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CONSEQUENCES OF THE STEREOTYPE THREAT: NATIVE COMMUNITIES


Dear Editor:

Imagine leaving your family for the first time to attend college in a different state, overwhelmed with ambition to earn a college degree and experience life outside the borders of the reservation. From a personally perspective, I knew the coursework in college was not going to be easy; something every first-year college student is told but something I was not prepared for, was how much the negative stereotypic beliefs held against my social identity would impact my adjustment in college.

In the article, “A threat in the air: How stereotypes shape intellectual identity and performance.” written by Claude Steele (1997), explains how being aware of the stereotypic beliefs people have about their group and the things they have to deal with in situations because of their social identity. For example, Native American students know they can be judged or treated different because of stereotypes, therefore, they are afraid of confirming the judgement. If the judgement in the situation is personally relevant, it creates a stereotype threat which interferes with academic achievement. Considering only 10 percent of Native Americans attain a bachelor’s degree, their self-esteem is automatically tied to their performance when it comes to academics, “Education was something that was done to us, not something that was provided for us.” ALIA WONGMAR 5, 2019. We are a stigmatized group automatically set up for failure. Although, The National Center for Education Statistics (2015), provides evidence showing the increase of minority group members and women in undergraduate and graduate education, the stereotype threat affects those who believe their success or failure is under their personal control.

How do we reduce stereotype threat from negatively impacting academic performance? The most effective and straightforward approach for those pursuing a college education is to provide role models of success in areas that negative stereotypes exist. Such as, posters, quotes and photos in classrooms of successful community members that attained a college degree or famous Native Americans, such Billy Mills. Role models improve the performance even if they are not directly visible or present. This study is proven by the by “Obama Effect” referred in Marx, D. M., Ko, S. J., & Friedman,

R. A. (2009). The “Obama effect”: How a salient role model reduces race-based performance differences. The success and motivation of individuals in native communities will increase when they know people part of their ingroup (other Native Americans) have persevered through their adversity.

Morgan Mesteth,
Psychology Major
Undergrad Student at
Colorado State University

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