by Jane Perdue | Stereotypes
A fascinating happenstance that bubbles up while I’m conducting diversity and inclusion workshops is that many people aren’t fully aware of what stereotypes are and how they impact how we think, feel, and act toward others.
Education ends ignorance, which in turn fuels ending stereotypes, so here are 21 things you should know about them.
1. Stereotypes “constitute a person’s set of expectations about a social group’s characteristics, including traits, behaviors, and roles.”
2. Stereotypes remove individual attributes from consideration as everyone within the designated group is considered to be the same.
3. Some stereotypes are descriptive, which professor Michael Gill defines “as perceivers’ beliefs about the characteristics of a social group and indicate the attributes, roles, and behaviors that describe that group,” e.g., all women are friendly; all men like sports.
4. Other stereoptyes are prescriptive in that they define how a specific gender should be or is meant to be. Professor Gill puts it this way: they “depict the specific behavioral norms that individuals must uphold to avoid” being derided or punished by others. Examples include women should be seen and not heard; men are meant to be the bosses.
5. They’re mental shortcuts that can be helpful, e.g., “the ability to quickly categorize people based on certain factors as a way to identify threats, friends, and other people that you can interact with socially.” However, those shortcuts can quickly lead to trouble if we don’t make the effort to assess the facts before deciding how to treat someone.
5. Research shows that children have definite stereotypes about women, ethnicities. and other social groups by age 5. (more…)
by Jane Perdue | Stereotypes
“I’m hoping we don’t start this meeting off with a prayer,” my colleague whispered to me as the staff meeting began.
In response to my quizzical expression, he whispered, “I’ll fill you in after the meeting.”
Outside the conference room, my colleague stated our new boss had a theology certificate. “I saw it on a copy of his resume that was floating around in the office.”
“OK, but why would you expect him to start a meeting with a prayer?”
“Isn’t that what religious people from the south do?” (more…)
by Amy Diederich | Stereotypes
While our kids were at school, three of my girlfriends and I escaped for a simply decadent afternoon at the swimming pool.
As I packed lunches and checked book bags that morning, I had a silly grin on my face because I was looking forward to playing hooky with my friends. (more…)
by Jane Perdue | Stereotypes
I belong to a professional business club—a great place for meetings, one-on-one discussions and the occasional introspective time (fueled by their extraordinary chocolate chip cookies).
On that rainy afternoon, there were only two of us in the member’s library—a white-haired gentleman and me. The gentleman had spent his time on loud phone call after loud phone call.
I was aware of his voice despite being in my “happy place,” what I call being in a reflective frame of mind, blissfully alone with my thoughts, and mostly immune to what’s going on around me. (more…)
by Jane Perdue | Stereotypes
Rant alert! Beware! Just read some research, and to me, it’s crazy stuff that perpetuates stereotypes and bias. So, I went a little nuts.
What is wrong with us?!
I’m thinking we’ve lost our collective minds. Why? Buying into nonsense that people who are bald, yep bald, make better leaders.
Come on!
As leaders, we’ve worked long and hard to stamp out overt bias in the workplace.
Then folks fawn like star-struck finders-of-the-holy-leadership-grail over a ridiculous Wharton School study revealing baldness to be a business advantage for males.
Talk about replacing overt stereotypes with covert ones…yikes! (more…)
by Jane Perdue | Stereotypes
Little did I realize that one of my first decisions as a newly-promoted manager would be to decide if I was going to fit the stereotypes of the nice girl who sweetly poured coffee for the fellas or the b—- who refused to do so.
Twenty-plus years ago, it was my second day on the job as the new HR manager for a meat processing company with five facilities in three states. I was the first woman ever on the management team.
It was the weekly staff meeting, my first in my new capacity. (I had attended several meetings in the past when the male HR manager had been on vacation.)
Without looking up, one of male peers asked, “Hey Jane, I need a refill on this cup of coffee. Pour me a cup, would ya?”
Pete (not his real name!), who was sitting next to the coffee carafe, chimed in with his request to pour one for him, too.
Sheesh.
Not exactly the call to participation or welcome I was hoping for. What to do, what to do, the words good girl and b—-h were dancing in my head. Neither label was one I wanted as I started my new duties. Because the meat-packing industry at the time was heavily male, I knew this sort of show-down was inevitable. I just hadn’t figured it would happen so soon.
As my mind raced, I stood up and moved to the back of the room to retrieve the coffee pot. My plan was set.
Stepping in beside Pete, I sloshed coffee into his cup — and on his notepad. Not saying a word, I moved over to Bill’s (again not his real name) side of the table, filling both his cup and the saucer with coffee.
“Jeez girl! You’ve got to be more careful next time,” exclaimed Pete as he wiped off his notepad.
“Fellas, there won’t be next time,” I said with a smile, taking my seat. “We’re very thoughtful about our past practices given the labor climate, so I see no reason to change our past practice of each person attending to their own coffee needs, especially since I make no claims about the accuracy of my pours! Agreed?”
They agreed, and I escaped without getting labeled.
Women of the work force: have you ever faced a similar stereotype situation? What was it, and what did you do?
I’d love to hear your stories!
Note: for more information about stereotypes you can read 21 Things to Know About Stereotypes
Image source: morgueFile.com
