Sarah Mahaffey 9-10-13 Blog 3 Blog 3 Stereotyping There are so many experiences where that I can think of where

people are stereotyped. Most people are first exposed to cruel stereotypes in middle school. The stereotype I am choosing to share involves my little sister. When she began middle school she wanted to change her hair. I didnt question it because I began getting mine colored in middle school. Why shouldnt she? However, unlike me who chose blonde she chose red I am talking burgundy red, borderline purple. The boys as in the popular boys (who I guess I am stereotyping into a group) decided that meant she was Emo and she must cut herself. They stereotyped her into a group she knew nothing about. Luckily it didnt prevent her from changing her hair. She was strong about it at first but the teasing continued and I think it caused her to be more self-conscious than she would have been otherwise. These boys would not let the stereotype of the classic Emo Kid go they continued to bring it up until she began high school. Stereotypes are cruel and often we do not realizing we are doing so for instance assuming someone with an Asian background is good at math. It doesnt seem negative but it holds them to a standard that is not always true. I think this assignment should allow us to look back on stereotypes we have experienced as well as stereotypes we think and apply to people unconsciously.

Brief Reflection: Making Connections

I chose this blog because I was able to make a connection to the concept of stereotyping that we were covering in class. I chose to include it in my portfolio because it indirectly relates to my EIP Project. My sister was expressing herself through her appearance, which in many ways can be considered an art form. At this point in her life she was involved in choir and theatre and was passionate about her Shakespeare Club. I felt like they went together because she was involved in the activities I discuss throughout my project. I believe it is a strong piece of writing because it forces the reader to assess if they have consciously or unconsciously judged or stereotyped someone based on their appearance or ethnic background. The one comment acknowledged that this is an issue that needs to be prevented in schools. I believe this piece reveals that when I write about things that are important to me, I write in a more casual form especially when I am blogging. Before this class I had never blogged before and that was a new genre for me. This has taught me to write well when expressing how I feel about a topic.