theories of prejudice Flashcards
define prejudice
unjustified prejudgement of someone based on their membership to a group
define discrimination
acting on prejudice
what does the social identitiy theory explain?
how people form an identity based on how people form an identity based on the groups they belong to and how they view outgroups
what is an ingroup?
(SIT)
the groups someone sees themself belonging to
what is an outgroup?
(SIT)
anyone who is not in the outgroup
What does the theory of “the self and the group” suggest about self-concept and social identity?
(SIT)
Our self-concept includes multiple social identities connected to our ingroups. The theory suggests we have a strong desire to fit in, and our self-esteem is influenced by acceptance and approval from others.
what is social categorisation?
(SIT)
the automatic sorting process of ingroups and outgroups
what is social identification?
(SIT)
once in an ingroup, the individual adopts the norms, beliefs, values and attitudes of the group- creating a social identity that fits the group
what is social comparison?
(SIT)
to boost self-esteem an individual may make comparisons between the in and outgroup
what can social comparison lead to?
(SIT)
ingroup favouritism(seeing the group as superior)
outgroup discrimination (seeing the outgroup as inferior)
what was the Tajfel and turner study (1970)
(SIT)
(C.o.d.a)
aimed to demonstrate categorising people into groups is sufficient for people to discriminate.
PP’s randomly allocated to groups and asked to allocate points to members of the ingroup or outgroup
PP’s allocated more points to their ingroup indicating ingroup favouritism
What research opposes social identity theory?
(c.O.d.a)
research in New Zealand undermines the credibility which demonstrates there may be a westernised, ethnocentric bias
How is the social identity theory reductionist?
oversimplifies behavior by focusing mainly on group identity, ignoring individual differences and other social or situational factors
What theories are different to social identity theory?
(c.o.D.a)
-Sherif’s realistic conflict theory and Robber’s cave study which demonstrates discrimination comes from competition and lack of resources
-social impact theory: explanation of why people may feel compelled to join ingroups
How can social identity theory be applied to real life situations?
(c.o.d.A)
disagreements between football fans,
racism, homophobia, ableism
What does the realistic conflict theory say there needs to be for intergroup conflict?
there must be a competition for limited recources
What is intergroup competition?
(RCT)
when 2 or more groups are competing for the same goal
what happens when there is intergroup competition?
(RCT)
hostility and prejudice will arise and intensify
what is negative interdependence?
(RCT)
2 or more groups are competing for a goal which can only be achieved by one of them. They will try to obstruct the other’s achievement as the group is dependent on the other group’s loss. This creates hostility
What are some limited resources?
(RCT)
jobs
money
scarce materials (food, territory)
symbolic resources (power, authority)
what is positive interdependence/subordinate goals?
(RCT)
groups must work together to achieve a common goal- neither can reach it without cooperation
What study adds credibility to the Realistic conflict theory?
(C.o.d.a)
Robber’s cave study- sherif et al found prejudice arises when there’s competition
What real world example adds credibility to the Realistic Conflict Theory?
(C.o.d.a)
World war 2
What opposition is there against the Realistic Conflict Theory?
(c.O.d.a)
Reductionist as it only considers situational factors and not individual
What is the different theory other than Realistic Conflict Theory?
(c.o.D.a)
Social identity theory- suggests conflict is not ‘realist’ and arises from needs for self-esteem
What are 2 ways in which the Realistic Conflict Theory can be applied?
(c.o.d.A)
- Palestine vs Israel fighting over territory (Gaza strip)
-Survival of the planet depends on cooperation (Subordinate goals)
