Entry 3_Lê Thị Thu Sương

IDENTIFYING BIAS

Item 1:

"Bill is assigned by his editor to determine what most Americans think about a new law that will place a federal tax on all modems and computers purchased. The revenues from the tax will be used to enforce new online decency laws. Bill, being technically inclined, decides to use an email poll. In his poll, 95% of those surveyed opposed the tax. Bill is quite surprised when 65% of all Americans voted for the taxes."

- Assumption

- The last sentence shows an assumption that 65 is a too high number for the percent of Americans who voted for the tax.
This is a wrong conclusion since Bill just carried out the survey by using an email poll. It is not true that every American uses email and takes part in his survey; therefore, 95% of those surveyed opposing the tax can not be interpreted that most of Amecicans oppose the tax. Bill's conclusion is based on limited knowledge of the fact.

Item 2:

- Discrimination

- Colour men are usually treated and judged unfairly in comparision with white men. In the picture, the colour man is holding a photo of a white man to cover his face. That means if the colour men want to be treated like white men, they have to hide their race.

Item 3:

"Cả thế giới đều phải kiêng nể người Mỹ vì người Mỹ đã nói là làm. Nhưng người Mỹ lại sợ người Nhật vì người Nhật làm rồi mới nói. Người Nhật lại sợ Trung Quốc vì Trung Quốc không nói mà làm. Người Trung Quốc lại sợ ai? Xin thưa Trung Quốc sợ nhất Việt Nam vì Việt Nam nói một đằng làm một nẻo."

- Stereotype

- Americans: Do as they say.

Japenese: Be slow to promise and be quick to perform.

Chinese: "The shortest answer is doing the thing." (Ernest Hemingway)

Vietnamese: It’s one thing to promise and another to perform.