CHAPTER THREE PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from Chapter Three: Prejudice and Discrimination.

Prejudice

The tendency to think and feel in negative ways about members of other groups.

Discrimination

Actual, overt behavior directed at individuals or groups.

Cognitive dimension of prejudice

How people think about members of other groups; involves stereotypes and biased beliefs.

Affective dimension of prejudice

How people feel about members of other groups; includes negative emotions.

Stereotypes

Cognitive categories that often guide behavior; generalized beliefs about a group.

Selective perception

Tendency to see only what one expects to see, reinforcing stereotypes.

Scapegoat hypothesis

Frustrations directed at substitute targets (often other groups), increasing prejudice.

Authoritarian personality

Prejudice linked to harsh childhood experiences; anger displaced onto outgroups; studies criticized for flaws.

Robber’s Cave experiment

Sherif’s 1950s study showing intergroup prejudice rises with competition and diminishes with cooperation.

Split labor market theory

Prejudice arises when a dominant group uses discrimination to limit minority labor competition.

Primary sector (upper tier)

Higher salaries, mobility, security; dominant group more represented.

Secondary sector (lower tier)

Lower salaries, less mobility, worse conditions; minority labor concentrated here.

Equal status contact hypothesis

Cooperative intergroup contact reduces prejudice when groups have equal status and shared goals.

Intergroup contact

Contact between groups that can reduce prejudice under certain conditions.

Jigsaw method

Educational technique where each member contributes unique information to the group’s task.

Social distance scale

Bogardus scale measuring how close an individual is willing to be with members of another group.

Social distance

Degree of intimacy one is willing to have with members of other groups.

Modern racism

Subtle, symbolic, or color‑blind racism; covert expression of prejudice.

Symbolic racism

A form of modern racism expressing negative views through symbolic means.

Color‑blind racism

Belief that race no longer matters and that discrimination is no longer a problem; racism is hidden.

Matrix of domination

Idea that stereotypes and prejudice operate at intersections of race, gender, and class.

Intersections of race, gender, and class

How experiences of prejudice differ across combinations of identity factors.

Power/conflict models

Theoretical perspectives that explain prejudice via competition and power dynamics.

Marxist analysis

Ideologies that support elite dominance and maintain control, sustaining prejudice.

Ideologies and belief systems

Worldviews that legitimize the dominance of certain groups over others.

Vicious cycle of prejudice

Inferior status → prejudice/discrimination → reinforced inferior status.

Prejudice in children

Attitudes are learned early; children pick up biases through socialization.

Socialization

Process by which individuals learn culture, group norms, and attitudes (including prejudice).

Hate crimes

Crimes motivated by bias against race, ethnicity, religion, or other groups; often underreported.

Active hate groups

Organizations that promote hate; data tracked by organizations like SPLC.