Whenever I look at a person I subconsciously classify that person into a race based mainly on appearance and other visible or tangible characteristics such as skin color, lip size, or the language I hear them speaking. I believe that this is how the human mind works. Humans classify individuals that look alike into groups to create stereotypes. The human mind then finds it easier to assign stereotypes or generalizations to this group of individuals that look the same. I then use these stereotypes and generalizations to determine how I react towards a race. A stereotype for a race tells my mind many things. It may tell me to be cautious around a certain race or to act in a certain way around a certain race. For example, if I am entering the home of an Asian, I always offer to take off my shoes. I do this because from race I can determine not only stereotypes but traditions of certain races. In this case, the majority of Asians do not wear shoes inside their homes. Therefore, race creates stereotypes which can be used beneficially by the human mind. Of course, my initial classification of an individual may be wrong because I do not know all the details of a person. For example, I may see a black person dressed in a ghetto manner and think they are unintelligent and “thug-like” because of my stereotype of an individual of this race. However, this black person may
Whenever I look at a person I subconsciously classify that person into a race based mainly on appearance and other visible or tangible characteristics such as skin color, lip size, or the language I hear them speaking. I believe that this is how the human mind works. Humans classify individuals that look alike into groups to create stereotypes. The human mind then finds it easier to assign stereotypes or generalizations to this group of individuals that look the same. I then use these stereotypes and generalizations to determine how I react towards a race. A stereotype for a race tells my mind many things. It may tell me to be cautious around a certain race or to act in a certain way around a certain race. For example, if I am entering the home of an Asian, I always offer to take off my shoes. I do this because from race I can determine not only stereotypes but traditions of certain races. In this case, the majority of Asians do not wear shoes inside their homes. Therefore, race creates stereotypes which can be used beneficially by the human mind. Of course, my initial classification of an individual may be wrong because I do not know all the details of a person. For example, I may see a black person dressed in a ghetto manner and think they are unintelligent and “thug-like” because of my stereotype of an individual of this race. However, this black person may