Whistling Vivaldi: How Stereotypes Affect Us and What We Can Do

Title:Whistling Vivaldi: How Stereotypes Affect Us and What We Can Do About It

Author: Dr. Claude Steele, a well-known and celebrated social psychologist and professor at Stanford University.

What is it? A book. It is a bit of an academic read, but accessible to the lay reader as well. It is thought provoking and insightful, encouraging each reader to explore their own experiences with stereotypes, the threat of stereotyping, and how stereotyping impacts daily life and our educational systems specifically.

Who should read it? It is really a fascinating read for anyone interested in learning more about racial justice, and, more broadly, social justice in the United States. But this book teaches us that for individuals holding historically marginalized identities, knowledge about how to overcome stereotype threat in various situations can truly make a world of difference.

Two minute skinny: Women just aren’t as good at math as men are. Black students just don’t perform at levels equal to their white peers. White men aren’t as good at sports as Black men. How many widely held stereotypes can you generate off the top of your head? Chances are, if you can think of it, Dr. Steele has some research in this book to help us understand where it comes from, how it plays out in the classroom, board room, or on the city bus, and then offers suggestions of how to overcome that stereotype (and the threats embedded in it) with the right tools and knowledge.

One of the main research questions that led to the writing of this entire book began with trying to answer the question of why equally qualified black students were underperforming academically at highly selective institutions of higher education compared to their white peers. And from this question, the world of stereotype threat and its impact on people in any variety of situations opened up to Dr. Steele. Upon designing a study where women were told, in advance of taking a math test, that women tend to underperform on this test compared to their male counterparts, they did just that - they underperformed. But when given an English test, where women’s intellectual abilities are rarely questioned, the underperformance disappeared. Dr. Steele wanted to know, is this same phenomenon occurring to Black students? Are they underperforming because they are worried their peers and instructors believe they are predisposed to underperformance because of their social identities? You will have to read the book to better understand the full answer to that question, but the simple answer is, yes, that is a big part of it. And thus, if just the threat that someone might stereotype you impacts how you show up in the world, what can be done to mitigate the impact of this threat? Thankfully, Dr. Steele does conclude that there are strategies for people to overcome these threats, recognizing that some of them depend deeply on systemic societal and educational change. One simple strategy that you can use on a daily basis is self-affirmation exercises. Those at risk of stereotype threat who engaged in self-affirmation activities were much more resistant to the impact of stereotype threat on their academic performances.

Overall, this book is an important and highly informative read that can truly help people better understand how stereotypes and stereotype threat play out and impact people’s lives.

Rating? Worth the Investment? While the book can feel a bit research heavy at moments, it is really a fascinating and important read, particularly for those working in education, and those pursuing a formal education. We give it a 9/10!

Listen, I don’t have time for a whole book… What's second best? There are any number of interviews and conversations with Dr. Steele discussing his work around stereotype threat and how it plays out. But here is an 8 min video that gives you a good understanding of the concept of the book. If you want to listen to something a little longer, a recent Stanford Psychology Podcast was in conversation with Dr. Steele.

And in case you wanted to go deeper: There are many more books and much more research around stereotype threat and how it affects people. Dr. Steele has a blog that is full of fascinating posts and information. And this is another great book about the topic, but more of an academic read than Dr. Steele’s.

Blogpost by Hallie Moberg Brauer