Sunday, October 25, 2009
Can you blame the Average Person?
After our class discussion on the issues of representation especially in relation to the Arab world, there seemed no better explanation that Edward Said (who was mentioned breifly). The concept of having a 'set' or fixed meaning associated with a certain group of people is certainly a slant that we should a least recognize (if not reverse). I find the role that the writing of history plays into current stereotypes fascinating mostly because it is so underscored. How can we learn from history if it is incorrectly communicated to us? Is the average human to be blamed for wrongly representing a group merely consuming slanted media/history?
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Sam, I find your line of questioning very interesting. Tackling the issue of misrepresentation of groups throughout history that contribute to their stereotypes is not an easy feat. However, I also think there is not an objective view to any group. Whether you are reading primary documents, they may be biased from the groups perception of themselves or if a teacher is describing a group it may be biased toward the image society has created. I think the only way to avoid this is to present both sides and let the students conclude their own opinions.
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