Rosenblum and Travis "framework essay"

In the Rosenblum and Travis essay the American society is depicted as being very different in the eyes of different people. Everyone interprets individuals differently because of various backgrounds and ethnicities, which can sometimes lead to discrimination. People who go against the norms, or considered to be different, are actually being stigmatized, or marked as worthless or a bad person because of their race, sexual orientation, or even social class. Overall the author makes a point that these stigmatized people are seen as a problem and are unfairly put in this category even though they may not deserve to be treated in this way.
When people make judgments and assumptions about others just because they simply do not like them or because of their status it makes people unaware that the person that they do not like could actually be just like them. For example someone who looks good and dresses well could actually be a murderer, but all people focus on is what is on the outside. Hate crimes have surfaced because of people making judgments about others that are not of the same background as them, or from what they were taught growing up. People are also subject to objectification or devaluation. Women and the poor are good examples of this. Women are seen as objects and not people because they had to work to get respect, and to this day women still fight for executive jobs or to make as much money or mare than what men make.
The one issue that continues throughout society is stereotypes. Why do people continue to put people in certain stereotypes just because of how they look? It seems that as long as people will be stigmatized and put into different categories of good and bad people will make these assumptions because society somewhat enforces it. People think they know others because of who they associate with and that’s when the stereotyping begins. For example some stereotypes may be that Asians are really smart or black people like being on welfare. When it comes to the poor people most people see them as not even being citizens. I have to agree with the author because when you see a poor person on the street corner most people ignore them or do not even give them the time of day. They are being stereotypes as being lazy or worthless.
I thought the reading was a reality check. Some people may not think of stereotyping someone, but in all actuality it goes on everyday. I have even been put into stereotypes myself and I was shocked when I found out what people were saying about me just because of how I looked. Stigmatized people should be seen as the blemish on America’s face. Society will always have problems, and with the problems the stereotyping will continue.