English: Discussion Questions
Discussion Questions
Whistling Vivaldi
Chapter 1
1. What are some of the identity contingencies that Steele mentions in this chapter, and what are some that you have faced in your life?
The identity contingencies that Steele mentioned are racial order, segregations, constraining behavior and stereotype threat. Whenever I play basketball with my African American friends, I always go easy on them because I believe that their athletic genetics are naturally superior than mine, so there is no reason for me to be conceited.
2. What does Steele mean when he says contingencies put constraining behavior in the air? Give an example to support your explanation.
He means that contingencies interfere with people’s performance in different field. He uses an experiment which is led by Jeff Stone. It is basically a control test, and it shows that by simply telling the different purposes of the golfing task could have significant impact on student’s performance based on the stereotype of their groups.
3. After reading the initial golf experiment with two different groups and contingencies highlighted, what are your predictions, questions, or concerns about the rest of Steele’s research?
I guess Steel will go further and deeper on the path of researching the impacts that caused by stereotype on different minority students’ life condition
Vocabulary check-in (part of speech and quick synonym or definition in your own words. Good to note in your text.
Segregations - The separation based on people’s identity.
Imposed – to enforce someone to do something reluctant. de facto – in fact tenacious – rigid, stubborn intersubjectivity – a theory of innocuous psychological relation between people. It is usually used in contrast to solipsistic individual experience, emphasizing our inherently social being.
Gauntlet – protection, cover.
Sisyphean – endless, pointless
Autonomous – self-directed, independent plague – The sickness that spread out quickly and widely.
Chapter 2.
Whistling Vivaldi
Chapter 1
1. What are some of the identity contingencies that Steele mentions in this chapter, and what are some that you have faced in your life?
The identity contingencies that Steele mentioned are racial order, segregations, constraining behavior and stereotype threat. Whenever I play basketball with my African American friends, I always go easy on them because I believe that their athletic genetics are naturally superior than mine, so there is no reason for me to be conceited.
2. What does Steele mean when he says contingencies put constraining behavior in the air? Give an example to support your explanation.
He means that contingencies interfere with people’s performance in different field. He uses an experiment which is led by Jeff Stone. It is basically a control test, and it shows that by simply telling the different purposes of the golfing task could have significant impact on student’s performance based on the stereotype of their groups.
3. After reading the initial golf experiment with two different groups and contingencies highlighted, what are your predictions, questions, or concerns about the rest of Steele’s research?
I guess Steel will go further and deeper on the path of researching the impacts that caused by stereotype on different minority students’ life condition
Vocabulary check-in (part of speech and quick synonym or definition in your own words. Good to note in your text.
Segregations - The separation based on people’s identity.
Imposed – to enforce someone to do something reluctant. de facto – in fact tenacious – rigid, stubborn intersubjectivity – a theory of innocuous psychological relation between people. It is usually used in contrast to solipsistic individual experience, emphasizing our inherently social being.
Gauntlet – protection, cover.
Sisyphean – endless, pointless
Autonomous – self-directed, independent plague – The sickness that spread out quickly and widely.
Chapter 2.