Too smart to stereotype?

Often, when I do culture or diversity training and we begin to talk about stereotypes people frequently say, ‘It only takes education, once people are educated they won’t stereotype, they will know better.’ Unfortunately, I have found that this is not necessarily the case.

Lawrence Summers, the President of Harvard, suggested that the lack of women in economics, science and technology had more to do with women having an innate inability to deal with numbers than with prejudice and discrimination. In the recent E. coli outbreak in Germany it seems that German ministers have succumbed to the stereotyping of their southern European neighbours by quickly blaming Spanish vegetable growers, with the insinuation that poor hygiene was the cause. But as Veronika Hackenbroch pointed out in Der Spiegel EU controls on hygiene have transformed all agricultural production and food handling. In fact, outbreaks of E. coli are more common in the USA than in Spain.

In the West we like to pride ourselves on our rationality, basing our decisions and behaviours on science and facts, but we are just as culpable as anyone else when it comes to prejudice and stereotypes. But because we don’t think we are like that it is easy for us to avoid the issue. The biggest barrier to dealing with stereotypes is when someone says, ‘I don’t have any bias, I don’t have any stereotypes.’

So beware, be smart – look out for your own stereotypes and prejudices.

Stereotypes are usually out of date.

A group of Scottish holiday makers were in Germany with their young children. One of the children was misbehaving and as a result was disciplined with a smack on the leg. A German man approached and reprimanded the parent by saying ‘We don’t hit children here.’ The Scottish person replied ‘Well, we don’t gas people.’

Without getting into a discussion about whether or not corporal punishment should be used on children, the comment made to the German man reflected a view of Germans that is some 70 years out of date. In fact much of the British interactions with Germans or Germany is still couched in language that belongs to a previous century. As a nation we cannot seem to let go of the view of Germany that includes the Nazis, the gas chambers and the second world war in general. Even in sport and comedy the imagery of WWII is used and predominates.

For many elderly people who have memories of the war, this may be understandable, but for the rest of us we need to take realise that the world has moved on. Both Germany and Britain are different places than they were 70 years ago and the old images simply are not appropriate. (Britain has some dark history of its own that other nations still remember to this day as well.)  We need to reflect of the stereotypes we hold of other nations and consider how out of date they can be and often are.

Stereotypes restrict and impoverish those we impose them on.

At the Everywoman Scotland conference on Tuesday 2nd March the speaker was Liz Jackson, the founder of Great Guns Marketing. She described how as a young teenager she was encouraged by her boss to develop her strengths and face personal and career challenges.

As she told her story it was obvious that Liz was not someone to let anything stand in her way of achieving what she set her mind on. The amazing thing was that, just as she was launching her business, she lost her sight in the short space of three months. She told us of the occupational therapist who came to see her and who advised her that now might not be the best time for her to continue with setting up a business and suggested some alternatives for her – jobs such as wood turning, massage or piano tuning. Liz, however was not to be deterred. She forged ahead with her plans and her company has since gone on to become the UK’s leading business-to-business telemarketing company with both Liz and the company winnning several awards along the way.

While the occupational therapist was obviously trying to help, and was aware that such a life-changing loss could be a difficult time for many people, Liz felt that she was being stereotyped into the ‘disabled’ category where challenges were to be avoided and the safe and comfortable options would be better for her. 

Stereotyping people can narrow down and restrict their options. Just as the young Asian teenager who was told by his careers advisor that he didn’t need to worry about a career plan because he could always go and work in his father’s take-away restaurant.

Liz Jackson’s favourite quote is ‘If you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re absolutely right.’ Henry Ford. We don’t have to live according to other people’s stereotypes of us.

Stereotypes – Alive and Well

 

Don’t trust the b*****s! was the comment from a delegate at a recent training event.

 

We were discussing the influences in our lives that had informed our interaction with certain groups of people. When asked to list the influences on his life regarding management, this delegate related that his parents had been socialists and very involved in unions. This comment had been their mantra regarding management and so had become his default position on management as well.

 

When asked if he had found any evidence to the contrary, he had replied ‘no’, but his attitude meant that he looked at management in only one way and so would not have been open to any other viewpoint even if it had been presented to him.

 

Another delegate told of an incident when, in an altercation, a German tourist commented on a Scottish person’s behaviour, the person had responded ‘At least we don’t gas people.’

 

Stereotypes, behaviour based on an inappropriate generalisation, exist not only across cultures, but also within our own culture. These behaviours are acted out in the workplace and can then lead to prejudice, discrimination and persecution. This produces an atmosphere of distrust, lack of open communication and can destroy any sense of cohesive team work.

 

Facing our stereotypes can be a scary and emotional experience, but it is something that needs to be done if people are to work together in a way that is productive and which will bring out the best in everyone in the workplace.

 

A Scottish Government survey in 2006 found that 29% of Scottish people believe that ‘Sometimes there is good reason for people to be prejudiced against certain groups.’1

 

According to The Government Economic Strategy published in 2007 by the Scottish Government, the aim is to promote Scotland as an attractive place for skilled workers who can contribute to the Scottish economy. 2

 

If this becomes a reality then we need to work at cross-cultural skills to develop a workplace that will be welcoming and encouraging for those from a different cultural background. Recognising and dealing with our own stereotypes can be the first step in making our workplace one that is comfortable for anyone from any culture.

 

1. Attitudes to Discrimination in Scotland:2006 by Catherine Bromley, John Curtice and Lisa Given. Scottish Government Social Research, 2007, p9

2. The Government Economic Strategy, The Scottish Government: 2007, p25