter and verbal and mental abuse is the first type introduced. Although there are many shelters and agencies available to abused women, many believe that these women are too afraid to leave the relationship and are blamed for any further abuse they suffer because they didn’t leave or call the police. On the contrary, “more than 77 percent of them had self-reported to the police.” (Barrett, B., Nov 2011). In the cases when the women have children, many think that they stay because they do not have the means to provide for their family if they leave the home. Based on a handbook by the Santa Clara Probation department, “victims of domestic violence leave their abuser seven times on average before they are able to stay on their own” (Prophet, T., 2006). Many of the abused women are presumed as weak and people in general, do not want to assist a weak person because they will more than likely go back to the situation they were just helped out of. There are many shelters available but the funding needed is scarce due to
References: Barrett, Dr. B., “Research challenges stereotypes of abused women”. UWindsor Daily News, November 17, 2006, Retrieved from http://www.uwindsor.ca/dailynews/2011-11-16/research-challenges-notions-about-stereotypical-abused-women Bering, J. “Culinary Racism: Trying to explain the "Obama Fried Chicken" incident and others like it.” November 1, 2011, Retrieved from http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2011/11/obama_fried_chicken_incident_explaining_racist_food_stereotypes.single.html Krashen, S. D., M. A. Long, and R. C. Scarcella. "Age, Rate and Eventual Attainment in Second Language Acquisition." Tesol Quarterly 13 (1979): 573-582. Lenneberg, E. H. Biological Foundations Of Language. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1967. Prophet, T. (2006, Sep 18). Program empowers abused women: Financial literacy course aims to help victims and their children leave abusers. McClatchy - Tribune Business News, pp. 1-1. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/459777330?accountid=32521 Schleppegrell, M., “The Older Language Learner.” Retrieved from http://www.ntlf.com/html/lib/bib/87-9dig.htm