In this video, Professor Simran Jeet Singh discusses how to challenge race, religion, and stereotypes in classroom. Professor Singh outlines an important issue we are facing currently in society, which is “a tendency to paint an entire community with a single brushstroke. We like to think that all people of a community are the same, even though when we look closely, we recognise that each community is diverse.” Professor Sigh proceeds to give examples of the things he does to mitigate this tendency, that is to bring in empathy and human in the classrooms and deal with arguments by discussing political debates. The general message is that underneath all communities (whatever the borders or definitions they may be) lies a human common to all people.
While Professor Singh doesn’t single out religion per se, a premise of this argument is that religions are often related to certain ethnicities and cultures (what we called “communities”). The danger is that the moment that someone sees one of these aspects, they tend to assume that the other aspects are automatically there, too.
I believe a key to his argument (and in large, the argument concerning inclusivity) is the act to automatically assuming. What one think automatically about something, especially as complex as humans and human society, isn’t always true; likely, what we assume about something, especially as complex as human and human society, isn’t always true. What Professor Singh does in his everyday life, to bring empathy and to encourage arguments is to exactly dismantle these processes of assuming and automation, respectively.
Of course, as a psychologist, it is easy to say that the human mind is too simple to deal with information too complex, in that we create various mental simplifications, aka. schemas and heuristics, to get along with everyday life efficiently. However, this argument in itself may be a gross simplification to the real problem. While the mind may like to operate in one way, it is the duty of an educator to negate incorrect operations. In the course I am teaching in, MSc Applied Psychology in Fashion, we explicitly learn about these mental shortcuts and the potential dangers of them (and how people behave irrationally). Importantly, we also encourage randomised group allocation for group projects in the course – my observation is that once people are forced to open up to other “communities”, there is always something to learn, either something new from the other or something familiar from the other.
I’d like to end this post by looking back at Professor Singh’s quote, which I mentioned in the beginning of this post, specifically alluding to my background in statistics and to a paper I recently read. According to the paper, the variance that exists between cultures are often far smaller than the variance that exists within cultures. I believe this to be true, not just statistically, but also realistically.
Young-Jin, I have enjoyed reading this post. I found very interesting how your point on our human tendency to simplify information – psychologically speaking-in order to deal with our realities more efficiently. I think this perspective stresses the importance of unlearning our own experience of the world as the only one, and embracing openness to consider every other individual’s experiences as much as our own.
In practice, designing and delivering our teaching from empathy and decentralising any values/beliefs system to acknowledge faith diversity at individual level helps avoid generalisation and assumptions. And I would like to think it will also generate a thirst and curiosity to know more of one another, not taking anything as read based on race, background or aesthetics but instead, living and acting aware that every other person has their own personal beliefs and faith identity.
Looking forward to discussing further, and maybe coming up with some specific ideas of exercises or initiatives to work along those lines. Best, Sonia.
Hello Sonia, thank you for your reply. I agree with all that you’ve said, especially regarding your point on fostering students’ thirst and curiosity to know more about one another. Education shouldn’t be just about negating the negatives but about exploring the positives 🙂 I look forward to discussing further with you, too.
Hi Young-Jin,
This is an insightful blog post reflecting on Professor Simran Jeet Singh’s video. Your emphasis on the dangers of assuming uniformity within communities is an important reminder of the diversity and complexity in human societies.
Professor Singh’s approach of developing empathy and encouraging open arguments is indeed vital for dismantling stereotypes and promoting inclusivity. Your observation that religions are often linked to specific ethnicities and cultures highlights how assumptions can easily lead to oversimplified and often inaccurate views of individuals.
Your point about the human mind’s tendency to use mental shortcuts is a good one. While these shortcuts help manage complexity, they can also perpetuate stereotypes and biases. As educators, it is our responsibility to challenge these mental simplifications and promote a deeper understanding of individual and cultural diversity.
I like the practice in your MSc Applied Psychology in Fashion course, of using randomised group allocation for projects. It’s a practical way to encourage students to engage with diverse perspectives. This approach should help break down preconceived notions but also develop a richer learning experience through exposure to different viewpoints.
Your reference to the statistical finding that variance within cultures often exceeds variance between cultures is particularly interesting. It underlines the importance of recognising the individuality within any community, reinforcing the idea that assumptions based on group identity are often misleading.
Thank you for sharing your reflections in this post, as I can consider some of this in my own practice. I look forward to discussing further with you in class.
James
Hello James, thank you for your comment. I absolutely agree with your statement, “As educators, it is our responsibility to challenge these mental simplifications and promote a deeper understanding of individual and cultural diversity.” It is part of an educator’s responsibility to direct people in a certain direction and to know which mental simplifications are particularly misleading or even harmful.