Racism and the stereotype threat

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Racism and the stereotype threat
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• Black students, Steele contends, are constantly
  aware of
• the threat of being viewed through the lens of
  a negative stereotype, or the fear of doing
  something that would inadvertently confirm that
  stereotype.
• (Steele, 1999 46).

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• The threat is constant because, for the black
  student, there is always
• a jeopardy of double devaluation that does not
  apply to whites the extra fear (Steele, 1992
  72)

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• Students come to feel the force of negative
  representations
• Not because of inner doubts about potential.
• Rather, from the power that certain environments
  and situations have to make these harmful
  stereotypes relevant to their identities (Steele
  Aronson, 1995 1999 Spencer et al., 1999
  Steele, 1992, 1997, 1998).

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Disidentification

• Black students can disidentify with hostile
  environments and situations (Steele, 1992, 1997).
  
• Pain is lessened by ceasing to identify with the
  part of life in which the pain occurs (Steele,
  1992 46).

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Applying the stereotype threat thesis
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Gender and stereotypes

• Spencer, Steele and Quinn (1999) and Keller
  (2001) in mathematics, female students can
  confront a stereotype threat that relates to
  perceptions of ability and gender.

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Class and stereotypes

• Becker (1952) and Hargreaves (1967) teachers
  perceive and value students in accordance with
  class stereotypes.

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Overcoming the stereotype threat

• Wise schooling

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Wise schooling

• Steele (1992) schooling is wise
• whenever racial vulnerabilities are reduced,
• when stereotypes that devalue are rejected
• when educators see value and promise in black
  students.
• Schooling is wise when we value students and
  hear value in their words.

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Conditions of wiseness

• End remedial education
• Their ambitions should never be scaled down but
  should instead be guided to inspiring goals even
  when extraordinary dedication is called for
  Frustration will be less crippling than
  alienation.
• (Steel, 1992 47)

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Conditions of wiseness

• End segregation in any form
• Include the particulars of black life and culture
  in the mainstream of the school
• Ralph Ellison the true test of democracy is the
  inclusion - not assimilation - of the black man.

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Reflecting on wiseness in schooling

• Consider a wise teacher which
  qualities/virtues did/do they possess?
• Consider a wise school what would schooling
  without stereotypes look like?

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Evaluating the stereotype threat thesis

• Do stereotypes necessarily lead to
  disidentification?
• Are faith-based schools wise?

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References

• Becker, H. S. (1952) Social Class Variations in
  the Teacher Pupil Relationship, Journal of
  Educational Sociology, 25(8), 451465
• Hargreaves, D.H. (1967) Social Relations in a
  Secondary School (London Routledge Kegan Paul)
• Keller, C. (2001) Effects of teachers
  stereotyping on students stereotyping on
  mathematics as a male domain, Journal of Social
  Psychology, 14(2), 165-13
• Spencer, S.J., Steele, C.M. Quinn, D.M. (1999)
  Stereotype threat and Women's Math Performance,
  Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Vol.
  35, pp.4-28

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• Steele, C. M. Aronson, J. (1995) Stereotype
  Threat and the Intellectual Test Performance of
  African Americans, Journal of Personality and
  Social Psychology, 69(5), 797-811
• Steele, C.M. (1992) Race And the Schooling of
  Black Americans, The Atlantic Monthly, 269(4),
  67-78
• Steele, C.M. (1997) A Threat in the Air How
  Stereotypes Shape Intellectual Identity and
  Performance, The American Psychologist, 52(6),
  613-627
• Steele, C.M. (1998) Stereotyping and Its Threat
  Are Real, American Psychologist, 53(6), 680-681
• Steele, C.M. (1999) Thin Ice "Stereotype Threat"
  and Black College Students, The Atlantic Monthly,
  284(2), 44-54