Group identity creates all manner of problems for us. oth, stereotypes are necessary and generally useful when referring to groups. “Blacks vote Democrat” is useful if you are developing a political strategy but it is dangerous if you are trying to develop a relationship with Reggie because Reggie is an individual and not a group. We really need to learn to deal with individuals; they are much more interesting than groups.
Exactly right. The problem is the reduction of the Other to Group Rep (whether the group is White, Black, Conservative, Liberal, Hockey Fan, Midwesterner, City Folk, Academic, etc.). Such reductions, as you note, are useful if you're dealing with large group dynamics, averages, strategies, etc. They are absolutely worthless and worse -- dangerously stupid -- when applied to any given individual.
In fact, that is the source of the error in the title. The problem Glenn & John have with 'Craig' is not the fact that he's a member of two groups they easily see, but that he sees them -- evidently -- only as Category Reps themselves.
Group identity creates all manner of problems for us. oth, stereotypes are necessary and generally useful when referring to groups. “Blacks vote Democrat” is useful if you are developing a political strategy but it is dangerous if you are trying to develop a relationship with Reggie because Reggie is an individual and not a group. We really need to learn to deal with individuals; they are much more interesting than groups.
Exactly right. The problem is the reduction of the Other to Group Rep (whether the group is White, Black, Conservative, Liberal, Hockey Fan, Midwesterner, City Folk, Academic, etc.). Such reductions, as you note, are useful if you're dealing with large group dynamics, averages, strategies, etc. They are absolutely worthless and worse -- dangerously stupid -- when applied to any given individual.
In fact, that is the source of the error in the title. The problem Glenn & John have with 'Craig' is not the fact that he's a member of two groups they easily see, but that he sees them -- evidently -- only as Category Reps themselves.