In this week’s blog, I will discuss bias, prejudice and
stereotyping. These topics are crucially
important in today’s society because
we must be aware of what makes us tick before we can successfully interact with
others. By knowing about ourselves, it will assist us with the greater picture
of interaction and leadership of others. Those in power obviously need to know
their limitations about their individual likes and dislikes. With that said,
what do these ideals mean?
Bias is
defined by the Oxford dictionary as: prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with
another, usually in a way considered to be unfair.
Prejudice is
defined by the Oxford dictionary as: preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience.
Stereotype is defined by the Oxford dictionary as: a widely
held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person
or thing.
Why are these
ideals important? Why do those in power need to be aware of these simple ideals?
As I previously stated, an individual’s personal makeup, that is their personal
beliefs can and will dictate what they do if they are not aware of the pitfalls
that go with those beliefs. As leaders, they must evaluate all information, to
include their personal beliefs to ensure that a correct decision can and will be
made. Even an honest mistake is still a mistake and can take away from a leader
that is held in high esteem.
Everybody has
biases and prejudices. This is not necessarily a bad thing as some biases could
be as simple as disliking ketchup or choosing mustard over mayonnaise.
Obviously this is an over simplified analogy but it meant to show that
everybody has likes and dislikes. Even when it comes to prejudices, everybody
has them. All of us have assumed various thoughts about other classes of people
only to find out that those thoughts were not correct. People have an uncanny
way of doing things that we did not believe that they would or could do. In
most cases, prejudices are imparted on us by those people that raised us. Our
circle of friends that we interact with throughout our lives also mold these
beliefs. We as humans tend to do things that we are comfortable with thus we
create habits. In some cases it is hard to go outside of those comfort zones
for fear of putting ourselves in unknown waters and not knowing what to expect.
This is a hindrance to our societal and knowledge growth. In order to combat
this, we must place ourselves in positions to expand our horizons and knowledge
base, if we do not we keep ourselves in a cocoon of repetition that assists us
with nothing.
Stereotypes, also
cause a lot of problems with everybody. Stereotypes are beliefs about a
specific group of people. The problem with stereotypes is that they mostly
portray races or groups in a negative light. Some would say that there are
stereotypes that are made so that they can put a positive connotation on that
specific group. Although that some stereotypes claim to lay positivity to a
group, they are incorrect. The fundamental problem with stereotypes is that
unless the comment about a group fit 100% of that group, the stereotype is
false. In order to fight stereotype issues, individuals need to learn for
themselves what other people are truly like and not rely on what others
believed without proof.
The true problems
begin when those in power use their biases, prejudices and stereotypes when
making decisions. This is the area that brings the downfall of those in power
because they allow these ideals to bubble to the top and permeate their lives
in which they turn around and make decisions that affect others because of
those beliefs. There is no ethical decision making when we allow our biases,
prejudices and stereotypical beliefs to sway us from making the correct
decisions when the situations arise. The correct decision must be based upon
the right reasons and must not include bias, prejudice and stereotypes.
As current headlines show, even those in positions of power
routinely get themselves into trouble through their own actions. One recent
headline is in reference to former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani attacking
President Obama based upon his assumptions and personal views. One could argue
whether Giuliani is right or wrong but either way he is uttering his view
through his own personal biases and prejudices.
What is ironic though, is the belief that all politicians
are corrupt. Even though a vast amount of politicians have been caught and
charge with numerous crimes, this does not mean that all politicians are
corrupt. They themselves have to fight this stereotype and attempt to identify
ways in which they can gain the trust of the public. Biases, prejudices and
stereotypes affect everybody and the sooner that we all realize this the
better. Once this realization occurs, we as a society can move forward and make
an attempt to repair the damage done by the utilization of all the previous
biases, prejudices and stereotypes. One way that can assist in this process is
the use of the ethical triad. By using this method, we have a built in check
that can assist in making the best decision for all involved.
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