Chapter 10: Social Thinking

Question 1

What is the difference between ethnocentrism and cultural relativism?

Answer 1

• Ethnocentrism -> refers to the practice of making judgments about other cultures based on the values and beliefs of one’s own culture, especially when it comes to language, customs, and religion.
  
  • In-Group: is a social group with which a person experiences a sense of belonging or identifies as a member.
  • Out-Group; refers to a social group with which an individual does not identify.
• Cultural Relativism -> is the perception of another culture as different from one’s own, but with the recognition that the cultural values, mores, and rules of a culture fit into that culture itself.
  
  • in other words, while one group may follow a given set of rules, that group does not perceive those rules as superior to those of other cultures - just different
  • in order to avoid ethnocentrism, the concept of cultural relativism has been employed by sociologists to compare and understand cultures

Question 2

What is a sterotype?

Answer 2

In the context of sociology, stereotypes occur when attitudes and impressions are based on limited and superficial information about a person or a group of individuals.

• the content of sterotypes are the attributes that people believe define and characterize a group.

Question 3

What is the “stereotype content model”?

Answer 3

sterotype content model attempts to classify stereotypes with respect to a hypothetical in-group using two dimensions: warmth and competence.

Question 4

Are stereotypes cognitive, affective, or behavioral?

Answer 4

cognitive

Question 5

Are prejudices cognitive, affective, or behavioral?

Answer 5

affective

Question 6

Is discrimination cognitive, affective, or behavioral?

Answer 6

behavioral

Question 7

What are the 4 different kinds of stereotypes?

Answer 7

• paternalistic stereotype (low competence; high warmth)
  
  • low status, not competitve
    
    • housewives, elderly people, disabled people
• contemptuous stereotype (low competence; high warmth)
  
  • low status, competitive
    
    • welfare recipients, poor people
• admiration stereotype (high competence; high warmth)
  
  • high status, not competitive
    
    • in-group, close allies
• envious stereotype (high competence; high warmth)
  
  • high status, competitive
    
    • Asians, Jews, rich people, feminists

Question 8

What is a stereotype threat?

Answer 8

Stereotype threat refers to the concept of people being concerned or anxious about confirming a negative stereotype about one’s social group.

• stereotype threatcan cause reduced performance, encourage self-handicapping strategies, and lower one’s personal investment in an activity
• e.g., white males in sports, women driving, and homosexual couples providing childcare

**stereotype threat is concern or anxiety about confirming a negative stereotype about one’s group. this may hinder performance, which may actually create a self-fulfilling prophecy**

Question 9

What are the 3 types of social inequality that can influence prejudice?

Answer 9

• Power -> refers to the ability of people or groups to achieve their goals despite any obstacles, and their ability to control resouces.
• Prestige -> is the level of respect shown to a perons by others.
• Class -> refers to socioeconomic status.

** the social inequality or unqual distribution of power, prestige, and class can result in the grouping of haves and have-nots **