Stereotypes

Social Categorisation

process of identifying a person as a member of a certain group because of features they share.

These features may be simple things like gender and ethnicity, uniforms, name tags or tools of trade. Sometimes they may be more subtle like accents, style of dress

Stereotypes as a form of categroisation

based on what others think of as shared features. These are used to put people in boxes – making them seem more similar than they actually are.

Why do we not like being stereotyped?

While stereotypes may be positive or negative, we usually do not like to be stereotyped because it means that we are not seen to be individuals

What happens if we encounter a person from an unidentifiable group for the first time?

our first impressions can form the basis of stereotypes and these first impressions about the behaviour of others from those countries or professions.

Prejudice

holding a negative attitude towards the members of a group based soley on their membership of that group

discrimination

the positive or negative behaviour that is directed towards a social group and its members e.g. ignoring behaviour, excluding behaviour, bullying, put downs.

An example of this is Genocide – the extermination of an entire group as seen in Hitler’s attempt to kill all Jewish people in WWII

what is the difference between prejudice and discrimination

The basic difference between prejudice and discrimination is that prejudice is an attitude and discrimination is a behaviour arising from prejudice.

What is racism

When prejudice and discrimination are directed at people who are members of a particular racial or ethnic group, e.g. Aborigines, Somalians or Muslims, it is called racism

what is ageism

discrimination and prejudice directed at people because of their age

what is sexism

When discrimination and prejudice is directed at women or men

what are other forms of prejudice and discrimination

Other forms of prejudice and discrimination occur to people who are disabled and who have mental illness

Why does discrimination and prejudice behaviour happen?

these result because a person or group feel superior to an individual or group in terms of age, race and gender, and regard them as being inferior or less able in one or more ways

direct discrimination

occurs when someone is treated unfairly and is disadvantaged because a personal characteristic protected by the law

e.g. not getting a job on the basis of your gender

Indirect discrimination

occurs when treating everybody the same way disadvantages someone because of a personal characteristic

e.g. an employer refuse to allow employees to wear any head coverings in the workplace, this might be indirect discrimination against employees who have cultural/religious rules that require them to wear this

What is social influence?

is the way in which individuals adjust their behaviour to meet the demands of a social environment

In all cases, positive, negative or neutral, social influence involves a degree of pressure from others, which can be real or imagined

what are the different types of social influence

can be seen in conformity, socialization, peer pressure, obedience. leadership, persuasion, sales and marketing