Thesis Statement: “Single stories” pose a significant threat to the cultural integrity, identity, and freedom of oppressed groups of people through the generalization of their cultural characteristics.
Thesis Statement #2: “Single stories” and “stereotype threat” are critical social issues that obstruct the freedom and identities of oppressed groups around the world through the generalization of harmful stereotypes.
“Single stories” and “stereotype threat” are critical social issues that obstruct the freedom and identities of many people around the world. In this sense, heavily stereotyped groups, such as racial minorities or LGBTQ people, might feel significant pressure from society (Hopper par. 3). In turn, they worry about conforming to the stereotypes, which restrict their freedom of expression (Hopper par. 3). “Single stories” refer to the overall generalization of a group in one passage that frequently portrays from a negative perspective. This issue is also relevant in formal institutions, including healthcare services, where there are noticeable gaps between racial groups in the United States (Saini para. 10). Consequently, “stereotype threat” manifests not only in direct harassment but also in unconscious bias. This concept implies that people might unconsciously associate certain groups with stereotypes, which changes their attitudes and perspectives (Marcelin et al. 62). Therefore, it is essential to overcome the stereotypes to mitigate the challenges of “single stories.”
Some of the most effective methods to eliminate the bias of minority groups are education and social awareness. Chiesa et al. (2) demonstrate that collective strategies of social exchange might reduce the prejudice against older workers in organizations. In this case, education promotes communication and mutual understanding, which are essential to mitigate the “stereotype threat.” On the other hand, Islam and Asadullah (para. 1) reveal that some education methods might enable the opposite effect. The authors state that unsupervised textbooks might only increase the gap between racial groups and increase the strength of stereotypes (Islam and Asadullah para. 1). Ultimately, education is an effective method to overcome stereotypes, but it should be used with caution.
Works Cited
Chiesa, Rita, et al. “Coping with negative stereotypes toward older workers: Organizational and work-related outcomes.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 10, 2019.
Hopper, Elizabeth. “What is Stereotype Threat? The Negative Effects of Worrying about Confirming a Stereotype.” ThoughtCo, 2019, Web.
Islam, K. and Asadullah, N. “Gender stereotypes and education: A comparative content analysis of Malaysian, Indonesian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi school textbooks.” Plos One, vol. 13, no. 1, 2018.
Marcelin, Jasmine R., et al. “The Impact of Unconscious Bias in Healthcare: How to Recognize and Mitigate it.” The Journal of Infectious Diseases, vol. 220, 2019, pp. 62-73.
Saini, A. (2020). “Stereotype Threat.” The Lancer, vol. 395, no. 10237, 2020, pp. 1604-1605.