Racial Stereotypes And How They Affect Everyday Life
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In society today being a man means very little, as each and every man strives to find their individuality. In past generations manhood was easily defined because of a status quo. However, this concept of what our elders used to consider as being a man has been so distorted in society eyes because of many personal options that have affected our everyday life. To each man who seeks their individuality manhood has taken on complex attributes and no large groups of people believe or will stand for the same things. Therefore I believe that being a man means that I must not only have my own opinions, but also be willing to stand up for them and stand by them through thick and thin. I guess one could sum it up by saying that I am defined by my morals and what I believe to be right and not what society believes to be acceptable.
With that being said there are still a few things that most men have in common solely because of what is considered as male ego. Although we are now in the 21st century and women are now more independent and successful than they have ever been, men are still considered as being the bead winner of the family, or preferably the one who makes the most money. Unfortunately this is a stereotype is perpetuated by men more than women. This stereotype is the one thing most men have in common with each other as well as our elders. For many men, not fulfilling this requirement means that their wives may make more money than them. Unfortunately, this can be the cause of many marital problems because the man may feel inferior to his wife or the wife may feel superior to the husband. As sophisticated as we may claim to be in this day and age, many men are still troubled by this dilemma, despite their educational or ethnic background. It is rather difficult to explain why this cycle is perpetuated, but how it is perpetuated is somewhat common knowledge. In a sense one could say this cycle is perpetuated because of the fact that men are driven by their ego.
Although this is a blatant form of racism in regards to gender, this racism is in no way comparable to that of racial racism which has plagued or society for so many years. While women fight to be seen as equal and even respected as superiors, rather than objects of desire, African Americans have just struggled to be respected as individuals. Although being an African American in todays society is a lot less difficult than what it may have been in previous years, I believe that the racism that was once so prevalent in our society has hidden it self deep within the heart of many, and is now only present in subconscious actions of others. This new form of racism is no longer biological, which focuses on superiority of a race, but rather social which focuses on the inferiority of a race due to the status quo of their average social living conditions and expected behavior. Despite the fact that to a peer of another race these accusations may seem a bit unreasonable, it is difficult to share that perspective when you have personally witnessed African American students being asked to step out of their cars because a police officer saw foliage on the car floor, and yet there are other stories of Caucasian individuals who have been caught with substances such as marijuana on them and were let go with warnings. It is rather difficult to believe that color is no longer an issue, while neither outcome may have been as a result of color directly one cannot help but to ask was it a factor. By only looking at that scenario and being an African American male I know that I no longer have the luxury of being offended directly, instead society has placed me in a position where I must remind my self that I am not a man but an African American man, and to be a part this society I must walk straighter than my counter parts of other races. Due to the fact that this new aged racism can easily be pushed aside, not many African Americans are willing to speak out about the many encounters they may have per day. Eventually we as a people have gotten used to it and in many cases have even considered it to be amusing, as we support comedians whose entire act may be based on racial stereotypes and racism. It is rather ironic as the very men and women who struggle to surpass this social racism perpetuate it indirectly by laughing at it which in turn makes us numb to its effect. However, while we laugh at the situations which insult us, other races find it amusing that we seem to have such a low sense of pride.
However, to truly understand the African American society and how we deal with social issues of this sort one must be willing to not just observe but dabble in the very things which they frown upon. African Americans have managed to be assimilated into society in one way or another and we have also been able to expand our culture to a point where certain aspect of it can no longer be exclusive to our culture. Therefore in retrospect to the negative outlook of the situation, African Americans have tried many ways to eliminate the issues which trouble us. Despite the fact that few may despise these methods, one cannot deny the fact that many individuals of other races have lowered their defenses and accepted the fact that stereotypes can be rather ridiculous. Now one may ask how this is relevant. By being the race to open the door and actually having individuals who have become more than successful, it would only be a matter of time before others either joined in or dabbled in what they did not understand.
I honestly believe that the way society has allowed African Americans to overcome these social situations are often degrading at first, however we as a people have meshed with society and figured out many ways to bleed the successfulness out of the worse situation. This fact is proven more, in no other area than music. For years it was an art form ridiculed by many but as time went on mainstream America has opened its ear and realized that there are messages behind the music, there was no other choice but to accept it and those who embrace