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Reading Journal 1

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22 views3 pages

Reading Journal 1

Uploaded by

spiiralized
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Wu 1

Huabiao Wu

Proffessor Gallup

23 July 2024

ENG 1A

Reading Journal: Week 1

This week's readings, the first two chapters of "Whistling Vivaldi" by Claude M. Steele and

"Blind Spot" by Mahzarin R. Banaji and Anthony G. Greenwald, provided intriguing insights

into the nature of stereotypes and biases and their impact on individuals.

In the first two chapters of “Whistling Vivaldi” Steele brings into spotlight stereotype threat that

refers to the feelings of pressure and self doubt that the individuals belonging to the stereotype

targeted groups experience when faced with either actual or possibly embarrassing encounters

that re-inforce the stereotype. Reading through this I was able to relate to this by thinking of

circumstances that many make me feel pressurized just because of the stereotype of my culture. I

thought of my own immigrant experience as a student moving from China to USA and the first

days at the new school knowing the stereotypes, where I could feel hemmed in by stereotypical

assumptions of my identity. These stereotypes can cause a clearly expected cycle of performance

and our perceived inclusion.

Likewise, ‘Blind Spot’, explores the idea of implicit bias – that of no one being an exception to

have prejudice in them, even if that prejudice is unconscious. The Implicit Association Test

(IAT) discussed in the text was particularly eye-opening and demonstrated how even if a person

consciously denies certain prejudices, his or her brain is capable of making connections

regarding certain groups and features. It demonstrated how, even if a person consciously denies

certain prejudices, their brain can still make automatic associations regarding certain groups and
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traits, and that really stood out to me. It helped me think about how I myself might have these

prejudices and how they could possibly affect the way I would behave around other people, those

I do not personally know much about, as well as ways other people may act towards me a s a

result of these biases and my personal background as an immigrant. The pressure to conform to

this stereotype was overwhelming. It made me constantly question whether my contributions

were being evaluated based on my skills or the stereotypes associated with my ethnicity. This

pressure to meet expectations, or risk confirming a negative stereotype if I failed, was a heavy

burden to carry, although overcame eventually

A personal connection I was able to make was with the discussion on gender bias in science as

presented in “Blind Spot.” Having been brought up as a male in a society where engineering and

scientific fields are associated with the male gender, I have observed that what really shapes the

current perception is the bias that is already there in the society. Interestingly, this reading helped

me remember that it is necessary to fight prejudices like this and promote equal opportunities in

all spheres. This made me reflect on my own potential biases and how they might affect my

behavior toward others, especially those I do not know well. It also made me consider how

others might act toward me based on implicit biases related to my background as an immigrant.

In addition, the idea of implicit biases explained in the ‘Blind Spot’ opened my eyes to the fact

on how slick such notions are. There are also the more subtle forms of racism that can bear, pry

on themselves, that are hidden deep within; they are called implicit biases. This has enabled me

to be keen on my actions and the actions of others and also be proactive towards making

everyone feel valued and welcomed.

In a broad sense, these readings have been very helpful as they have given a better understanding

on how stereotyping occurs in the society. The documentaries have also helped me look at
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myself more deeply from the self-reflective perspective and ensure that I help shape a world that

is fair for all.

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