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Understanding Prejudice and Racism in Society

Explore the concepts of race, ethnicity, minority groups, and intergroup relations. Learn about prejudice, discrimination, stereotypes, and societal sources of bias. Discover the impact of social inequalities and self-fulfilling prophecies on individual behavior.

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Understanding Prejudice and Racism in Society

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  1. Prejudice and RacismDr. Steve HaysSpring 2014

  2. What is the difference between: • Race? • Ethnicity? • Minority Group?

  3. Race • Different characteristics are physical, innate, and biologically inherited • Classifications are socially defined

  4. Ethnic Group • Different characteristics are cultural • Language, food, values, religion, art, music, etc.

  5. Minority Group • Disadvantaged: Members excluded from full participation in society • Held in low esteem: Socially isolated • Membership is involuntary, ascribed • Self-conscious: See themselves as set apart

  6. A Sociological View of Intergroup Relations • Amalgamation • Melting pot; new cultural/genetic blend

  7. A Sociological View of Intergroup Relations • Assimilation • Racial and ethnic minorities absorbed into the culture; differences disappear

  8. A Sociological View of Intergroup Relations • Pluralism • Racial and ethnic groups maintain distinct identity; participate jointly in politics and economy

  9. A Sociological View of Intergroup Relations • Exploitation • Racial and ethnic differences used to rationalize exploitation

  10. A Sociological View of Intergroup Relations • Ethnic Conflict • Ethnocentrism combined with struggle for resources

  11. We categorize others • In-Group • Social group to which a person belongs (“us”) • We care about others’ welfare, cooperate with • We feel we are alike • Out-Group • Social group to which a person does not belong (“them”) • We don’t care about group members’ welfare • We feel we are very different

  12. Categorization • Assimilation • Differences within a category are minimized • Contrast • Differences between categories are exaggerated

  13. Prejudice • Positive or negative attitude towards individuals based on their membership in a particular social group • Prejudgment

  14. Prejudice is an Attitude • Affect • Emotions

  15. Prejudice is an Attitude • Affect • Behavioral Tendencies • Inclination to act according to prejudice • Discrimination: Positive or negative behavior directed toward the persons or groups who are targets of prejudice

  16. Institutional Discrimination • Systematic discrimination against a group of people (includes racism, sexism) • Not necessarily the result of prejudice!

  17. Institutional Discrimination • Children of alumni receive preference for admission into some private colleges. • Employees of a particular university are allowed free tuition, as are their spouses. • A public hearing is held on the third floor of building without elevators. • A fire department requires that applicants for the position of firefighter be 5'8" or taller.

  18. Prejudice is an Attitude • Affect • Behavioral Tendencies • Cognition • Thoughts and beliefs • Stereotypes: A cognitive framework that generalizes certain characteristics to all members of a specific social group

  19. Stereotypes • Often work as mental shortcuts • Implicit stereotyping can ‘prime’ relevant behavior and attitudes (Bargh, Chen, & Burrows, 1996) • Media stereotypes: Cumulative effect over time • Stereotype threat: • Anxiety that behavior might confirm a negative stereotype; hampers performance

  20. Racial Prejudice • Overt racial prejudice and discrimination are have declined significantly in the last 60 years • Subtle prejudice: Non-obvious, arises when it’s ‘safe’ to express

  21. White man Black man Black man White man Racial Prejudice • Study: Applying stereotyping and prejudice to an ambiguous behavior • Participants observe a videotape of a man lightly shoving another man during conversation 13% 73%

  22. Gender Prejudice • Stereotypes of men and women • Overt gender bias has been declining • Subtle gender bias still exists

  23. Where does prejudice come from? • Social Sources • Emotional Sources • Cognitive Sources

  24. Social Sources of Prejudice • Social inequalities • Self-fulfilling prophecy • Study 1: • Do Whites treat African Americans and Whites differently? • Participants interviewed a confederate for a job Confederate: African American or White

  25. Social Sources of Prejudice • Social inequalities • Self-fulfilling prophecy • Results: Study 1 • Interview length: AA < W • Distance: AA > W • Eye contact: AA < W • Speech dysfluencies: AA > W

  26. Social Sources of Prejudice • Social inequalities • Self-fulfilling prophecy • Study 2 • Does differential treatment influence behavior? • Confederates interviewed participant for job • Treated participant like African Americans or Whites were treated in Study 1

  27. Social Sources of Prejudice • Social inequalities • Self-fulfilling prophecy • Results Study 2: • Participants treated like African Americans performed worse than participants treated like Whites

  28. Social Sources of Prejudice • Social inequalities • In-Group Bias • Viewing our in-group positively helps us feel good about ourselves • Natural tendency to view out-group negatively

  29. Social Sources of Prejudice • Social inequalities • In-Group Bias • Institutional Supports • Reflect a culture’s assumptions • Reinforce culture’s attitudes and stereotypes

  30. Emotional Sources of Prejudice • Realistic Group Conflict Theory • Frustration brings out hostility • When cause of frustration is vague, hostility can be redirected • Competing for resources brings out frustration and hostility • Scapegoating: Group blamed for problems

  31. Emotional Sources of Prejudice

  32. Emotional Sources of Prejudice • Realistic Group Conflict Theory • Authoritarian Personality Theory • Authoritarian submission • A high degree of submission to authorities who are perceived to be established and legitimate • Authoritarian aggression • A general aggressiveness, directed against various persons, that is perceived to be sanctioned by established authorities. • Conventionalism • A high degree of adherence to the social conventions that are perceived to be endorsed by society and its established authorities.

  33. Cognitive Sources of Prejudice • Categorization • In-Groups and Out-Groups • The Minimal Group Paradigm • Out-Group Homogeneity Effect • Members of an out-group perceived as similar

  34. Cognitive Sources of Prejudice • Categorization • Distinctiveness • Distinctive occurrences, vivid examples are easily remembered

  35. Cognitive Sources of Prejudice • Categorization • Distinctiveness • Attribution • Fundamental Attribution Error and Group-Serving Bias • Just-World Phenomenon

  36. Sherif’s Robbers Cave Study

  37. Can prejudice be reduced? • Contact Hypothesis • What kind of intergroup contact would increase prejudice? Decrease prejudice? • Cooperative contact • Jigsaw classroom • Formal education • Selective perception • Diversity training

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