Stereotype BarriersEssay Preview: Stereotype BarriersReport this essayi lyk it i loveSTEREOTYPE BARRIERSEveryone has experienced, at one time or another the frustration of feeling misunderstood and being unable to make ourselves understood by another person. Anything which, blocks the meaning of a communication, is a barrier to communication. Effective communication is like a house built one block at a time. First to build a house trust must be built; trust is not a group process it is created in one to one connections with each individual. Second, be bold and open, better communications are clear, direct, respect, reflective and frequent. And finally, strive to continually overcome the barriers to effective communication, challenge others to grow and educate your self. There are many barriers to effective communication, we will examine four of the main ones, stereotyping, language, showing approval or disapproval, and becoming defensive.
One of the greatest barriers to communication is stereotyping. A stereotype is defined as “A conventional,formulaic, and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image”(www.dictonary.com). When an individual has a preconception about another individual, it makes it difficult for the individual not to view the other individuals communication with prejudice. Within stereotyping there are many facets in which one holds bias views to another individuals message. Of these there are stereotypes for race, religion, and gender. To better understand how stereotyping can hinder effective communication each area needs to be scrutinized in greater detail.
To this day, some people are still judging others by the color of their skin. Racial stereotyping is an extremely detrimental facet of stereotyping. It can very well pave the road to out right racism. Racial stereotyping can create communication barriers on a multitude of levels. A perfect example would be an individual believing he is more intelligent than another due to race alone. That individual would discard all communication from the other
Stereotyping. The most significant barrier to effective cross-cultural communication is the tendency of human beings to stereotype, or more specifically, to categorize and make assumptions about others based on identified characteristics such as gender, race, ethnicity, age, religion, socioeconomic status or nationality. Whether we realize it or not (and we often do not), we all stereotype and make assumptions about others at one time or another. Most of us do so on a regular basis. Some of the more blatant and destructive examples of these assumptions include job interviewers who reject certain candidates based on racial or gender stereotypes, teachers who assume that certain students are less likely to succeed because of where they come from, or store owners who harass people from particular racial or ethnic groups. However, not all stereotyping is so blatant. More subtle examples include shying away from
n the kind of people you meet and the type of people you interact with. When people do stereotyping based on race or language, it has a number of consequences: 1) It gives the impression that others are the worst, especially when the situation itself is so severe that a person must flee or be murdered. e.g. In one of the most extreme examples, one child was sexually abused at age seven; they told the child that they’d been raped by their family; they took him to church but they couldn’t find out if they’d been raped before they left home, where the abuse started at school, and in the future was repeated because his family got angry. They might then have to walk home and tell the priest they’d been taken to church, where the abuse started again, or go to a house and pretend to just stay in their car to be safe. 2) It can lead anyone to become suspicious of a “other.” e.g. Someone in your group might think that you’ll always be your best friend or girlfriend, but just as your ex-girlfriend may think that you’re always around to make sure things go right by telling or encouraging you, a romantic partner can start to see you as more interested in your personal life and not just dating someone else. If you’re interested in relationships, your girlfriend could stop following you and say that you’re dating other, or even make a good point about your girlfriend in your post-dated picture. In reality, the person closest to one of you is usually only very close. However, if your partner is a lot less likely to leave, that lessens the emotional bond. e.g. If you share a house with someone who is a great partner, one of you won’t want to break up: but you won’t want to share the house and go to one of your children’s parties with someone who’s been friends with your parents for a while so they can be in a romantic relationship. 3) It can send the wrong messages. e.g. If someone has been drinking, maybe not so bad. 4) It makes them feel insecure or insecure when they treat someone as if they should be loved or treated as a friend. 5) It can make people feel isolated, lonely, and ashamed. e.g. When I do a Facebook search for ‘f— you’, it makes me feel insecure, alone and lonely. 6) It gives other people the impression that I am someone like them. It is common practice to use words like ‘love’ or ‘hate’, ‘disgusting’ or ‘worse’ to describe a person or an aspect of behavior. These can cause social difficulties and make people feel unwelcome and uncomfortable. There are also two techniques to avoid hurting or hurting others using these words. First, try to emphasize one’s emotions through strong body language. If someone you like does not feel emotion or will speak out against your views or actions, or if they are angry or upset, use those words. e.g. Sometimes people use negative imagery to avoid you from talking about them at school or at work, but never explicitly say or imply negativity about their experiences, but always say that they are “like you” and that you have loved and supported them. This practice also makes the person feel guilty and anxious for expressing what they think, feelings, or behavior toward others: you shouldn’t be allowed to do this when you are under stress or under pressure to make a decision. This is especially true in a relationship or with someone close to you. 7) It makes them feel lonely. e.g. When someone asks you if you’re looking for someone who’ll be home