Prejudice – Chapter 11

Prejudice

ATTITUDE, 'A negative prejudgement of a group and its individual members'

Discrimination

'Unjustifiable negative behaviour toward a group or its members' BEHAVIOUR (ex. Hiring based on ethnic name, assigning male coworkers to garbage duties)

Stereotype

'Beliefs about the personal attributes of a group of people' Beliefs about the personal attributes of a group of people (sometimes positive but mostly negative, not prejudice but can fuel it)

Implicit and Explicit Prejudice

Implicit: Unconscious, Implicit

Explicit: Conscious

Implicit Association Test

Cognitive test to see how the brain associates things to other things, proves implicit prejudice exists

Sources of Prejudice

Unequal Status (Inequality), Socialization, Ethnocentrism, Relationship Between Religion and Prejudice

Unequal Status (Inequality)

Unequal status breeds and perpetuates prejudice, we respect higher status and like lower status, dominance orientation- those with high social dominance see people in terms of hierarchies

Socialization

Prejudice is an implicit learned behaviour, learned from families' explicit prejudice, learned from media

Ethnocentrism

We judge others' culture through the lens of our culture, our lens determines what is right or wrong (subjective) (ex. How women should dress)

Relationship Between Religion and Prejudice

Complicated question, connected

Motivations of Prejudice

Scapegoat Theory, Social Identity Theory, In-Group Bias, Out-Group Homogeneity Effect

Scapegoat Theory

We blame others for our own problems, marginalized groups are often targeted (ex. 9/11 fear caused prejudice against muslims, COVID for asians)

Social Identity Theory

The group we belong to shapes our identity, involves categorization, identification, comparison, we see our group as better and other groups as worse

In-Group Bias

Favouring our group and its members over any other

Out-Group Homogeneity Effect

Thinking non-group members are all alike, while seeing differences within our group members

Consequences of Prejudice

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, Stereotype Threat

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Internalizing discrimination, blaming yourself

Stereotype Threat

Apprehension that we will be evaluated based on negative stereotypes, worsens our performance (ex. Women being told men are better at math makes them do worse on math test)

Terror Management

Self-protective response knowing death is inevitable, manages by escapism and cultural beliefs, which result in ingroup favouritism, as they give life value

Racism

Prejudice and discrimination on the basis of race, institutional even if not motivated by prejudice

Sexism

Prejudice and discrimination on the basis of sex, institutional even if not motivated by prejudice

Realistic Group Conflict Theory

Hostility arises when groups fight other groups for resources, and when groups have conflicted goals