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Prejudice and Racism Dr. Steve Hays Spring 2014

Prejudice and Racism Dr. Steve Hays Spring 2014. What is the difference between: Race? Ethnicity? Minority Group?. Race Different characteristics are physical, innate, and biologically inherited Classifications are socially defined. Ethnic Group Different characteristics are cultural

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Prejudice and Racism Dr. Steve Hays Spring 2014

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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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