1 / 14

Session #7: Prejudice and Discrimination

This session explores the nature and sources of prejudice, discrimination, and racism. Participants will gain insights into the components of prejudice, sources of prejudice, discrimination, and the evolution of racism. Relevant media images and videos will be used to facilitate discussion.

nelliej
Download Presentation

Session #7: Prejudice and Discrimination

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Session #7: Prejudice and Discrimination • Class members will gain an understanding of the nature and sources of: • Prejudice • Discrimination • Racism • Eye of the Storm • Small group process • Native American GroupMedia Images: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hJFi7SRH7Q • Mascots: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgARtYX9ZO4

  2. What is Prejudice? • A negative attitude towards a socially defined group and toward any person perceived to be a member of that group. (Ashmore, 1970) • Faulty generalization from a group characterization (stereotype) to an individual, irrespective of either: • the accuracy of the stereotype in the first place, • the applicability of the group characterization to the individual in question (Jones, 1989) • Negative feelings based on faulty and inflexible generalizations: • May be felt or expressed; • Directed towards individual or group (Allport, 1954).

  3. Prejudice Has Three Components (Harding et al, 1969) • #1 COGNITIVE (Think) • Beliefs: Irrationally based beliefs about group • #2: AFFECTIVE (Feel) • Feelings: Dislike of group. • #3: BEHAVIORAL (Behave) • Behaviors: Behavioral predisposition to avoid group

  4. SOURCES OF PREJUDICE(Reid, 1988; Cox, 1993) • INDIVIDUAL FACTORS • Personality • Authoritarian Personality • Low Tolerance for Ambiguity • Low Educational Level • Socialization and Contact (Allport’s Contact Hypothesis) • Interpersonal Factors • Attributions and Perceptions (cause of obesity) • Perceived physical attractiveness (Denzel Washington) • Communication proficiency

  5. Sources of Prejudice (cont’d) • GROUP FACTORS • Clear In/Out group status • Competition for scarce resources • Lack of positive contact between groups • Press to conform to group norms • Legacy effects from history of inter-group relations • SOCIETAL FACTORS • Laws (laws prohibit sexual orientation discrimination?) • Media (people with disabilities in the media?) • Dan Fanelli Ad • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izYBrHdgHac • Education (diverse/ openly gay teachers?)

  6. DISCRIMINATION • “Discrimination involves denying individuals or groups of people equality of treatment.”(Allport, 1954). • “Actions designed to maintain own-group characteristics and favored position at the expense of comparison group.”(Jones, 1972). • Prejudice is an attitude. • Discrimination is a behavior. • Prejudice does not always lead to discrimination. • Discrimination may have causes other than prejudice (using situation for your advantage).

  7. RACISM • Discrimination based on race • Applications to other “isms” • (heterosexism; ableism; sexism) • Three inter-related forms (Jones, 1972): • INDIVIDUAL RACISM • Prejudice and discrimination • INSTITUTIONAL RACISM • Unintentional or Intentional policies that restrict opportunities • “English only”; No domestic partner benefits; flex-time; • CULTURAL RACISM • Societal view of superiority of one group over others; supports institutional and individual racism.

  8. The Evolution of Racism(Eberhardt & Fiske, 1998; Brief & Barsky, 2000) • Traditional Racists (Old-Fashioned/Blatant Racists) • Believe in racial inferiority and segregation • Believe acting in a prejudiced manner is the right thing to do. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S38VioxnBaI • Non-Prejudiced Persons • Hold egalitarian beliefs - are not prejudiced • Cultural conditioning of stereotypes • Stereotypes automatically activated in presence of target group for both high and low prejudiced persons (Devine, 1989, 1998) • Activation does not necessarily lead to prejudiced behaviors because people can control their reactions to these thoughts. • Non-prejudiced persons can consciously evoke thoughts and actions that are in line with egalitarian standards • But if they don’t - they may act racist without being racist.

  9. Modern/Symbolic/Aversive Racism(McConahay, 1986; Gaertner & Dovidio, 1977) • Hold unconscious, negative beliefs about Blacks • They are racist - but they truly believe - and tell others they are not • Try to protect image of themselves as not-racist • They discriminate only if they could say/and believe/ that their actions were based on something other than racism. • “Modern racists hold themselves in check unless supplied with a business justification to discriminate” (Brief et al, 2000) • They are racist, may or may not behave like a racist, yet resist acknowledging their racism.

  10. Beliefs of a Modern Racist(McConahay, 1986; Brief & Barsky, 2000) • Discrimination against Blacks is a thing of the past • Blacks are pushing too hard and fast into places they are not wanted. • Their demands and tactics are unfair • Recent gains are undeserved; Blacks are getting more help, attention and status than they deserve. • The statements above do not constitute racism - they are empirical facts • Racism is bad

  11. Discrimination at Work(Pager, 2003; Pager et al, 2009; Pager & Western, 2012) • Field experiments of racial/ethnic job discrimination • Testers played role of job applicants • Young men (age: 20-24) matched on physical appearance, verbal skills and interactional style • Given fictional but identical resumes (high school graduates with steady work experience seeking entry level jobs) • Trained in interview skills • Applied to entry level positions randomly selected from classified ads(range of positions: retail, restaurant, clerical, delivery drivers, customer service). Jobs randomly assigned to testers. • 8 testers in Milwaukee visited 350 employers • 10 testers in New York visited 340 employers • Dependent Variable: job offer/callbacks for second interview

  12. Discrimination at Work(Pager, 2003; Pager et al, 2009; Pager & Western, 2012)

  13. Shifting Standards and Modern Racism(Pager, 2003; Pager et al, 2009; Pager & Western, 2012) • Employers rarely stated that they did not want to hire Blacks • Employers perceived real skill or experience differences among testers/applicants – despite the fact that resumes were identical • Fueled by unconscious negative associations • May not be apparent to employers; applicant may never find out • Racism may occur without intent: modern racism

  14. You Tube Clips • A Girl Like Me (7 minutes) • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWyI77Yh1Gg • “If Black people said the stuff white people say” (naughty language 2min) • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1zLzWtULig • Racism in the car (2 minutes)(naughty language) • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAxnUBf5shg • Racism in the elevator (naughty language) • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHCqz-J51IU • Assumptions: Blind Date (2 minutes) • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzYsRp8ALz4&feature=channel • “What Would You Do?” ABC 20/20 show • Actors being racist in upscale store • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAkDHuimJRc&feature=related • What would you do: Discrimination against Muslims (10 min) • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0D4_hFnRlU

More Related