Stereotypes

I know the general opinion is that sterotyping a group of people is wrong and that any assumption made upon a group can be inherently wrong. I want to examine, however the difference between a good stereotype and a bad one.

Lets look at common stereotypes which I feel are good

Blacks are athleticlly gifted and can excel at almost any sport.
Asians are good at Math.
All Italian people can make good food.
Kenyans are good marathon runners


now some stereotypes(not mine but apparent in some part of society) that I feel are bad

Blacks and Mexicans are lazy
Indians always work at a gas station/7-11.
White people all talk like dorks( as portrayed by black comics)
jewish people are money hungry
Arab people are always very angry
Chineese people and women are bad drivers


Maybe its just me but I think the stereotypes labeled as good are indeed good. If you are from a certain group or ethnicity wouldnt you want it to be praised for a certain positive quality.

I think its the bad sterortypes of people that we need to rid ourselves of. Any praise given to a an ethnicity is a good thing. People need to stop being oversensitive to positive remarks. This world has gotten so pc that if you call an asian smart because of his heritage then you are a racist. What racist gives praise is the important question that needs to be asked.

I think it's better if we just look at people as individuals. I am white and married to an asian. My children all look asian and are good at math. However, they get their math abilities from me, it has nothing to do with the fact that they are half asian.

I think some people might think less of someone because they don't fit the stereotype. They might say "How can you be bad at math, you're asian?!" Or "He's only good at math because he's asian!" I think this is one way some stereotypes can be bad.

because the way many people see it there is negativitiy even to "positive" sterotypes

the sterotype about black people being athletic means black people are stupid

the sterotype about Asian people being good at math means you dont think they know or have good english english

not necessarily my opinion but you get where im going with this...

Or a black person could resent being seen for ONLY being athletically gifted, when in fact they are very intelligent as well, or maybe don't even care about sports.

[quote89c2331352="tpkenter"]I think it's better if we just look at people as individuals. I am white and married to an asian. My children all look asian and are good at math. However, they get their math abilities from me, it has nothing to do with the fact that they are half asian.

I think some people might think less of someone because they don't fit the stereotype. They might say "How can you be bad at math, you're asian?!" Or "He's only good at math because he's asian!" I think this is one way some stereotypes can be bad.[/quote89c2331352]

only good at math because youre asian? thats the funniest thing Ive ever heard which to me confirms the validity of my theory that people are overly sensitive. If I was asian and soemone said that to me I would laugh in his face. Id be like your so dumb that thats the best way you could disparage me. I guess if I wasnt asian I would be dumb. Great analysis.

As far as the your kids that is your own vanity. You dont want people assuming that because your children are asian that is the reason they are smart. Your own vanity steps in and you want to flaunt your own personal influence on their educational development.

The 'how can you be so bad at math youre asian' comment is not a bad thing either. Im sure if your asian your parents have already asked you that same question themsleves. In fact Im sure they will say things like your bro/sis/family friend is so smart and good at math why you suck so much.

And heritage isnt a bad thing either. My dad is a smart guy who graduated in the top of his class in the whole of India and my mom was selected as a member for the Indian Olympic women's field hockey team. Am I wrong to assume that my father's brains and my mom's athleticism wont be passed along to me.

[quotec61a3f9498="JUNIOR6886"]the sterotype about black people being athletic means black people are stupid [/quotec61a3f9498]

no it doesnt but thats what you infer from that statement. You made the comment more then what it is.

[quotec61a3f9498="JUNIOR6886"]
the sterotype about Asian people being good at math means you dont think they know or have good english english [/quotec61a3f9498]

once again your assuming something that was never stated.

[quotec61a3f9498="JUNIOR6886"]not necessarily my opinion but you get where im going with this...[/quotec61a3f9498]

ya I see where your going but your drawing unnecessary conclusions.

[quote7847b7a757="CollidgeGraduit"]Or a black person could resent being seen for ONLY being athletically gifted, when in fact they are very intelligent as well, or maybe don't even care about sports.[/quote7847b7a757]

yes Im sure Barack Obama was told to go to the nba countless times before he entered politics. Sometimes physical attributes also go a long way to your being pushed towards sports.

looks like you completely ignored the part where i say thats not MY opinion. I was just saying thats how many people think.

[quote81dc3f0d75="JUNIOR6886"]looks like you completely ignored the part where i say thats not MY opinion. I was just saying thats how many people think.[/quote81dc3f0d75]

ya but no one states that directly. You just assume thats how people think. Thats why it is your opinion since you assume people will make the statement have more subtle jabs at an ethnicity.

[quote3611a8859e="good2speed"]only good at math because youre asian? thats the funniest thing Ive ever heard which to me confirms the validity of my theory that people are overly sensitive. If I was asian and soemone said that to me I would laugh in his face. Id be like your so dumb that thats the best way you could disparage me. I guess if I wasnt asian I would be dumb. Great analysis.

As far as the your kids that is your own vanity. You dont want people assuming that because your children are asian that is the reason they are smart. Your own vanity steps in and you want to flaunt your own personal influence on their educational development.

The 'how can you be so bad at math youre asian' comment is not a bad thing either. Im sure if your asian your parents have already asked you that same question themsleves. In fact Im sure they will say things like your bro/sis/family friend is so smart and good at math why you suck so much.

And heritage isnt a bad thing either. My dad is a smart guy who graduated in the top of his class in the whole of India and my mom was selected as a member for the Indian Olympic women's field hockey team. Am I wrong to assume that my father's brains and my mom's athleticism wont be passed along to me.[/quote3611a8859e]

I was just trying to point out one way your "good" stereotypes can be bad. I still think we should all be looked at as individuals.

I was just giving an example with my children. I really don't care if someone thinks my children are smart because they're asian. I only care if they hurt my child in some way because of their stereotypical belief.

I don't remember saying that heritage is bad. It's strange how it's ok for you to get your father's brains, but I'm vain if my children get my math ability?

Also, since my children are half asian and half white, which stereotypes would you apply to them? Most people would assume asian stereotypes because their asian features are stronger.

This is the main problem with stereotypes, people ASSUME somthing based on the way someone looks or where they come from, instead of what that person is actually like.

Look at everyone as an individual and who they are. Race, color, religion, and other stereotypical opinions mean nothing. You can't say how a person acts, feels, looks, etc. just by judging them by stereotypes. Every person is different in their own unique way, and judging them by stereotypes is stupid.

[quote8f7ce93227="tpkenter"]

I was just trying to point out one way your "good" stereotypes can be bad. I still think we should all be looked at as individuals.

I was just giving an example with my children. I really don't care if someone thinks my children are smart because they're asian. I only care if they hurt my child in some way because of their stereotypical belief.

I don't remember saying that heritage is bad. It's strange how it's ok for you to get your father's brains, but I'm vain if my children get my math ability?

Also, since my children are half asian and half white, which stereotypes would you apply to them? Most people would assume asian stereotypes because their asian features are stronger.

This is the main problem with stereotypes, people ASSUME somthing based on the way someone looks or where they come from, instead of what that person is actually like.[/quote8f7ce93227]

Dont want to offend you but it is vanity since you want your children to inherit your intellect. Wasnt meant as a an insult and sometimes vanity can be a good thing. Especially in passing positive traits to off spring.

As far as assuming people as individuals I completely agree with you. Everyone has their own special attributes and shoudl be dealt on an individual basis. But when discussing an ethnicity at large its not bad to give some kind of general praise. Of course their can be side effects since people try to make more out of the statement then its initial intention.

And I may be different then others but I believe in the stereotypes. I do not however believe that all black people are athletic nor do I feel all asians are smart. But from my own persoanl experience I can say that at times these stereotypes due hold to be true. I guess you take stereotypes for what they are worth. people in this countyr dont know how to think effectively and will miss the main intention of a stereotype.

[quote5d27b6c015="good2speed"]people in this countyr dont know how to think effectively and will miss the main intention of a stereotype.[/quote5d27b6c015]

What is the main intention of a stereotype?

[quoteafc6fb26fc="good2speed"]Dont want to offend you but it is vanity since you want your children to inherit your intellect. Wasnt meant as a an insult and sometimes vanity can be a good thing. Especially in passing positive traits to off spring.[/quoteafc6fb26fc]

I never said anything about wanting my children to inherit my math abilities. It is simply fact. In school, I took honors math classes. All four of my children are good in math. That's not just my opionion. I am basing this on their grades, teacher's comments and standardized testing. Math is not a strongpoint for my husband. Therefore, it is only logical to assume they inherited their math ability from me.

On the other hand, my husband is an artist. So are several of my children. I believe they inherited this ability from my husband, since I have no artistic ability.

I am not making assumptions, I am looking at facts and coming to a logical conclusion.

[quote9fbbf6f60e="tpkenter"][quote9fbbf6f60e="good2speed"]people in this countyr dont know how to think effectively and will miss the main intention of a stereotype.[/quote9fbbf6f60e]

What is the main intention of a stereotype?[/quote9fbbf6f60e]

well statement was directed at a specific stereotype not stereotypes in general.

Lets examine this fictional event

I work for a an IT tech company and am a high level manager. My prog/bus force consists of about 10 asian(indian and asian) members and about 15-16 others. Now in programming i can see that the asians are highly proficient and almost always get the work done faster then theior other coutnerparts. Lets say I've been with other companies as well and Ive seen similar patterns of work efficiency from asians.

Lets say I take the asians out to dinner and during conversation I say wow you guys are the best. Your work ethic and integrity is outstanding. You people are very smart and get the work done the fastest. Its been a pleasure having Indians/Asians at our company.

Would I be stereotyping them in a bad way or is there some hidden agenda on my part to disparage them?

[quotef2b3967e02="good2speed"]Math is not a strongpoint for my husband. Therefore, it is only logical to assume they inherited their math ability from me.
[/quotef2b3967e02]

that just screams vanity to me. basically your convinced that they inherited your math genes and are thus good at math. It couldnt have been that you and your husband make them study and may pay considerable more attention to math since it is something you yourself excelled at.

[quote06a51cd4de="good2speed"]Lets say I take the asians out to dinner and during conversation I say wow you guys are the best. Your work ethic and integrity is outstanding. You people are very smart and get the work done the fastest. Its been a pleasure having Indians/Asians at our company.

Would I be stereotyping them in a bad way or is there some hidden agenda on my part to disparage them?[/quote06a51cd4de]

The comment "You people" is not something I would consider "good" if you were referring to me. You are also assuming that they are only smart and get work done faster because they're asian. Why couldn't your last statement just be "It's been a pleasure having all of you at our company"? Why do you HAVE to bring race or ethnicity into it? You're implying that their race or ethnicity is why they are smart and work hard. You're completely ignoring them as individuals.

[quotef2e45d9a52="good2speed"]that just screams vanity to me. basically your convinced that they inherited your math genes and are thus good at math. It couldnt have been that you and your husband make them study and may pay considerable more attention to math since it is something you yourself excelled at.[/quotef2e45d9a52]

If you think it's vanity, then that's ok with me. We do make them study, of course. Actually, I have not had to pay much attention at all to helping them with math. This is one of the ways I know they are good at it. Also, teacher's comments about them understanding new math facts easier than other students is another way.

My 18 year old son, a senior in high school, had to take algebra in 8th AND 9th grades. Now he is taking pre-calc, getting A's and complaining it is too easy! I have done nothing different. I also did not think he was stupid or bad at math when he had to take algebra twice. There were and are many factors that go into his grades. He was allowed to take algebra in 8th grade because the standardized tests showed he had a high math ability, eventhough his grades were not good.

The point I'm trying to make is that there are many factors that make a person who they are. I can't even stereotype my own children. They all have the same parents, same upbringing, etc. But, they are all individuals and different and we have to treat them that way.

[quote02027399b4="theysayjump"]So if someone is bad at Math does that mean they're NOT Asian?[/quote02027399b4]

I think it depends how bad they are at math. lol

[quote7f0703f500="tpkenter"][quote7f0703f500="good2speed"]Lets say I take the asians out to dinner and during conversation I say wow you guys are the best. Your work ethic and integrity is outstanding. You people are very smart and get the work done the fastest. Its been a pleasure having Indians/Asians at our company.

Would I be stereotyping them in a bad way or is there some hidden agenda on my part to disparage them?[/quote7f0703f500]

The comment "You people" is not something I would consider "good" if you were referring to me. You are also assuming that they are only smart and get work done faster because they're asian. Why couldn't your last statement just be "It's been a pleasure having all of you at our company"? Why do you HAVE to bring race or ethnicity into it? You're implying that their race or ethnicity is why they are smart and work hard. You're completely ignoring them as individuals.[/quote7f0703f500]

I am not only assuming they are smart and get work done the fastest because they are asian. In fact in my hypothetical I stated that from my experience being a manger of programmers and business analysts I have seen Asians perform at higher efficiencies then their counterparts which allowed me to make such a conclusion. In fact I shouldve stated in my hypothetical that I started my career doubting the skills of asians and after seeing their performance was convinced of something else.


Maybe your latter statements are correct do a degree. maybe after all these years managing Ive gotten accustomed to the good work done and always look for impressive results from my asian workforce. In fact I may be more inclined to hire an asian worker due to past success of previous employees. Have I stereotyped a bunch of people together absolutely. Is it a bad stereotyp.. to some maybe. In my hypothetical business scenario it would be unfair to some but the thought of asians working harder and more proficiently over my years as a manger would be embedded in my mind if I wanted it there or not. I have bosses to that look for results.

And I guess the point Im tryin to make from the beginning is that good sterotypes are not bad. You want people making good assumptions about your ethnic background.

There is no biological difference in the physical sense for anybody being a better athlete, or being a different "size" wink from anybody else. We're all the same species, and we all came from the same place. Maybe people think that black people are better at sports, but a lot of times, they're being told that it's the only way they can succeed, so that's what they work on. This is true for other stereotypes. A lot of it is the culture you come from.

Thanks to genetics and sociology, some stereotypes are more accurate than others.

Everything other than that statement is subjective and thus pointless to argue towards/against.

i like people that stereotype, makes me laugh that they'd waste there time with it.

I my self don't fit into any category of any kind of stereotype.

People dont know that im a pothead.

Weird huh?

[quotec7573e85f2="ilanbg"]Thanks to genetics and sociology, some stereotypes are more accurate than others.

Everything other than that statement is subjective and thus pointless to argue towards/against.[/quotec7573e85f2]

An accurate stereotype? Wouldnt that just be a fact? And then what happens to the people who are suppose to fit a stereotype but dont act out on it then it feels like people are attacking your race//ethnicity//religion, etc I don't know what could be more disrespectful than someone saying "Your asian I thought you would be good at math or man for someone who is black you don't have hops".

I think I need to keep an eye on this thread...

so what if i had a sterotype that white people are superior to all other races... isnt that a positive sterotype? wow i guess its ok then cause im saying something positive about the race. eng101

[quote495bd57d7f="Bentley"][quote495bd57d7f="ilanbg"]Thanks to genetics and sociology, some stereotypes are more accurate than others.

Everything other than that statement is subjective and thus pointless to argue towards/against.[/quote495bd57d7f]

An accurate stereotype? Wouldnt that just be a fact? And then what happens to the people who are suppose to fit a stereotype but dont act out on it then it feels like people are attacking your race//ethnicity//religion, etc I don't know what could be more disrespectful than someone saying "Your asian I thought you would be good at math or man for someone who is black you don't have hops".[/quote495bd57d7f]

I didn't say any stereotype was accurate; only that some are more accurate than others. And when I say accurate, I mean statistically speaking.

I don't know much about the societal and/or genetic effects that might compel an Asian to be good at math, but if, statistically speaking, Asians are better at math (for whatever reason), then simple statistics dictates that you would be better off assuming the Asian guy is better than the white guy at math. That's assuming that Asian stereotype can be proven to be prevalent (i.e. a study that shows Asians score higher than other ethnicities on math tests), obviously.

A better example would be the stereotype that black people are taller than white people. Obviously this is not always the case. But since black people [i495bd57d7f]are[/i495bd57d7f] taller, [i495bd57d7f]on average[/i495bd57d7f], then, if you had to guess based on that limited information, you would be likelier to be correct if you said the black person was taller.

[quote3e320d3525="JUNIOR6886"]so what if i had a sterotype that white people are superior to all other races... isnt that a positive sterotype? wow i guess its ok then cause im saying something positive about the race. eng101[/quote3e320d3525]

are you white in this scenario. Usually sterotypes are bestowed by people from another ethnicity. If you're white then your a racist/white supremicist, well only if your extreme in your belief. If you're not then I suppose you have an inferiority complex and the stereotype will be your very own because thats not the concrete view other ethnicites hold of whites.

I know you're not white and the above is hypothetical. This is my response to that hypothetical.

[quoteeaeee8afc7="ilanbg"][quoteeaeee8afc7="Bentley"][quoteeaeee8afc7="ilanbg"]Thanks to genetics and sociology, some stereotypes are more accurate than others.

Everything other than that statement is subjective and thus pointless to argue towards/against.[/quoteeaeee8afc7]

An accurate stereotype? Wouldnt that just be a fact? And then what happens to the people who are suppose to fit a stereotype but dont act out on it then it feels like people are attacking your race//ethnicity//religion, etc I don't know what could be more disrespectful than someone saying "Your asian I thought you would be good at math or man for someone who is black you don't have hops".[/quoteeaeee8afc7]

I didn't say any stereotype was accurate; only that some are more accurate than others. And when I say accurate, I mean statistically speaking.

I don't know much about the societal and/or genetic effects that might compel an Asian to be good at math, but if, statistically speaking, Asians are better at math (for whatever reason), then simple statistics dictates that you would be better off assuming the Asian guy is better than the white guy at math. That's assuming that Asian stereotype can be proven to be prevalent (i.e. a study that shows Asians score higher than other ethnicities on math tests), obviously.

A better example would be the stereotype that black people are taller than white people. Obviously this is not always the case. But since black people [ieaeee8afc7]are[/ieaeee8afc7] taller, [ieaeee8afc7]on average[/ieaeee8afc7], then, if you had to guess based on that limited information, you would be likelier to be correct if you said the black person was taller.[/quoteeaeee8afc7]

The differences some of us appear to see is based off a lot off of the culture and geographical area in which ones ancestors come from. In terms of the specific "asians are good at math", it is a byproduct of asian parents generally having high expectations for their children and essentially forcing them them to achieve. Especially in places like China, the schooling especially is very competitive so if they didn't have those expectations, then the child would have a lesser chance of finding a bright future. Now as for why Asians in general seem to not be as athletic, it's b/c in their culture, the focus is heavily emphasized upon academics. Give and take.

[quotecb2ec375ea="ghstlegacy17"]The differences some of us appear to see is based off a lot off of the culture and geographical area in which ones ancestors come from.[/quotecb2ec375ea]

Assuming we make our conclusions on our own perceptions; but that's not a good way of making assumptions.

[quotecb2ec375ea] In terms of the specific "asians are good at math", it is a byproduct of asian parents generally having high expectations for their children and essentially forcing them them to achieve. Especially in places like China, the schooling especially is very competitive so if they didn't have those expectations, then the child would have a lesser chance of finding a bright future. Now as for why Asians in general seem to not be as athletic, it's b/c in their culture, the focus is heavily emphasized upon academics. Give and take.[/quotecb2ec375ea]

Ok, so you're explaining [icb2ec375ea]why[/icb2ec375ea] that stereotype generally holds true; that doesn't disprove it. Now, if the stereotype was "Asians are smarter than [insert ethnicity]," it'd be a valid response.

Unless your post was in agreement with mine, in which case, uh... carry on.

[quoteb3f0a9035b="ilanbg"][quoteb3f0a9035b="ghstlegacy17"]The differences some of us appear to see is based off a lot off of the culture and geographical area in which ones ancestors come from.[/quoteb3f0a9035b]

Assuming we make our conclusions on our own perceptions; but that's not a good way of making assumptions.

[quoteb3f0a9035b] In terms of the specific "asians are good at math", it is a byproduct of asian parents generally having high expectations for their children and essentially forcing them them to achieve. Especially in places like China, the schooling especially is very competitive so if they didn't have those expectations, then the child would have a lesser chance of finding a bright future. Now as for why Asians in general seem to not be as athletic, it's b/c in their culture, the focus is heavily emphasized upon academics. Give and take.[/quoteb3f0a9035b]

Ok, so you're explaining [ib3f0a9035b]why[/ib3f0a9035b] that stereotype generally holds true; that doesn't disprove it. Now, if the stereotype was "Asians are smarter than [insert ethnicity]," it'd be a valid response.

Unless your post was in agreement with mine, in which case, uh... carry on.[/quoteb3f0a9035b]

Haha, I wasn't really disagreeing with you. Actually, I was just presenting an argument of why stereotypes seem to exist in the first place (where people may have got their perceptions from). Doing intensive studies on psych right now and having read up on a lot of studies conducted (actually including conducting one currently on Asian stereotypes), at least in regards to racial stereotypes, there has been no empirical evidence to show any correlations between race and say intelligence or athletic ability. However, one must keep in mind that because these stereotypes are still perceived by others, it often induces the occurrence of the phenomenon "self-fulfilling prophecy", which basically states that when we believe something about someone and behave towards them according to our belief, it will in turn lead them to act in a way that fulfills our initial expectations, no matter how false they might be when related to the population as a whole.

"[quoteb3f0a9035b="ghstlegacy17"]The differences some of us appear to see is based off a lot off of the culture and geographical area in which ones ancestors come from.[/quoteb3f0a9035b]

Assuming we make our conclusions on our own perceptions; but that's not a good way of making assumptions."

Actually that assumption (culture and geographical area) is backed up by a multitude of empirical evidence. Also, it's impossible for us not to make assumptions based off of our perceptions as we cannot simply "not perceive". Take for example, the famous wineglass/two people kissing picture (not sure if you've seen it before but most probably have). Some people when viewing it would see the former, other would see the latter. But who is to say who has the better perception? In any case, I'm not sure exactly what you're trying to argue with what you said about conclusions and assumptions and most likely I probably misunderstood what you were trying to say so I won't get further into that unless you want to continue a discussion about it )

both of you got to smart for the discussion at hand and ended up confusing each other.

Let me help basically ilan is saying stereotypes exist and can be properly asserted when theres statistical evidence that back up a claim(looking at math results of asians versus others and finding they score better).

ghstlegacy17 is basically saying that there is some great downside to even labeling soemone with a general steretype due to what may happen to said person if he doesnt meet or exceed certain expected characteristics/behavior of a stereotype.

let me dumb the conversation back down for a second now.

Stereotypes that portray an ethnicity or group in a favorable view is a good thing. If epople are upset that they dont fit the favorable characteristics bestowed on them by others then they are oversensitive.

Asking someone why theyre not aceing math becuase theyre asian is not a bad thing either as I, as a father, would expect similar results regardless of the skin color of my child.

People are going to make assumptions and generalizations about your culture whether you want them to or not. I just feel its better to have them think better of you then worse of you. and being good at math isnt such a bad thing now is it.

[quote040533a48e="good2speed"]both of you got to smart for the discussion at hand and ended up confusing each other.

Let me help basically ilan is saying stereotypes exist and can be properly asserted when theres statistical evidence that back up a claim(looking at math results of asians versus others and finding they score better).

ghstlegacy17 is basically saying that there is some great downside to even labeling soemone with a general steretype due to what may happen to said person if he doesnt meet or exceed certain expected characteristics/behavior of a stereotype.

let me dumb the conversation back down for a second now.

Stereotypes that portray an ethnicity or group in a favorable view is a good thing. If epople are upset that they dont fit the favorable characteristics bestowed on them by others then they are oversensitive.

Asking someone why theyre not aceing math becuase theyre asian is not a bad thing either as I, as a father, would expect similar results regardless of the skin color of my child.

People are going to make assumptions and generalizations about your culture whether you want them to or not. I just feel its better to have them think better of you then worse of you. and being good at math isnt such a bad thing now is it.[/quote040533a48e]

Haha, yeah, we probably did end up confusing each other XD Basically though, I agree with most of what ilanbg said. Stereotypes do exist, but they can't be taken to be a "fact" about any particular race because each individual is different in their own respects. Merely, statistical evidence suggests that some stereotypes seem to hold true more often than other stereotypes, which is exactly what ilanbg stated.

I agree with what you said in the last part too about people are going to make assumptions and generalizations. In psych, we learned that when we don't know people individually, we tend to classify them based on what we know about a group...and it so happens that one of the most easily accessible groups = race. Thus, whereas it'd probably be impossible to ever eliminate stereotypes and have people look at each person as an individual, we might as well make the best of it from a global point of view and be glad we're not as ignorant and biased as many others that are out there ^^

[quotec5ff5535d6="good2speed"]Stereotypes that portray an ethnicity or group in a favorable view is a good thing. If epople are upset that they dont fit the favorable characteristics bestowed on them by others then they are oversensitive. [/quotec5ff5535d6]

No, because "favorable" is a subjective term. Is being good at math a favorable concept? Not if you don't want to be good at math. What if you're Asian and want to be an artist? Why should society compel a person to fit a certain mold based on unrelated genetic traits?

[quotec5ff5535d6]Asking someone why theyre not aceing math becuase theyre asian is not a bad thing either as I, as a father, would expect similar results regardless of the skin color of my child. [/quotec5ff5535d6]

Then maybe you should have an Asian child. But then I guess you couldn't ask tell him to excel at sports?

The fact that stereotypes exist, both by following and ignoring empirical data, should be understood—not accepted. As ghstlegacy17 mentioned, the very existence of some (if not most) of these stereotypes perpetuates themselves.

[quotebad44601e5="ilanbg"]
Then maybe you should have an Asian child. But then I guess you couldn't ask tell him to excel at sports?

The fact that stereotypes exist, both by following and ignoring empirical data, should be understood—not accepted. As ghstlegacy17 mentioned, the very existence of some (if not most) of these stereotypes perpetuates themselves.[/quotebad44601e5]

just for you I'll have an asian child. And just for you I'll push him to excel at both academics and sports. I am not going to subject my child to certain general charecteristics that he/she should have based on ethnic background but I will have my own expectations.

Listen why dont we just end the argument. You having 5,000+ posts seem like you like posting a lot. I dont. If I dont respond to you pretend that I did and continue the conversation with yourself.

[quote6b489e77ce="ilanbg"][quote6b489e77ce="good2speed"]Stereotypes that portray an ethnicity or group in a favorable view is a good thing. If epople are upset that they dont fit the favorable characteristics bestowed on them by others then they are oversensitive. [/quote6b489e77ce]

No, because "favorable" is a subjective term. Is being good at math a favorable concept? Not if you don't want to be good at math. What if you're Asian and want to be an artist? Why should society compel a person to fit a certain mold based on unrelated genetic traits?

[quote6b489e77ce]Asking someone why theyre not aceing math becuase theyre asian is not a bad thing either as I, as a father, would expect similar results regardless of the skin color of my child. [/quote6b489e77ce]

Then maybe you should have an Asian child. But then I guess you couldn't ask tell him to excel at sports?

The fact that stereotypes exist, both by following and ignoring empirical data, should be understood—not accepted. As ghstlegacy17 mentioned, the very existence of some (if not most) of these stereotypes perpetuates themselves.[/quote6b489e77ce]

Good point I was trying to say that. Hes right though we don't need a discussion about this, we learned why we shouldn't stereotype in elementary school so theres no point in talking about it.