Stereotyping Quality of Perception

William Malik Kincheloe
COM425: Communication in Organizations (BCC1131A)
Instructor: Charles Kaye
Date 7/28/11
Stereotyping: Quality of Perception
What positive of negative stereotypes do you hold about different jobs and careers? I feel as though some companies put a mask over their true feelings by placing managers with certain type of qualities in positions to pick and choose future applicants. This is something that I can attest for this because this happens each time a potential hire gets the future hire tour of our facility. Our hiring manger will sometimes make comments later in company meetings about the number of women, men, blacks, or Mexicans that tried to secure employment within our company. Just because a company does not blatantly discriminate there are ways around stereotypes. I feel as though lawyers are legal liars, judges are bought with cash through charity events and donation offering from constituents and future prospects, catholic preachers are fond of little boys, call centers have a high rate of bi-sexual of both genders, car salesman and lawyers cousins due to all the lying that occurs from their mouth and directly associated with their mouth, teachers are underpaid and sometimes enjoy having sex with students, mechanics are crooks that use your vehicle to get closer to your pocket book, and government officials are overrated. There is a stereotype or generalization about every profession but these are a few that I could think of.
How has your cultural background, gender, and/or self-concept influenced your generalized view (i.e., stereotype)? Have you ever had an opportunity to test any of these generalizations?
My personal cultural background has given me a foundation to originate from. As time passed and the older I became I was able to distinguish my realities from fantasies. My demographic of my youth can be described as Pro Black, poor, and full of life. My ideologies consisted of what other people told me to believe. My mind was a victim of my environment and living in a drug invested ghetto only helped me strive above unnecessary obstacles. As a youth I was very impressionable and I did not have the leadership qualities or ability to process good information from propaganda told to me from a drunkard. My neighbor was very big on black and white so I grew up thinking black pride everything not really allowing other races a fair chance at friendship. My background has helped me not to depend on people, and that not everyone is your friend. My gender has not prevented or influenced my way of thinking because I have not been in a situation where my gender was an issue. One test of my black and white generalization is when I was a member at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes camp and a group of white kids wanted to borrow my basketball because I was the only person to bring one to camp. I was with a group of friends at the time, when they told me not to give my black ball to a white boy. I did not care if the other kid used it because I left my pump at home and the ball was getting pretty flat and I was not using it. I let the other kid use my ball anyway, aside from what my friends were stating at the time. To make a long story short I ended up getting my ball back from the other kid at breakfast the next morning. Not only did I get my ball back but the kid had somehow aired the ball up to capacity allowing the ball to bounce completely. I asked the kid how did he air the ball up and he said that he brought his air pump but left his ball at home on accident. Later in the week during camp, the kid and I ended up playing on the same 3 vs. 3 basketball team and winning the entire basketball tournament. I left camp with a trophy and a new friend, and a new understanding about judging a book by its cover. From this moment on I made it a passion to go outside of the box and live life the way I deem fit and not how others wanted me too.
Did your stereotypes match reality?
Stereotypes do not shape my reality because I was born into a situation that was out of control. Being a down to earth person and learning from my experiences in life helps keep me grounded so I don’t fall victim of stereotyping or generalizing. When a person spends most of their life fighting and trying to change societies view of them like I have, you really don’t have time to stereotype because you are too busy trying to fight that very issue in your everyday life.