ch.1 Flashcards
stereotypes
●Beliefs and opinions about the characteristics, attributes, and behaviors of members of various groups
●Develop from
●Exposure to culture
●Personal observations and experiences
why stereotypes exist
●Because they are learned!
●Where?
●SOCIETY, MEDIA, FAMILY, PEERS
●Perpetuates negative stereotypes, rarely positive ones
●Gender, race, homosexuals, etc.
●Focus more on negative events than positive events
●Availability heuristic?
prejudice
●An attitude directed toward people because they are members of a specific group ●Based in emotion ●Originates from several sources: ●Perceived threat ●Close personal contact ●Personality traits
Discrimination
●Treating people differently from others based on membership in a social group
●Occurs on 3 levels in society.
interpersonal
occurs on person to person levels based on group membership
organizational and institutional
Occurs when institutions or governing bodies sanction beliefs about group superiority.
cultural
Occurs when one group retains the power to define cultural values as well as the form those values should take within a culture.
relationships among stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination
Having knowledge of stereotypic beliefs does not necessarily mean an individual is prejudiced
Stereotypic beliefs can be accessed without awareness.
Can influence behavior, even of people low in prejudice
Patricia Devine (1989) Students listed characteristics for the stereotype of African Americans. High and low prejudiced individuals were equally knowledgeable of the stereotype. Low prejudiced people rejected the stereotype. High prejudiced people accepted it.
implicit prejudice
Reactions toward groups or individuals that are outside conscious awareness
explicit prejudice
Attitudes that people are aware of and can easily control if they try
social scientists differentiate
Stereotypes are based on beliefs.
Prejudice is based on affective attitudes.
Discrimination is based on behavior
scientific racism
Prior to 1920s
Researchers tried to demonstrate empirically the superiority of one group.
Prejudice was viewed as a natural response to “backward” peoples.
Used to justify the status quo of treatment of Blacks
psychodynamic theory
Proposes that universal psychological processes account for prejudice
Processes presumed to be:
Motivationally based
Serve to strengthen one’s self-esteem
Prejudice was viewed as a social problem caused by irrational and unjustifiable beliefs.
sociocultural theory
Culture provides stereotypes
Stereotyping and prejudice are strongly tied to culture and structure of society.
Developed from two models:
Structural-functionalist view – society has rules we must all follow
Conflict perspective – groups have different values
intergroup relations theory
Prejudice derives from perceptions of competition with other groups.
Relative deprivation theory
Prejudice results from the resentment people feel when they believe their group has been deprived of a resource that another group receives.
social identity theory
People can only have a positive self-identity by feeling positively about the groups to which they belong.
View one’s own group as better than other groups
Hostility increases toward the opposing group
Increase of ingroup loyalty
cognitive thoery
Prejudice is viewed as universal and inevitable.
Stereotyping is a normal cognitive process that simplifies information that is stored in memory.
Simpler to think of all members in a group to be similar in their characteristics.
evolutionary theory
Behaviors stem from psychological mechanisms that evolved to allow survival.
Suspicion and fear of strangers – protects themselves and communities from harm.
Kin favoritism – cooperation among relatives to ensure mutual survival; protects them from being exploited by strangers.
race and ethnicity
US history of stigmatizing racial, ethnic, and immigrant groups
Theories and research focused mainly on prejudice against African Americans.
Attitudes and behaviors of minority group members toward Whites have been ignored.
religion
Prejudice based on religion has existed for centuries.
Studied less than racial prejudice in the US
Anti-Catholic and anti-Semitic prejudice
Gordon Allport (1954) – The Nature of Prejudice
Rise of anti-Muslim prejudice following Sept. 11. 2001
gender and sexual orientation
Gender-based prejudice has both benevolent and hostile components.
Heterosexism – ideological system that denies, denigrates, and stigmatizes any nonheterosexual behavior or identity.
age, ability, and appearance
Ageism – negative reactions to older people
Prejudice against People with Disabilities (PWD)
Physical Appearance, especially weight
Long hairs and punk rockers?
What about people who listen to country music?
Rap and Hip Hop?
Little people, clowns, people with uni-brows, for God’s sake where does it end?
