In Claude M. Steeles text, Whistling Vivaldi: How Stereotypes Affect Us and What We Can Do, he makes an assertive/direct argument that students have to endure stereotype threat, which interferes with academic performance. The additional pressure that stereotype threat brings on requires students to live up to or dispel stereotypes associated with their social identity, taking their focus off of the task at hand, which affects their overall performance under evaluative situations. This, he argues, impacts the level of success certain groups of students achieve. Do you agree with Steeles theory? Or, do you think that he is perpetuating excuses for students that underperform? In other words, is he taking his argument too far by giving students that underperform an out?
