Misconception Alert

1
Misconception Alert

• Beware! Stereotyping was first used in 1949 by
  Walter Lippman in his book, Public Opinion, to
  mean a kind of oversimplification and
  generalization. Lippman addressed the idea of
  stereotyping racial and ethnic groups, concluding
  that it was irrational and inaccurate since the
  behaviors or attitudes of a large group of people
  could not be simply classified.
• However, there is a natural tendency in human
  beings to put things in simple groups as part of
  the thinking process. This helps explain why it
  is difficult for people to move beyond racial and
  ethnic stereotyping. Educated people see the
  absurdity in classifying the behaviors and
  attitudes of large groups of people. Yet, the
  use of stereotyping people by race or ethnicity
  (and other characteristics) continues especially
  when there is sometimes a kernel of truth to the
  stereotype.
• People do not believe that certain
  characteristics are true of all within the
  identified group. Those behaviors/attitudes
  might be typically true for some. This idea also
  helps to make negative stereotyping difficult to
  eradicate. Can stereotyping be negative? If so,
  what are positive stereotypes called?
• Source Multicultural Relations on Campus A
  Personal Growth Approach by Parker, Archer and
  Scott. (1992)

2
Misconception Alert

• Traditionally, as teachers, we are seen as the
  expert in a particular topic. When teaching
  ethics, this expectation can be deadly. Do you
  know of any experts in the area of teaching
  ethics, short of highly respected religious
  figures (some of whom are known to have fallen
  from grace)? Even the deep thinkers of the
  past, like Aristotle and Socrates, dialogued
  with their contemporaries on this topic, and they
  never preached to know it all. The purpose here
  is to advise teachers and students alike that
  teaching and learning about ethics should be a
  discovery exercise for both. Teachers are the
  facilitators in the process.
• Source Commonsense and Rafaelas past
  experiences