5. Stereotype 𝔗𝔥𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔱

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5.1. Whistling Vivaldi

In the book Whistling Vivaldi, Claude Steele provides a thorough examination on how social stereotypes (i.e. race, class and gender based) affect –often non-western, marginalized– people and how these unfortunate and often unintended biases in society can be overcome by “whistling Vivaldi”.

I became an expert in the language of fear. Couples locked arms or reached for each other’s hand when they saw me. some crossed to the other side of the street. People who were carrying on conversations went mute and stared straight ahead, as though avoiding my eyes would save them…

I’d been a fool. I’d been walking the streets grinning good evening at people who were frightened to death of me. I did violence to them by just being. How had I missed it…

I tried to be innocuous but didn’t know how… I began to avoid people. I turned out of my way into streets to spare them the sense that they were being stalked… Out of nervousness I began to whistle and discovered I was good at it. My whistle was pure and sweet —and also in tune. On the street at night I whistled popular tunes from the Beatles and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. The tension drained from people’s bodies when they heard me. A few smiled as they passed me in the dark ¹⁰.

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