Stereotypes of Gender, Race and Class - Essay Example

Stereotypes of Gender, Race and Class Stereotyping have always existed in society, and it is perhaps one way that people interpret other people and the world around them. Sadly, most of these stereotypes are due to prejudices, brainwashing and a lack of understanding of the true nature of people, as well as a lack of experience in and exposure to the community of these people. Among those highly stereotyped people include African-American women in terms of gender, the Ultra Orthodox Jews in Israel in terms of class, and the Arabs in terms of race. Stereotype of Gender In episode 1 of the YouTube video of the talk show entitled “My Black is Beautiful,” with the subtitle “Defining Black Beauty” and which is hosted by the actress Tasha Smith, the host and the panelists delve deep into the concept of African-American beauty as it is being perceived today, and they discuss how these views have somehow changed through the years. The ages of women mostly depicted in the show are those in their 20s and 30s, and the ideal look is someone who is sexy and sleek. The black American woman was, however, once treated inferior to the white woman, and was once associated with slavery, especially in the early 20th century even years after the Civil War, and that their black hair is even “part of the legacy of slavery” (My Black is Beautiful, Episode 3). Aside from these, no other such comments are given regarding African-American women, as the whole show seems to be one that empowers them. In fact, although neither the host of the show or the panelists said it, the show was somehow aimed at African American women in the United States who somehow still have the inferiority complex due to their skin color. The show is actually almost 99% positive, praising the Black American woman in every way possible – through their intelligence, physical appearance, and natural charm. Nevertheless, the mere presence of a special video presentation as this means that there is actually stereotyping of African-American women. Admittedly, the stereotype of an African-American woman, especially outside the United States, may be that of someone who is inferior not only because of skin color but also because of both the dark skin color and the fact that they are women. Black American women therefore, although they do not explicitly say it, may actually be facing discrimination all the time from those who look down on both women and dark-skinned people. This may even actually be the main reason for having such a TV show on empowering black women. In fact, the show is full of comments which are geared to uplift the status of black women. Most of these comments like “We make any color work regardless of what color that is,” or “We come in different shapes and sizes,” are actually also true of any other race of women (My Black is Beautiful, Episode 1). Stereotype of Class In the Australian show entitled Dateline, hosted by George Negus, the Ultra Orthodox Jews in Israel are presented as a class which is inferior to that of the secular Jews. The suburb featured in the documentary show had people who lived simple lives. They have no TV and they do not use many forms of modern equipment for fear that these will corrupt the innocence of their youth. Moreover, they have only prayer, ritual, study, and strictly prescribed dress codes. The discrimination against the Ultra Orthodox Jews are directed against them because of their refusal to obey government laws, their desire to keep their men from joining the army, and their habit of living on government handouts, which are often viewed by the secular Jews as rather unfair. Moreover, they are also being criticized by the secular Jews for discouraging their intelligent youth to get themselves involved in a modern society (Israel’s Ultra Orthodox, Episode 1). As shown in the documentary films, the main differences between the secular Jews and the Ultra Orthodox Jews are in the matter of lifestyle and beliefs. The former have embraced modern technology while the latter have remained conservative and even rather very traditional. With the Ultra Orthodox Jews, what is associated is usually ignorance and stupidity. This association is found in some English films authored by secular Jews. Moreover, they are also associated with violence like the destruction of some establishments that sell pork, and throwing stones on passing cars during the Sabbath, when Ultra Orthodox Jews believe driving should be prohibited (Israel’s Ultra Orthodox, Episode 1). It is clear that for very traditional classes with very strict religious laws, violence is always expected as long as they have to deal with whatever is modern. Stereotype of Race In the YouTube video presentation entitled “Edward Said on Orientalism,” the Arabs as well as the whole Oriental race are depicted as discriminated and stereotyped by the Western world. Excessive prejudices against Arabs are shown through their depiction in Western films as terrorists or so-called fanatical freedom fighters. Other rather unfair portrayals of the Arab image and that of other Western oriental people are in paintings where the Arab people are depicted as rather timelessly traditional (Edward Said on Orientalism). Thus, the implication is that they do not change according to the times and that they are obstinate in their beliefs and convictions. Thus, these speculations on their personality translate as an image of a relentless and fanatical terrorist or suicide bomber. In fact, according to Said, even Arabs who are talking to each other in their own language are thought of as plotting the destruction of another country or anything against the Western world or the United States, when in fact the conversation is a far cry from what is suspected (Edward Said on Orientalism). In short, the Arabs are almost always immediately associated with the Muslim religion, and this religion is particularly associated with terrorism and other violent activities that could have been aggravated by Western films that portray violent Arab characters. The Arab race, based on the information from this YouTube documentary film, is usually associated with immorality because Arabs are often portrayed in films and other forms of media as destroyers of peace and order. Thus, the Arab race is often regarded and stereotyped as a race that is not as moral as the Western race. The result of these prejudices against Arabs and against other Oriental people is that there is a possibility of greater discrimination and segregation of the Arab race in the Western world. Moreover, since the Middle East is often depicted as “different and threatening,” then this will likely have negative consequences in the attitude of people towards all Middle Eastern countries and towards all Muslims in general (Edward Said on Orientalism). The point is that the imperialist brainwashing approach by the Western world known as Orientalism is a demonstration of the lack of understanding of the true nature of the object of discrimination. Conclusion Based on the videos that have been analyzed for stereotyping, it is implied that the African-American woman is stereotyped as someone of a lower status than a white woman, perhaps because of their role in slavery in the past. The Ultra Orthodox Jews are also stereotyped as ignorant and violent because of their extremely conservative beliefs and practices. Moreover, Arab people are stereotyped as violent and relentlessly fanatical Muslim terrorists who are bent on destroying America and the Western world. However, these stereotypes exist because they are the result of prejudices, brainwashing and a lack of understanding of the people that are being discriminated. Top of Form Bottom of Form Works Cited Edward Said on Orientalism.” 1998. YouTube. 27 Feb 2013. Israel’s Ultra Orthodox.” 2008. YouTube. 1 Mar 2013. My Black is Beautiful, Episode 1 (Defining Black Beauty).” 2009. YouTube. 28 Feb 2013. My Black is Beautiful, Episode 3 (Hair).” 2009. YouTube. 28 Feb 2013. Read More