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Stereotype Threats in Whistling Vivaldi
Q1. Steele describes stereotype threats as negative perceptions that affect our relationships with other people. Whenever challenges arise, individuals in that society are expected to brave and equally perform like everyone else. When the victims of the negative attitudes think about the imposed characteristics tied to their identity, they find it a real restriction to their functioning and abilities. Steele notes that “imposing on us certain conditions of life, our social identities can strongly affect things as important as performances in the classroom.” (539). Stereotype threats impose pressure on the subjects to prove themselves to others. Steele records how white students from Princeton University performed poorly when given a gold task and told that the activity was a measure of athletic ability. They golfed poorly because they were avoiding the risk of being stereotyped (Steele 543). A group of black students performed well because they did not feel the urge to prove their athletic ability. Thus, imposed expectations affect performance in individuals, which is a significant threat.
SQ2. I have an uncle who has experienced the stereotype threats severally. He lives in a neighborhood whose majority of residents are medium-income groups but has several rich friends from distant areas. Whenever they have a joint social event, for instance, going out for fun, they often tease him that he cannot buy essential items a man should have. Eventually, he ends up spending a lot to prove that he is financially able and manly. Without his friends’ external pressure, he would lead an ordinary life and even buy all that he needs without impulsively making unnecessary expenses.
Q3. The author suggests that we should recognize stereotype threats as a factor in our lives to address the problem both personally and socially. Since everyone can be biased, discipline is central in constraining bias. When the author whistled Vivaldi, it reduced the tension in those he interacted with, but such an approach cannot combat stereotypes in society. Submitting to the status quo of negative attitudes only nurtures the stereotypes to last longer.
Work Cited
Steele, Claude. Whistling Vivaldi. 2011, pp. 537-550.