The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression
Recently I was watching a show in which a deaf girl experienced `prejudice because of her deafness. Some children her age were mocking her by asking some stereotypical “deaf questions” and making fun of the way she spoke. By making fun of her the other children made the girl feel like an outsider, like she was not one of them and not on equal footing with them. This incident made me feel very sympathetic towards the girl and annoyed and disappointed in the other children. My first thought was “children can be so mean sometimes.” In order to turn this incident into one of greater equity the other children would have to make a real effort to know the girl and not just give in to deaf stereotypes. It might help for them to remember that people no matter their condition have feelings that can be hurt. The children would have to stop making fun of her and truly get to know her. In this way both parties could get to know each other and the girl could probably dispel some of the stereotypes that they harbored.
Hello Karina,
ReplyDeleteChildren can be cruel sometimes. Teaching children to understand differences and to not pass judgment on others is a challenge, but needs to be done. Once children can understand that stereotypes diminish us as individuals, then they can try to get to know people and let the characteristics of that person shine through, and not their social identity or disability. Great post, Karina!