Summary Of Steele Vs Bell Hooks

Steele Verses Bell hooks: Predicament of Life or Predicament of College Life Does our social identities constitute only how we feel about a different situations or could it be possible that the contingencies of our social identities have the power to even attract the stereotype threat that disrupts our confidence in our personal self and performance? With all these facets being affected is it fair to say stereotype threat also has the power to dictate how we treat others? Claude Steele’s fundamental notion to Whistling Vivaldi is that “Stereotype threat is a standard predicament of life” (5 Steele). Chapters 4-8, Steele begins to broaden this conception with introducing his work of stereotype threat and how it shapes our social identities.

Both hook and Jeff spent a considerable amount of time alone Jeff on his calculus problems and hook concerned with the social status of those around her and how she fit in. What seemed to be the constant answer in the back of hook’s metaphorical book was that nobody understood what it was life to be black and of the working class, therefore maintaining her distance and avoidance to anyone other than those who fit into the race or social class of herself need not be associated with. This behavior certainly allowed hook to maintain her stereotype of the of the “white girls” and robed hook of learning further concepts of this prestigious class that she distained so much. Any efforts the “white girls” may have set forth would be null and void should it not support hook’s stereotype of the prestigious class. This endorsed hook’s contingencies of the “white girls” and increased hook’s harbored resentment pushing her to question if she

Over-efforting, presented in Treisman’s study, is explained by Steele as an internal motivation to disprove a stereotype threat regarding ones social identity. To explain on an individual level if somebody says to you “you can’t” you want to prove that you can, however in a social psychology perspective if there is a contingency is in regards to the ability of the group you identify with (race, class, gender etc.) you are motivated to prove this stereotype threat wrong in the honor of your identified