Stereotypes Cross State Lines

A boy with wavy blonde hair, tan skin, and a longboard walks into class when he suddenly spots his friend in the corner of the lecture hall and shouts, "Dude, last night was hella sick!" Take a guess. Where is he from? When asked, most people replied that he was from California. Their responses are just one example of geographical profiling - something of which everyone is guilty.

With Boston College's undergraduate population alone, hailing from 50 states and 58 countries and territories, the BC student body is prime for stereotyping. But where did these regional stereotypes originate and are they actually accurate?

Stereotyping traces back to the age-old idea that one should never judge a book by its cover. Though most people are aware that it is not fair to judge others based on where they come from, it is nearly impossible to resist the temptation to do so when stereotypes are present everywhere. Television shows, feature films, popular songs, and advertisements continue to misconstrue perceptions of people based on the region from which they hail.

In addition to idle hearsay and experiences with different groups of people, students cite the media and fictional television shows for ingraining stereotypes in their minds. "Sitcoms, by their very design, often find their humor in regional stereotypes," says Christine Caswell, professor in the communication department. For example, the popular television show, Desperate Housewives, is designed to perpetuate the stereotype of the suburban housewife who is concerned with keeping up with the Joneses, Caswell says.

According to the 2008-09 BC Facebook, most BC students hail from the Northeast. The top five states that claim the most BC students are Massachusetts (28 percent), New York (15 percent), New Jersey (10 percent), Connecticut (8 percent), and California (6 percent). These regions that are not strangers to stereotyping. Northeasterners are usually stereotyped as cold, fast-paced, and highly confrontional individuals.

The individual states in the Northeast, however, also have stereoypes of their own. Residents of Massachusetts are often assumed to be Red Sox fans with thick Boston accents.

Upon their arrival at BC, many students realize that the Boston accent is prevalent in only a few neighborhoods in Massachusetts; not everyone pronounces park as "pahk."

Farther south is New "Joisey" Jersey, which has been a popular victim of ridicule for years. When many outsiders picture New Jersey, they imagine people who say the word "talk" incorrectly, curse often, and drive like madmen. Residents from New Jersey typically disagree with their state's stereotype.

"When people think about New Jersey, they mostly think of the larger cities like Camden and Newark or the Jersey Shore boardwalks, which do have negative connotations. But what really bothers me is that people fail to realize that the state is mostly comprised of suburbs with people that have great personalities," says Robin Phillips, LSOE '12.

Such harsh perceptions of Northeasterners affect incoming students from outside the area, who may accept these pervasive stereotypes before coming to BC. "I had thought, because of things that I heard, that in general, people on the East Coast were a little more tightly wound. Coming from California, which has such a liberal, laidback atmosphere, I was worried, but I have found that the Northeastern stereotype was actually inaccurate," says Mackenzie Cunningham, A&S '13.

An important goal of freshman orientation is to allay students' fears of people who are different and to raise awareness about diversity on campus. Freshmen view a diversity video that addresses cultural stereotypes and then engage in small group discussions that focus on the importance of taking the time to get to know others beyond surface level. In another activity, they are forced to make assumptions on a partner based on stereotypes about his or her favorite foods, music, and hobbies.

BC tour guides also work to diminish the dependence on stereotypes prospective students may have when visiting the campus. By dismissing common misconceptions with open disclosure, tour guides can be a source of demystification for the misinformed. "We always say that no matter who you are or where you come from, you'll find something that you like at BC," says Courtney Kipp, A&S '10, an BC admissions tour guide.

Stereotyping is more complex than it appears. Sara Moorman, a professor in the sociology department, attributes peoples' tendency to stereotype to the human brain and its propensity to categorize. "One of the things that the brain does is group things together, and so it's a natural inclination to group people as well," she says.

Compared to the Northeast, California and the picturesque West Coast are stereotypically more laidback regions whose blonde and tan residents are thought to frequent the gym more than they eat.

The common perception of Californians is that they spend their days on the beach, live alongside celebrities, and if they are not driving convertibles with the top down, then they are surfing or skateboarding. Many television shows have perpetuated this image, namely The OC and Laguna Beach, portraying fictitious characters and real people, respectively, as they live glamorous, drama-filled lives in Orange County. While some Californians may fit that image, most of them do not.

Taking stock from movies like Sweet Home Alabama and Gone with the Wind, the stereotype of the South often boasts folks with Southern drawls and a love of country music and barbecues. Southerners are often thought to be "racist, backward pick-up drivers with heavy accents," says Jake Morakis, A&S '13.

While people who fit that description do exist, Morakis, a resident of Atlanta, Ga., assures that such an extreme depiction does not reflect the average Southerner.

Instead, many Southerners are refined individuals who pride themselves on dressing up for football games and are up to date with the latest hip-hop music; although they do enjoy their barbecues, Morakis says.

A Southern stereotype would not be complete without some mention of "good ole Southern hospitality." Such a phrase was coined to describe the warmth and friendliness of those residing in the southern United States. Some who would understand Southern hospitality best, like Marty Long, CSOM '13, also from Atlanta, Ga., argue that such friendliness is often "hollow" and "is not necessarily always genuine."

Stereotyping isn't solely reserved for those in the United States. International students also face similar issues, as many Americans mistakenly assume that they are not accustomed to American culture. People view international students as "slow, inept people who take forever to make decisions," says Jason Home, A&S '11. As an international student from Australia, Home has been judged himself, but he doesn't let it bother him. "I don't care. They can think what they want," he says.

Since the 1950s, psychologists have studied the causes for this potetially harmful phenomenon. Stereotyping, however, is not the same as prejudice, and a major difference in the psychological study of the development of stereotypes is their adoption and endorsement, rather than simple knowledge of a cultural stereotype.

Proven in the long history of the study of stereotypes, contemporary and classic theorists have suggested that prejudice is an inevitable consequence of ordinary categorization processes. Categorizing is a very useful cognitive function, but when people act on these over-simplified categories, which are inappropriate, the result is negative, says Michael Moore, a professor in the psychology department.

"We have to be extra careful about what kinds of categories we create and what attributes we assign to those categories," Moore cautions.

BC is providing its students with the opportunity to interact with a diverse array of people, but it is up to each individual to challenge longstanding stereotypes and approach each new acquaintance with an open mind. With a sufficient amount of effort on everyone's parts, these stereotypes can be overcome. "In terms of combating stereotypes, the best thing to do is have a lot of interactions and experiences with different kinds of people," Moorman says.