why stereotypes?

Question

I'm a brilliant, properly raised half black girl, # 7 of my grad class. My dad ( black man) is a highly ranked retired member of the US Air Force and now an Inspector of Raytheon Co. doing airplane engineering. My question is why the hell everyone has stereotypes that black men produce babies and leave their baby mamas. My father is still with my mother. So what makes someone think that all black people are pathetic or on welfare, cause lots of people (especially white people), just throw stereotypes right and left at blacks. There are white, mexican and asians who desert their children, go through abuse and all that negative stuff that is assumed to go on in only black communities. more than 70% of school shootings are done by white people. more than 80% of suicides are done by white people. so why is everything thrown on blacks?! not to mention that black guys get the short end of the stick in the judicial system. why are people turning a blind eye at the 'other' races' flaws?

Answer 1

sterotypes are dumb if you ask me.
like i like black and hot topic, i like hawthorne heights
and i dont cut my wrists never have never will

dont worry bout it because there not true.

Answer 2

A couple of observations, then I'll try to answer.

You describe yourself as a "brilliant, half-black girl." You seem unhappy with racial stereotypes. But you don't cite any stereotypes regarding your other race, nor even your gender.

Sam Clemens said, "There are lies, damned lies, and then there are statistics." The implication is that you have to listen carefully to the data presented. You elicit sympathy for black men who suffer from stereotyping of being deadbeat dads, yet you compare this with an unreferenced citation to 80% of suicides as white people, presumably including white women.

Now to try to answer the question, "Why do people have stereotypes?" Without rancor, I think it's easier and simpler to generalize. I think we all do this to a certain extent, especially in those areas that don't appear to offend people. We generalize that big cars are more comfortable, but small cars are more economical. So far, there isn't any stereotyping. But when you ask, "What sort of people choose to drive a gas-guzzling SUV when they could drive an eco-friendly econobox?" you start to get into answers regarding groups of people. Without justification, you fall into one group or the other.

Ignorant people, easily pushed towards jealousy, take the small step into stereotyping. It takes less mental energy to say, "Blacks are like this ___" than it does to say "Some blacks are this way, other blacks are that way." And it's easier to label any group with negative stereotype characteristics. That also makes it easier to feel better about yourself, in comparison with that other group.

I think you have a point about black guys and the judicial system. Look at the recent 100:1 sentencing discrepancy regarding powder cocaine and crack. But this is just one part of a complicated social situation.

Suggestion? Take a breath, relax a bit. The world isn't perfect, but it's getting better. I hope by the time your children are your age, you'll see the change and will have been part of the effort to make positive changes. Have a Merry Christmas!

Answer 3

If youre so brilliant, you should understand that stereotypes are mostly a product of percentages. Telling us that your father is different from the generality does not make the generality invalid. I bet far more black men "produce babies and leave their baby mamas" than white men. Hence the stereotype.

Nobody turns a blind eye to other races flaws. People have plenty of room in their minds for stereotypes of all races, genders, age groups, etc.

Answer 4

The stereotypes of black men leaving their babies mother is "only accurate" (and i say that meaning it's confined to) if the black man is with a black woman. Of course it's a horrible stereotype because I personally know a few black males who have stuck by their child's mother side. However, I HAVE heard the stereotype that if the child's mother is NOT black, he will not abandon them. It's pretty sad and pathetic that someone SOMEWHERE actually sat down and thought about how to degrade the black race through children. There's also the stereotype that all blacks listen to rap and "Gangsta" music. im a quarter black...i hate rap...i hate r&b. i love alternative rock, bachata, and pop..(im indian, italian, latina, and black)..stereotypes are always here...it's truly sad.

Answer 5

well the asnwer is very simples
sterotyping is something commone we ALL do.

We are ALL igorants to our own knowlege we let media and ppl with high position gives us.

Is perfectly natural for a white man to be racist/steroetipical
is in their mind body and soul they CANNOT be change
Their ways of thinking are alreadt built into their Body system
even babies ,ask a baby to pick a Black cat over a Black dog and it will choose the white cat.


So there isn't anything WE can do even me I am being Sterotypical over a race the question is WHY?
would it all be diff if Eva and Adam where Black?

Answer 6

Most stereotypes are based on truths. That doesn't mean that the "truth" is the norm. That also doesn't mean that "truth" should be applied to everyone, but that is how stereotypes work. Everyone stereotypes gay guys as girly but I'm just a normal guy that works on cars, does utility work for the water company. I can see where you are coming from. But if you think black people get the short end of the stick, try being gay and taking anything to court in the south.