Posted by gardenergirl on January 17, 2007, at 9:59:04
In reply to Re: let me add - Ll » Llurpsie_Noodle, posted by one woman cine on January 17, 2007, at 7:31:06
>
> I would not like to be categorized or have a generalization made about me by someone who read a book or saw a movie; thinking that was similiar to me - so that must be how I'm like....In this case, however, Auntie Mel was forming her impression based on experience with many Chinese women. It's more likely that she formed her impressions of Chinese women based on that experience, and then resonated with Ms. Tan's book versus the other way around. (AM, please feel free to correct my assumption if appropriate.) I also believe, based on my own experiences with Auntie Mel, that she is much *less* likely to form impressions or judgments about others based on cultural stereotypes than "the average bear". I deeply respect that about her.
Stereotypes break down as one gains experience with more and more individuals from the stereotyped group. Stereotypes are much more likely to be a primary factor in how an individual thinks about others when the individual's experience is narrow and limited to a small number of examples.
For example, it's been said that, "All so and soes look alike." The person saying that wouldn't say that about their own race, because they've had way more contact with people from their own group than the other group, (in most cases). If someone has a similar breadth of contacts with individuals from the other group, they are more able to discriminate individual feature differences and likely would not believe that, "All so and soes look alike".
Stereotypes are a complex construct.
gg
namaste
poster:gardenergirl
thread:721248
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20070112/msgs/723142.html