Stereotyping– An Auto-ethnographic Reflection

Topic

Stereotyping – An Auto-ethnographic Reflection

Instructions

This assessment extends ideas you explored in your racial autobiography. Drawing on your personal history and experience (this can include discussions with your family members and friends, anecdotes, and memories as well as discussions from this and other classes), reflect on what you learned about race and gender in this class, the questions it has raised for you with respect to your own identity and community, and ways you will (or won’t) use the theoretical concepts you have learned in your life and/or work. While some description is necessary for this assessment, make sure your essay provides an analysis of key events and examples from your personal experience
(past or present) using theoretical concepts from the unit.

Answer preview

Race and gender are two concepts that have been used to categorize and define groups of people. My readings, lecture sessions and other learning interactions in this class have helped me learn a lot on race and gender. Prior to enrolling in this class, I was superficially aware of the concepts of stereotyping, category-making and other ethnocentric tendencies. It is evident now, more than before, that race and gender have been used in ways other than classifying and identifying people as being of a certain race and gender. Rather, racial and gender-based definitions have been used ethnocentrically to degrade and disenfranchise people perceived to be “others” (Fiske, 2017).

Word count: 2112