Social: Prejudice Flashcards
What is the definition of prejudice?
Preconceived opinion about a person/group of people that is not based on reason or actual experience (usually due to stereotypes).
OR
Negative Stereotyping
What does prejudice lead to?
Dehumanisation and violence across the world, without cultural or historical boundary.
What 3 negative components is prejudice associated with?
- Cognitive: stereotypes we hold.
- Affective: feelings of hostility and hatred.
- Behavioural: can be displayed as avoidance, assault, joek-making or discrimination.
Do all 3 components manifest at one time?
No. Someone may have cognitive and affective components but not actively discriminate due to social norms and law.
What does stereotype mean?
An overgeneralised belief about someone or something typically based on limited information.
They are a mental shortcut for making sense of people (classify people based off a single characteristic). All members of a group with this characteristic are assumed to have the same characteristics/behaviour.
What does discrimination mean?
practice of treating someone or a group differently in an unfair way based on these stereotypes.
What are the causes of prejudice?
- Realisitc Conflict Theory (Sherif, 1966)
- Social Identity Theory (Tajfe + Turner, 1979)
- Individual differences (e.g. culture and personality)
Why are stereotypes self conforming?
- We may avoid memebrs of groups we sterotype.
- We my ignore or ‘explain away’ info thats inconsistent with our stereotypes.
What does realistic conflict theory state?
Prejudice arises due to conflict between groups. Prejudice may be caused by a conflict of interest or competition for resources, dominance or land, e.g. Tutsi and Hutu tribe in Rwanda settled peacefully until political rivalry occured leading to the death of almost 1 million Tutsis.
What is intergroup conflict?
Real conflict experienced between different groups.
What are subordinate goals?
Goals that can only be achieved by the cooperation of all members together.
How is realistic conflict evident in society today?
When a new group of immigrants arrive in a country, they can be with profound prejudice on the part of the indiginous population because they are viewed as competitors for resources such as jobs, housing and schooling. Results in in-group favouritism and hostility towards the out group. However, when group need to work together for a common aim, there is a reduction in hostility and greater harmony between groups.
Sherif said that Intergroup hostility can only be achieved by subordinate goals, where all members of each group need to cooperate in order to achieve the intended outcome.
What evidence supports Realistic conflict theory?
- Carol and Melvin Ember (1992)
- Sherif (1961)
- Aronson et al (1978)
What does Carol and Melvin Ember (1992) say about Realistic Conflict theory?
Observed that in tribal society’s, intergroup hostility increased when social and natural conditions mean that competition for these resources are necessary.
During periods of famine or natural disasters, warfare was more likely to ensure access to available scarce resources.
HOWEVER, this is only correlative evidence. We cannot say that competition is responsible for prejudice (may be other factors involved).
How does Robbers Cave provide evidence for realistic conflict theory?
Competition increased hostility between the groups. It occured in a real life setting so the boys behaviour was authentic.
HOWEVER, Sherif’s writings show that the group of boys were being hostile towards one another way before any competitive events. This suggests the mere presence of another group is enough to bring about prejudice (as Social Identity Theory suggests).
