the 'in' crowd

Stereotype Threat Viewed as an Outsider
Tuesday, April 21st, 2015

I’m young, tall, white, male, and a college grad. What don’t I have going for me? I frequently think of this video, a parody of the viral video of an attractive girl filming herself being catcalled on the streets of NYC. In the parody, the man is simply respected, sometimes praised, even catered to. Of course it’s satire, but it’s a comical look at the truth. When am I ever going to be harassed for being a white male? No one expects anything but the best from me. While I can imagine what it feels like to be someone else, pretending to truly understand the world from another perspective would be foolish.

But it’s still interesting to explore the topic of stereotype threat, that is, one’s fear of confirming a negative stereotype about their social group. White males in general don’t have a lot of negative stereotypes associated with them. To counter ones that may exist, I guess I do my best to be emotionally available, and stay as far away from racism humanly possible. Aside from that, I don’t have a lot to fear. There are a few sterotypes, perhaps, if that group is divided differently, say, Southern white males, who might be thought of as… “country,” to put it nicely. Or, those in other countries may assume American white males are closed-minded and glutinous, when judged by their portrayal on TV. But in general… it’s not too bad.

That said, I can imagine - to some extent - what it’s like. The feeling of stereotype threat would cause someone to heap unnecessary pressure on themselves, feeling that they are being seen as a model or a member of a group as a whole. Though making an effort to excel, that pressure could unfortunately lower their performance. They could also project feelings of prejudice onto people that may or may not be really feeling them, causing a feeling of disconnect from the group. In short, it’s clear that the threat is something to be avoided.

While it’s unlikely that I’ll ever experience the feeling in a meaningful way, I can still think of ways to encourage others. By giving meaningful reinforcement, reinforcement that encourages a growth mindset, I can improve others’ confidence. I can make it clear that I (hopefully) don’t put people into groups, I look at them individually. And if I see that others are doing anything that could lead to stereotype threat, I can approach them with advice that would (hopefully) lead to real, lasting change. Hopefully. We live in a time when we are taking great leaps in social justice, but we have a long way to go. We are barely removed from a time when blatant prejudice was the legal norm. It takes time to change people, and some people are unwilling to change. But being aware of prejudice, and in turn stereotype threat, will help people begin to improve and find a sense of belonging.

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While I feel that this post could stand alone, I am interested in the topic of imposter syndrome, as briefly mentioned in our DBC prompt this week. Aside from anything placed on a social group, there are times when I feel that I’m faking my own success, and even I know that it’s irrational. For some reason, I often find myself looking around at other people my age, and I heap tons of credit on their accomplishments, thinking them to be fantastically intelligent, driven people. Conversely, I often discredit my own work, thinking it the product of circumstance, or lack of challenge.

I’m trying to fix this. While I want to believe that I have a growth mindset, and that I judge all my accomplishments individually, it’s tough to completely distance myself from the confidence that comes from incremental growth. As I have conquered some of the Phase 0 topics that were initially difficult, my confidence has grown. But I think it’s important to still develop a more objective understanding of my own capabilities, because failure, even serious failure, will eventually come. I need to continue to remind myself that failure is only an opportunity to learn, and that a series of successes - while not necessarily an indicator of ability - is an indicator of effort, and that I do deserve to have some confidence in myself.

When I read something like WIRED magazine, and see all the successes of people in this field - especially those younger than me - I can get in the habit of thinking they have some kind of special powers. In fact, they are the product of a tremendous amount of effort - and failure - and that the journey towards being successful is rarely immediate. We find something we’re passionate about, then work hard, learn, and keep moving forward. I’m glad to have found something that is enjoyable and feels fulfilling at DBC, and I am happy to have already grown in more than just my ability to program.