Thoughts on "The Danger of a Single Story"


I think Chimamanda Adichie’s TED Talk was beneficial to watch as a future teacher. I thought it was especially important to think about how certain stories are represented in literature. Like Adichie said, often American/British literature focus on one type of person--white, attractive, thin, etc. All students should have the chance to see themselves in what they are reading in one way or another. Students should also be represented in what they are reading fully, and not just as a stereotype. I really liked the quote, “The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete.” I feel like I have often been told that the issue with stereotypes is that they are untrue, and that it’s problematic to view someone or someplace in a way that isn’t truthful. I like that Adichie rejects this and states that stereotypes can contain truth, but that the real problem is that they aren’t complete. I think we all sometimes default to relying on stereotypes, and all that does is a disservice to you and a disservice to the person/group you’re stereotyping. I’m still trying to reflect on some of the single stories I hold, but I know that I could definitely benefit from expanding my understanding of people with disabilities and people from different socio-economic backgrounds. Those are two topics I might explore in the books I choose.

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