The View From Here

***This posting has spoilers for the film "Split"*** Last weekend I went to see the film " Split ", which is about disassociative identity disorder  (DID) or is still commonly known as multiple personality disorder. For many of us, we think of the book " Sybil " back in the 70s then later the film featuring Sally Field as the client, Sybil. However, interestingly, the client admitted years later that she faked her diagnosis .  Although DID as a diagnosis is fairly uncommon although the  phenomena of disassociating  is more common that we think due to stress, trauma or even illness. As I watched the film, it was clear to me that there was a significant amount of stereotyping to depict the different identities such as "Barry" who liked to design clothes and had an affect that would be stereotyped as "gay." Another is that the film was reinforcing the belief that mental illness is over-the-top and beyond repair. Also that mental illn...

When my quantitative stats class (I know, it sounds horrific - at least to me!) started, the professor wasn't able to make it to the first session. Instead, the professor sent an assistant to go over the syllabus and so on. At the next class session, the professor walked in and lo and behold, the professor was (is!) a woman. Not only a woman but one who is younger. Even though one would presume that her first name would indicate a woman, I realized that my stereotype of a stats professor is of an older man overrode the somewhat obvious indicator that the professor was a woman. Malcolm Gladwell discussed in his book, The Tipping Point , the strength of stereotyping while also making clear how we can be intentional in changing stereotypes, which is often about exposure and engagement with difference. I found this be true as I spent more time with LGBTQQ colleagues and friends and had my stereotypes busted years ago. Even so, those moments that remind me of my own biases are such ...

Last month while waiting in line for the airport security check, I heard a child's voice and thought she may have been lost. Having young nieces as well as all the news reports of kidnappings of kids, well, I'm attuned to responding to kids who may seem lost. Rather than ignore, I usually try to find out who the kid "belongs" to and help locate the parent(s). So I turn to a woman that's near me in line and asked, "Is she with the wrong parents?" I know, a strange way to put it but it just came out my mouth that way. In any case, the woman glared at me and said in a cold voice, "Oh, she's with the RIGHT parents." I looked at her and saw that she was White and saw the child (who I didn't see before; I only heard her voice) who, guess what, was Black.  Yikes.  I clearly was misunderstood and I clearly offended her. I simply froze even as much as I wanted to apologize to her (I really wish now that I did). I'm sure she was thinki...