HOME POWER OF TEACHING   positive   negative BELIEVING IS SEEING   prejudice-reducing   prejudice-enforcing   TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES THAT WAS FUN OTHER STORIES

Photo Not Available PREJUDICE-ENFORCING EXPERIENCE Chris BACKGROUND Sex: male Ethnicity: Caucasian Born in: Riverside, CA Parents born in: US   My father was a college teacher in the 1960's with very liberal/leftist leanings. I don't see myself as the typical white American; Republican, ethnocentric, probusiness, etc. I was brought up in an environment in which I was made conscious of the injustices and inequalities in American society. As for a prejudice for which I don’t think I have made much an improvement in eliminating, I have to admit to an aversion or dislike of obese or at least extremely obese people. I think that somehow there is a lack of discipline or will power that I don’t like. I don’t remember any situation in which a teacher of mine strengthened this prejudice, however. From early on, my family, my school environment growing up, and my current friends all foster (ed) an attitude of athletic activity in some form or another, whether it/was organized team sports, swimming, hiking, etc. I am aware of research that indicates metabolism or something that is beyond their 'will power'. I am also aware that this culture in particular emphasizes thinness as the desired boy type, especially for females, and at the same time encourages immediate gratification or indulgence (fast foods, processed snacks, etc.) which could lead to a crazy cycle of gluttony, guilt, and repentance (purging or dieting). I still feel somehow that obesity is an indication of looseness or slackness. As a result, I don’t think that I am willing to try to mitigate my prejudice very much. I also have some obese friends or people that I know who don’t eat very well: a lot of fatty foods, and a lot of snacking, so I don’t feel that they try very hard to change their physical condition, if indeed they are trying to change their condition. I picture circumstances where their lives would be very difficult, such as standing for long periods of time, dancing, getting in and out of cars, chairs, beds, airplane seats, enjoying the outdoors, and wonder why would they change? Their quality of life would be so much better. Their medical complications would also seem to be much worse than if they were thinner. Again, I am aware that you could make the argument that it would be better not to be poor, and therefore you should go out and get a higher paying job to improve your quality of life: I know it is not that simple. I don’t equate the two with same set of environmental determinism however, and therefore am much more sympathetic to the poor person's plight than an obese person's plight. I don’t know any specific suggestions for teachers other than to try to accept a person for the way they are, instead of what they look like.   BACK TO MENU | CHRIS'S PREJUDICE-REDUCING EXPERIENCE Top of Page Home | Power of Teaching | Believing is Seeing | Truth or Consequences | That Was Fun