Unlearning Cultural Bias

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Preventing Prejudice: Understanding and Unlearning Cultural Biases

“The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn.” - Gloria Steinem

When you picture Santa Claus, what comes to mind? Most likely you imagine an old but unerringly jovial fellow in a velvety red suit and cap and a belly like a bowl of jelly that shakes when he laughs. If not exactly that, then something close. Of course, this representation is in no way grounded in science or law, so why is it so thoroughly woven into our cultural fabric? Simply, Santa Claus is an example of a cultural concept, and despite the eternal nature of it, it is one that has been around for less than a century. Now, I would be hesitant to directly analogize the popular …show more content…
Take the experience of black pastor, Ron Buford, for example. Describing a work trip to the United Kingdom, he speaks of the stark difference in how he was treated by wait staff and fellow businessmen. He explains the lack of tension between him and white staff in England compared to the unconscious presence of it in America, justifying that “There were no ideas in people’s heads about who he was, or at least none that made them behave like they did in America.” This further supports the fact that the vast majority of stereotypical traits applied to marginalized groups are not real; however, the harm that these attitudes cause to these groups is real — and it is damaging. Implicit bias is just as affecting in society as is the idea that Santa Claus gives out wonderful presents to all the good boys and girls of the world. Even a lack of knowledge or neutrality on an issue contributes to the misunderstanding of the truth. For example, ignorance about transgender people is hard to reconcile in older people because ideas about gender have already been established in their minds. The very existence of a transgender person differs from that established normal, so those learning about them for the first time must simultaneously unlearning their assumptions of the gender binary. This, along with the nature of how most people interact with …show more content…
Unfortunately, typical human interactions further lend themselves to unchallenged, automatic beliefs. By way of illustration, consider the following: You see a man in a turban at the supermarket. Nothing about him differs from a typical shopper; however, seeing a man in a turban brings to mind the culturally ingrained stereotype: he is dangerous, he should be avoided. Most likely, that would be the extent of your interaction with him because it is uncommon to have a meaningful interaction with someone seen in passing at the supermarket. So, the assumption is unchallenged, and the connection between a man in a turban and danger is developed further. Moreover, someone who has negative ideas about a certain group is unlikely to directly interact with any person of it, which greatly decreases the likelihood of that idea being questioned. Again, breaking these stereotypes is considerably difficult, but it is not impossible when addressed
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