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Stereotype Paper

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Stereotype Paper
Leona Wolford
PHI 103: Informal Logic
Erik Hudak
December 17, 2012

A stereotype is a generalization that people make about the characteristics of another person or group of people. I have stereotyped against other people and have been stereotyped by others. Stereotypes are created about people of specific cultures, races, gender or sexual orientation. A professor from the University of Toronto, Scarborough, Dr. Michael Inzlicht, indicated that “past studies have shown that people perform poorly in situations where they feel they are being stereotyped” (Kemick, 2010, para. 2). The first stereotype I will discuss is about African Americans. They have many stereotypes. The first common stereotype is that they’re all athletic. The argument for this stereotype could be:
Michael Jordan was a talented basketball player
Jerry Rice was one of the best wide receivers in the NFL
Joe is African American, therefore, he must be a talented athlete
The fallacy we see in this argument is hasty generalization. Our text states that the “fallacy of hasty generalization is committed when the conclusion is based on insufficient information: a generalization is made too quickly” (Mosser, 2011, p. 4.2). The assumption that Joe is a talented athlete just because of his racial background and color does not provide enough evidence to substantiate and prove the claim. Joe may not be athletic whatsoever, and may be more of a bookworm or be involved in activities other than sports. One cannot assume that just because Joe is black that he is an athlete or any other stereotype related to African American people. Some other stereotypes associated with African Americans is that they are lazy, like to eat chicken and drink kool-aid, ghetto or musically gifted. The second stereotype is the difference between genders – men versus women. One popular stereotype is that men are more powerful than women. This stereotype might have set well in the earlier 19th century when men were the breadwinners and women were stay at home moms and housewives. In today’s generation, men and women are seen as equals. Women now hold high paying and high ranking jobs and can be the CEO or President at their place of employment. We have seen many powerful women over the recent years, from Oprah Winfrey to Hilary Clinton. This stereotype, however, still exists in some countries around the world, including many Arab nations where men do hold the power and women are not allowed to be as open as American women. In these countries, a woman would be condemned for speaking her mind, maybe even killed. The argument for this stereotype could be:
John works for Wal-Mart
Jane works for Home Depot
John is male, therefore, he must have a higher ranking position at his job than Jane does
The fallacy seen in this argument is hasty generalization. There is not enough information in the premises to determine if, in fact, John does have a high ranking position at Wal-Mart. The conclusion was determined on insufficient information. The third stereotype is sexual orientation. One common stereotype is a feminine male who is automatically assumed to be gay. And there are muscular females who are thought to be lesbian. I have a few gay and lesbian friends who are always being stereotyped. My lesbian friends are seen as being “butchie” and my gays friends are seen as girly. The argument for this stereotype could be:
Jerry is feminine and dresses really nice for a guy
Sarah has a lot of muscles and doesn’t like to wear dresses
Jerry acts like a girl, therefore he must be gay. Sarah has a lot of muscles, therefore, she must be a lesbian. The fallacy seen in this argument is ad hominem. Our text says that with the ad hominem fallacy, “the conclusion is to be accepted or rejected because of the person (and the characteristics of the person) involved, rather than then actual argument, or reason (s), supporting the conclusion” (Mosser, 2011, p. 4.2). The conclusion in the example above should be rejected because without further information about Jerry or Sarah about their sexual preferences, we can’t really say whether or not they are gay or lesbian. Jerry could be metro sexual and as defined, very meticulous about his appearance and grooming. Sarah could be into fitness, which a lot of people are these days. Just be cause Sarah has a muscular shaped body, this doesn’t conclude that she is indeed a lesbian. Professor Michael Inzlicht indicated that stereotyping has lasting effects on people. Inzlicht states “even after a person leaves a situation where they faced negative stereotypes, the effects of coping with that situation remain” ( Kemick, 2010, para. 5). I think this statement is true to an extent and depends on the person that was being stereotyped. One person who read this article made a comment that if the study was true, then the entire African race would be ignorant and aggressive. Generally, we see that most people that live in Africa are caring and hospitable.
References
Kemick, A. (2010). Stereotyping Has Lasting Negative Impact. Retrieved from http://www.usnews.com/science/articles/2010/08/12/stereotyping-has-lasting-negative- impact
Mosser, K. (2011). An Introduction to Logic. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUPHI103.11.2/sections/sec4.2

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