Conference quark::human_relations-v1

673.0. "Generally Speaking" by BRADOR::HATASHITA () Sat Feb 04 1989 16:24

    The previous note contained replies which contained some specific
    gender generalizations.  It was pointed out that, on the whole, women
    noters leaned towards the "He's being selfish" side of the argument
    while the men generally gave a "It's his to do as he pleases" argument.
    
    Everyone generalizes.  The amount of informations our brains must
    process every second of every day would make even the largest VAX
    clusters choke.  We have to reduce broad terms and overwhelming
    concepts (such as men and women) into what we perceive to be their
    simplified "packages".  
    
    Unfortunately, not everyone reduces things the same way.  And no two
    people perceive an abstract concept with the same general terms. So we
    are left with a whole multitude of generalizations which we, as
    individuals, generally guard as truths.  Also, as individuals, we usually
    demand that concepts which are close to our own hearts (our sex,
    our race, our nationalities) be viewed by others in all their complex
    glory and yet we turn around and generalize about "the other concepts".
    
    Here are some generalizations (not my own):
    
    -Women are more emotional than men.
    
    -Men are more violent than women.
    
    -Men would rather drink beer and watch a football game than go to
    a ballet.
    
    -Women change their minds all the time.
    
    -Orientals are lousy drivers.
    
    -Communists are warmongers.
    
    -Jewish people are greedy.
    
    -Black people make better athletes.
    
    -Irish people drink to excess.
    
    -White South Africans are racist.
    
    Where do we draw the line between a valid and an invalid generaliztion?
    
    If there are no valid generalizations, how do we cope with these
    concepts with our inherent limitted capacities?
    
    When is it a generalization and when is it a stereotype?
    
    What other generalizations do people hold regarding the opposite
    sex?  Other nationalities?  Other races?

Stereotype: (n) 2. A conventional and usually oversimplified conception or
 belief.  3. One considered typical of a kind and without individuality.

Prejudice: (n) 1. A strong feeling for or against something formed before one
 knows the facts.

People are complicated.  Certain generalizations are often useful to keep track
of things.  When you let oversimplified generalizations apply to too large a
group of people, that's a stereotype.  I would say that most of the generaliz-
ations listed in .0 are safely within the category of "stereotypes".  If you
meet a new person and ASSUME that the "appropriate" stereotypes apply, that's
prejudice.

As long as you realize that generalizations NEVER apply to individuals (and
that, of course, includes THIS generalization!), you're usually OK.

	/dave

    
    
    	How do we decide if a generalization is valid or invalid? Why,
    that's easy - it depends on whether it validates or invalidates the
    person it's being attributed to!
    	
    	Joe Jas

    ;-)
    
    
    ... like someone I know used to say, "There are two kinds of people
    in the world....  Those who divide the world into two kinds of people
    and those who don't...."
    

     Re.4  - Precisely !
    
    0>> Where do we draw the line between a valid and an invalid generalization?
    
      <we>  Ahem !