Today in class we discussed how, despite the fact that people may think they investigate and search for evidence before making accusations against others, they still at times accuse carelessly without much thought. We mentioned our innate tendency to side with the accuser (claiming to be a victim) over the accused (the alleged perpetrator), as well as the various factors or stereotypes that seem to cause this tendency. We have all noted that gender clearly plays a major role here, and that possibly age is another factor. I wish to bring up another factor that I personally feel may have an even greater effect on our thought processes: race.
We considered different situations in which a young woman/man encountered an older man/woman. What if we also included race into the mix? Would we be more likely to "side with" an alleged perpetrator if he/she were Caucasian as opposed to African-American, for instance? If the accuser and the accused were of a different race, would this cause us to reconsider our alliances?
A particular case that provides insight into these questions took place in March of 2006. As you may recall, three Caucasian college students on the Duke lacrosse team were accused of sexual assault by an African-American woman. Eventually after several DNA tests and detailed investigations, authorities determined that the accusation was false and the three accused students were quickly cleared of all charges. Following this incident, some seemed to suggest that had the accused men been African-American and the woman Caucasian, the case would likely have proceeded in a slightly different manner due to stereotypes and biases. I personally agree with this sentiment. What are your thoughts?
(Janet Lee)
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7 comments:
That is very interesting, and I think that I have to agree with that statement as well. As discussed in class, there are multiple versions of the generalizations about men and women. However, I don't think that there are that many versions in regard to race. You can correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there really only one generalization per race?
I think that the case with the three college students at Duke would definitely be handled differently. I think that more people would automatically assume that they were guilty and there would be more hostility towards them. Depending on the people investigating the case, the DNA tests may not have even been conducted.
However, I don't think that the change in race would really influence the position of accuser. No matter what race she may be, the accuser is still a women. In this case, I believe that race generalizations, though very significant, play a smaller role than gender generalizations.
While I agree that many people tend to make stronger generalizations based upon race rather than other "identifying factors" such as age or gender, in the case with the Duke lacrosse team, I don't believe that an alteration in the racial identity of the accuser and the defendants would have made a difference. Thus, perhaps it only holds true on a case by case basis? With the Duke case, the charge was sexual assault, so gender would have played a much heavier role than a burglary etc charge that isn't traditionally associated with gender stereotypes.
I agree that gender, race, and age can play roles in these types of situations. But I would like to talk about what Mary said about there only being one generalization per race. I think that it is accurate to say that there is one major generalization, but then to balance it there is the exact opposite generalization made in the media to show that they aren't using stereotypes. Why is there hardly anyone in the middle?
Examples:
The genius Asian kid in bio class vs. hip music loving Asian
or
The gangster bad boy African-American vs. the smart doctor African-American
Correct me if i'm wrong but don't you ever notice that? It's like they are trying to say "We aren't racist and we look down on stereotypes"
(Kelley Volosin)
Obviously the media isn't trying to show certain biases or stereotypes because otherwise the general public would try to avoid the source. However, in some cases it is necessary for the media to recognize these stereotypes and show how they are affecting average Americans.
For example, there was an article on www.philly.com the other day about an incident in New York where a Muslim man beheaded his wife. Because Americans often associate Muslims with violence due to September 11th and certain terrorist groups, this article acknowledged the stereotype. The article then discussed how difficult this incident will be for Muslim Americans to overcome, as it acts as a large step backward from acceptance.
This shows that the media does not purposely avoid all issues relating to stereotypes, but sometimes includes them to acknowledge the fact that they are present and have an impact on American society.
(Paige Schlesinger)
If I remember clearly, even though the accuser was an African American woman and the lacrosse players were Caucasian men, the lacrosse players were pretty much guilty until proven innocent. I think this example is showing how race maybe doesn't have the affect we would expect... But, as Grace said, I certainly think these types of situations must be analyzed on a case-by-case basis, and there are certainly many factors going into every situation.
Emily T.
I don't quite understand what Mary means when saying that "there is one generalization per race". Would someone be able to clarify for me?
I am leaning towards Emily's idea of the accused being guilty until proven innocent. It's a fundamental law applied in generally all court proceedings. Rigid protocol outlined lawfully may proceed normally. Public opinions, however, are what vary. I think it's safe to say that race, gender, and age affect public opinion. But can we really say that these characteristics play a role in lawful proceedings?
(Sam Maliha)
I don't quite agree with Mary that there's "only one generalization per race." It's human nature to seek out the differences among ourselves (ex age, gender, race), and then create a whole multitude of stereotypes to fit within those categories.
In this case, race stereotypes were vying with gender stereotypes. And as previous posters said, in a case of alleged sexual assault such as this one, gender seems to play a more important role here. Whether the three men had been black or white, either way the media and popular opinion would have at least initially turned against them.
As a matter of fact, that happened in the case regarding the Duke lacrosse players. The three white men were ostracized for a period of time and many simply assumed that they were guilty. Only later did the facts emerge.
Essentially, we must be hesitant in making snap judgments. Too often we can be led astray by stereotype and situation.
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