Chapter 8

Question 1

social identity

Answer 1

Social identity is the part of a person’s self-concept that derives from membership in groups that are important to them. Such groups can include one’s family, college, nation, and so forth.

Question 2

complex vs simple social identity

Answer 2

Consider, for example, a woman who is Asian and a lawyer. If she has a complex social identity, she will view all women, all Asians, and all lawyers as members of her ingroup; if she has a simple social identity that focuses on her profession, she will view all lawyers as members of her ingroup, but exclude anyone who is not a lawyer, even women and Asians who are not lawyers.

Question 3

group narcisissim

Answer 3

group narcissism, which consists of a belief in the superiority of one’s country and its culture over all others coupled with denial of its negative aspects

Question 4

procedural justice

Answer 4

the fairness of the process by which rewards are distributed

Question 5

The research of Muzafer and Carolyn Sherif and colleagues (1961) provides what is perhaps the most famous demonstration of the principles of realistic conflict theory.

Answer 5

detailed desc on pg 349

Question 6

good pic on p 355

Answer 6

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Question 7

symbolic threats

Answer 7

Finally, symbolic threats come from perceptions that the outgroup differs from the ingroup in terms of values, attitudes, beliefs, moral standards, and other symbolic, as opposed to material, factors.

Question 8

socialization for hate groups

Answer 8

The socialization process. Like other groups and organizations, hate groups socialize new members by means of formal and informal education and through participation in rituals. In addition, hate groups try to reinforce the socialization process by isolating members from opposing viewpoints.

Question 9

This chapter examined two aspects of the social context of prejudice:

Answer 9

intergroup processes and hate group membership. Intergroup process theories include social identity theory, relative deprivation theory, realistic conflict theory, and intergroup threat theory.

Question 10

social identity theory explains prejudice in terms of the link between people’s self-concepts and their membership in groups that are important to them. Because people see these groups as part of themselves, they try to

Answer 10

ensure the status of these groups by favoring ingroup members over outgroup members when allocating resources. This ingroup bias derives from feelings of competition that arise when people think of their group relative to other groups and from a need to enhance their self-esteem by enhancing the position of their group relative to other groups.

Question 11

An important factor influencing people’s level of identification with a group is self-categorization:

Answer 11

seeing oneself in terms of the group rather than as an individual. Self-categorization increases when situational factors emphasize one’s group membership, when one looks to the group as a source of information on important topics, and when one has chosen to join the group.

Question 12

Other factors influencing identification with the group are

Answer 12

a need to balance group and personal identity, the chronic identities one always experiences, and threats to the group.

Question 13

Although social identity processes can lead to prejudice, they can also lead to

Answer 13

tolerance if ingroup members do not see their values as conflicting with those of the outgroup, if they identify with a culture that values diversity, or if they have complex social identities.

Question 14

Relative deprivation theory explains prejudice as a reaction to feelings of being treated unfairly:

Answer 14

If people blame a group for their unfair treatment, they develop negative feelings toward members of that group.

Question 15

These feelings of unfair treatment can be either personal or people can see their group as the collective victim of unfair treatment. Feelings of group deprivation are more closely related to .

Answer 15

prejudice than are feelings of personal deprivation

Question 16

Feelings of being more highly benefited than other groups can also cause prejudice:

Answer 16

Rather than feeling angry because the other group has deprived them of something, people derogate the other group to justify being better off.

Question 17

Realistic conflict theory holds that people dislike members of outgroups because the ingroup is competing with the outgroup for resources.

Answer 17

Because this competition threatens the survival of the ingroup, outgroup members are seen in negative terms.

Question 18

Situational factors that can contribute to intergroup competition include one group’s desire to increase its resources at the expense of another group,

Answer 18

a scarcity of resources, and subordinated groups’ advocating for a fairer distribution of societal resources.

Question 19

Perceptions of intergroup competition are also positively correlated with

Answer 19

individuals’ levels of social dominance orientation and right-wing authoritarianism.

Question 20

Perceptions of intergroup competition can have cognitive, emotional, and motivational effects that influence people’s behavioral responses. If one group wins the competition and gains dominance over the other group,

Answer 20

the dominating group justifies its position by viewing the subjugated group as inferior and stereotypes them in negative ways or in positive ways that emphasize their low power and status.

Question 21

The subjugated group can avoid conflict by accepting the dominating group’s definition of their position; conversely,

Answer 21

, viewing the dominating group as oppressive can mobilize members of the subjugated group to challenge the dominating group’s position.

Question 22

The dominating group can respond to this challenge by

Answer 22

defining the subjugated group as threatening as well as inferior as a way of preparing to suppress the challenge; conversely, the dominating group can avoid conflict by being more tolerant of the subjugated group’s desire for equality.

Question 23

Intergroup threat theory brings realistic conflict theory, social identity theory, and relative deprivation theory together using the concept of threat. Perceptions of realistic threat can derive from

Answer 23

intergroup conflict and feelings of group relative deprivation, and perceptions of symbolic threat can derive from social identity processes.

Question 24

Hate groups are organizations whose central principles include

Answer 24

hostility toward racial, ethnic, religious, sexual orientation, and gender identity minority groups.

Question 25

People attracted to hate groups tend to have negative racial attitudes and to be searching for

Answer 25

solutions to problems and questions that have arisen in their lives. Contrary to the stereotype of hate group members, many are reasonably well-educated members of the middle class.

Question 26

Most hate group members are recruited by friends or relatives and undergo socialization processes that make their racial attitudes more extreme. The internet also provides a

Answer 26

fertile place for hate group recruitment through online gaming and chat rooms.

Question 27

Socialization tactics include education, isolation from opposing viewpoints, and participation in rituals. This process tends to

Answer 27

reduce members’ social networks to only other group members, provides them with a greater sense of social identity as White people, and leads them to see the world as dangerous and threatening

Question 28

People who leave hate groups generally do so because

Answer 28

they become disillusioned with the group’s ideology and establish social ties outside the group that meet their psychological needs.