Simple Models
Simple models will let you down. Wow, what a strange thing to say and what's it got
to do with anything here? Bear with me for just a bit. I guess first, I should say
what I mean by model. A model is a way to represent something that is to complicated
to talk about without some sort of aid. Engineers and Scientists use math
and logic models to figure out how something works or will work. Children use paper,
wood, plastic and anything else they can find to make models of things they want to
know about or show. People use models all the time; this is especially true in the
social sense. Most of the models people use, in the social context, are usually
referred to as stereotypes.
When people model something one of the first decisions they make, even though they
may not consciously consider it, is how complicated the model will be. Models can be
extremely complex or ridiculously simple. For instance, if you wanted to model just
the physical attributes of a human being and do a good job of it, your model would
have at least tens of thousands of parameters. Each of these parameters would need
to be filled in with appropriate data each time you wanted to model an individual
person. If you don't believe it, go to your library and look through a copy of Gray's
Anatomy. Sure, a lot of the parameters would only require a simple yes or no to be
properly filled in for an individual, but if your model is to be comprehensive you
must account for being able to model every individual person on the face of the Earth.
At the other extreme, your model could be so simple as to include only one parameter.
For instance, the parameter might be "Looks like me or someone else I know to be a
human being" The range of expected responses could be likewise simple as "yes or no".
This model has a certain appeal because it's very easy for the person who made the
model to remember and apply. I think it's quite clear though that this model would
lead the person to make a lot of errors when it comes to being able to judge if a
being they encounter is a human being based on their physical attributes.
Simple models are very attractive for a number of reasons. They take less time to prepare,
are easy to remember, and are easy to understand. This is where stereotypes come in; A
stereotype is a simple model that is thought to model some group of people. Stereotypes
tend to be originated and propagated by people trying to make sense of some undesirable
situation they find them selves in and people who wish to seek power and/or authority at
the expense of those who have been stereotyped. Stereotypes have an added attraction, in
that they often seem harmless and intuitively true. Here, I'll make one up just for the
sake of example: "Left-handed people like daisies". This certainly seems harmless. If
someone did a preference survey among all left-handed people the result could be that the
majority of left-handed people do like daisies. Even something simple like this though
could lead you to a situation you wish you weren't in. For instance, you could decide to
make a gift of some daisies to a left-handed person you know. You could find the person
you made the gift to is one of the few who hate daisies. You would have been better off
to ask the person what flowers they prefer than to rely on the stereotype.
Would that all stereotypes were as relatively harmless as the example. As we know people
harbor much more harmful stereotypes based race, religion, gender, sex, politics,
education, and the list goes on. The harm these stereotypes can do is compounded by not
being based on factual data. However, they sometimes seem true to the people who may
benefit if they were true. So what can we do? Well, I doubt that stereotypes will go
away anytime soon. What we can do though is be aware of them. Learn to recognize them
when they are cast in your direction. Don't accept a stereotype at face value. Rather,
take the opportunity to consider what the purpose of the stereotype is. When you hear a
stereotype being applied to an individual you know, get to know them better as an
individual rather than applying the stereotype to them.
Copyright © by Liesel Siobhan
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