Madison Rogers 11469520 Ouch!

That Stereotype Hurts: Real Life Situations There are many things people are guilty of; one of these things includes stereotyping of others. What is stereotyping? Stereotyping is the act of judging something or someone negatively for who they really are with nothing to support it. In someones lifetime they have either been the attacker of stereotyping while others have been the sufferer in the situation. It is also one of the diversity issues in our society today, and people are too quick to judge others these days. Ouch! That Stereotype Hurts by Leslie Aguilar has really made me realize that this happens in everyday life and is something that can easily get out of control. Throughout my paper, I will be contrasting scenario types, like business theories to the different stereotyping situations throughout the book, OUCH! That Stereotype Hurts. In the book, OUCH! That Stereotype Hurts, Aguliar gives many familiar occurrences in stereotyping situations. Aguliar states, Think for a moment about the stereotypes you have heard expressed about older people, teenagers, Jews, Muslims, Christians, women, black men, white men, blondes, overweight people, welfare recipients, rich people (16). Stereotyping is very diverse and it is happening all around, even when some may not even believe that it exist. It has its negative effects on each person differently. Sometimes even a good stereotype can have bad intentions. One scenario that stood out was a young lady, Mary, had just returned back to work after giving birth to her child and was attending the staff meeting. Pat, who was Marys manager, announced something to Mary that no one expected during the meeting. Everyone was in shock; no one could actually believe she made the comment (Aguliar 18). Did Pat intentionally mean what she said in a bad way towards Mary? I feel that she initially didnt mean for it, that is just how everyone took it. This just shows how simple a stereotype can be brought up in an everyday conversation. Also, with this scenario, it points out that one comment can not

Madison Rogers 11469520 only affect one person, but everyone that is present at the time. Another scenario explained in the book was some friends got together one night at a party. They were all sitting around and the joke telling began or in other words stereotyping. There was a few that didnt care to hear them, but they were all afraid to speak up to say something (Aguilar 48). It is extremely easy to sit back in a crowd and listen instead of speaking up, knowing that the situation is wrong; I have actually experienced this myself. One day, I was hanging out with a bunch of my friends at school, during lunch break, and we were all laughing and having a good time. Well, one of my friends decided he was going to crack a joke about racism, and me being the shy person I just sat back and laughed. I believe that in our society, people know stereotyping is a big issue, but at times people are afraid to speak up and take a stand for that person. Diversity Challenges-Stereotyping states, Stereotype is a mental picture developed as a result of a myth. People dont often realize manifestations of their own bias and prejudice towards others (Andrade). Often others are so use to making a stereotype of someone that it tends to come up in a conversation and they really do not even come to realize what they truly said. It is just something that comes natural. Take the community we live in. Some people live in really nice communities with two story houses and others just live in maybe a mobile home. People begin to rank based on where you live and what you live in without even realizing. For example, growing up in southeast Oklahoma I lived in the country in a double wide trailer house. That did not mean we did not have the money that is just what we simply choose to live in. No matter if you live in that two story house or a double wide trailer house, you are still a human being just like the rest. Oklahoma State University gives us the opportunity to experience diversity just by taking a walk around campus and getting put into a stereotype situation. How does diversity fit into

Madison Rogers 11469520 stereotypes? Well, by being so diverse on campus based on their race, gender, major, or education level, it is easy for someone to fall in the category of stereotypes. The diverse campus is also stereotyped itself with different schools such as: College of Agriculture Sciences and Natural Resources, College of Education, College of Human Sciences, and Spears School of Business, just to name some. Coming from a small town, people may not realize how diverse the society really is, until it is experienced by walking through the campus. They are still all working towards the same goal, which is finding success for students. I feel like being diverse to learn differences between others within the college gives a great opportunity to learn and makes others become aware of the surroundings. In the book, OUCH! That Stereotype Hurts, it states, People dont care how much you know until they know how much you care (Aguilar 68). This statement really hits me hard because it is so true, and no one understands the true value of caring for others. How can someone overcome the situation of stereotyping? There are many ways someone can take the first step in making a difference in the stereotyping world. When planning something, make sure to invite various groups of people, so everyone will feel welcome. Also, take into account all of the different holidays diverse groups have and when scheduling make sure to not do it on those days. Learn to communicate with all sorts of languages; this can only benefit in the long run. Stop Stereotyping states, To stop stereotyping is realizing that we are in fact stereotyping and admitting that we are at fault (Freels). Realizing that someone is at fault in a stereotyping situation is learning to accept the behavior that has been created. Someone has to take responsibility of their own actions. By making a stereotype judgment is serving the penalty that is willing to be taken control of. When something goes wrong, someone has to learn to accept the consequences that come along.

Madison Rogers 11469520 In the lecture video, Dr. Jason Kirksey stated, Diversity requires stepping out of our comfort zone. Be willing to take that extra step of effort of having all friends from different ethnic backgrounds. Also, it relates back to the stereotyping concept, that having a diverse group of friends leads you to not make the judgment of others. Another statement that Dr. Jason Kirksey stated, Diversity is about confronting our bias and learning about ourselves (and others). These words really stood out to me because someone is too quick to judge by gender, wealth, or disability before they actually know the true story of someones past. Many people forget to realize that there is a much bigger picture than the image of what they have painted for everyone. Stereotyping is not just an action made and forgotten about, it is something that will stay around forever once it is spoken. OUCH! That Stereotype Hurts by Leslie Aguilar has really given me a whole different outlook on stereotyping and has shown me the effects in the situations. It really made me open my eyes and change the way I view the differences of anyone in the society today. We are all the same people who have feelings and care for others. One thing to take away from this essay is the next time a stereotype is placed on someone, wonder if it is really worth the fight.

Madison Rogers 11469520 Works Citied Aguilar, Leslie C. Ouch! That Stereotype Hurts. The Walk the Talk Company, 2006. Print. Andrade, Sahar. Diversity Challenges-Stereotyping. Technorati. 15 June 2011. Web. 15 Feb. 2014. Freels, Cody. Stop Stereotyping: Make the Future a Better Place to Live. Manchester. Web. 15 Feb. 2014.