Pondering “Reverse” Stereotypes (Part 2)
By living in northern Illinois, Iowa and Spain, my experience has been that (in general) people from small towns generally have limited worldly exposure. Most have not traveled much, lacking the opportunity to broaden their horizons due to lack of finances, time, desire, or opportunity otherwise. Therefore, their worldview is often shaped by mass media portrayals.
My experience has been that the media often portrays negative images of certain races and ethnicities, and rarely shows successful members of those communities. Local television stations often air African-Americans only when their mug shots are shown regarding alleged crimes or when being interviewed about some negative goings-on in the community. Because so often negative aspects of the lives of African-Americans are shown, “personal” experiences of non-African-Americans are often based upon a psychological theory called confirmation bias. Confirmation bias is the tendency for a person to focus on and remember information that affirms what they already believe to be true; exceptions are often brushed aside. Because successful members of the African American and minority communities are not portrayed in a positive way, negative perceptions are formed, and special attention is paid to the way they present themselves to the general public, often in a negative manner.
[More to follow in a future installment.]