Chapter 10-11

Discrimination

Discrimination is overgeneralized beliefs about the traits and attributes of members of a particular group. This is conscious, or unconscious. Discrimination comes in many forms ranging from cold behavior at a party to declining someone's application to torture or genocide. Example: a) Harassment - inappropriate jokes, insults, name-calling or displays such as a poster or cartoons directed at a person because of their race, colour, sex or gender, sexual orientation, etc. Ms. D, a study permit holder, moved out of her home stay because of the harassing behaviour of her host father. He would stare at her body or make comments about her appearance, and entered her room without her permission and hugged her "to express his fondness," which she could not stand. The home stay agency has not taken any action after receiving her complaint of sexual harassment.

Harmful impacts of stereotypes

Holding a stereotype can change how observers can change how observers interact with targets, and sometimes causing targets to act stereotypically. Targets sometimes without intention act stereotypically to get along with others. A stereotype threat, can be a fear of conforming a (-) stereotype, can undermine performance. Social Identity threat- the feeling that your group does not belong in a domain- meaning they can repel people from that domain.

Roots of Prejudice

Hostility plus categorization: We tend to feel hostility when we are frustrated or threatened. When negative feelings are associated with a member of an out group, we tend to overgeneralize those negative feelings, and associated beliefs to the entire group. 2nd: Ingroup Bias is when we prefer what is familiar including ppl like us. A portion of our self esteem comes from group membership, biasing us against those in the outgrip. When our self-worth is threatened we tend to derogate and blame members of the other groups.

Stereotypes

Overgeneralized beliefs about the traits and attributes of members of a particular group. people who hold themselves prejudice are usually justify themselves with stereotypes, over generalized beliefs about the traits and attributes of members of a particular group. For example, Jeff thinks that vegetarians are healthy and peace-loving. Those are positive stereotypes because they reflect well on the group. On the other hand, he also thinks that vegetarians are pedantic and holier-than-thou, which are negative stereotypes. Eddie thinks that meat eaters are all strong, due to all the protein they eat - that's a positive stereotype. But he also thinks that they don't care about the environment, which is a negative stereotype. Both positive and negative stereotypes can have a negative effect on a person. For example, one racial stereotype is that Asian students are really good at math. This is a positive stereotype, but it can make an Asian student feel pressure and feel like a failure if he isn't good at math, which is a negative outcome.

Using stereotypes

Stereotypes are cognitive tools for simplifying every day life. Stereotypes also justify prejudice, and lastly stereotypes help justify vioelnce and discrimination against out groups. Stereotypes can simplify the process of social perception and to conserve mental energy. It can justify prejudicial attitudes. It can justify discrimination,infra humanizing or objectifying others. Stereotypes can influence how we perceive and interpret behavior, as how we remember information. They also tend to be selfperceptuating, even in the face of disconfirming information.

Prejudice

This is a negative attitude towards a individual solely on the basis of that person's prescribed membership in a particular group. Someone could be prejudice against someone who is disabled, Italian, A.A. Hindu, female, lesbian, fat, old, teenager, and or communist. examples: Until the early years of the twentieth century, women were not allowed to vote. The holocaust happened partially because of a prejudice towards Jews. In Afghanistan, when the Taliban were in charge, women could not be educated and had to cover their faces when outside their home. Women are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia and they are required to walk behind the man who is with them. In the United States, black people could not sit in the front of buses or use the same water fountains as white people until the 1950s and 1960s. Private clubs are often exclusive. For example, some don't allow members who are Black or Jewish. Some people will not buy a Japanese car because of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. After 9/11, anyone who looked Middle Eastern was looked at suspiciously and was often the victim of prejudice. Some landlords will not rent to a gay couple.

Prejudice Personality

This is either Authoritarian Personality which is when some are more prone to be prejudice/stereotyped than others. Right wing Authoritarian- can be a personality characteristics high view social world as dangerous, and unpredictable and that maintaining security in life requires upholding society's order, cohesion, and tradition. prejudice towards groups that threaten to disrupt collective severity because they appear as socially deviant or dangerous. Lastly: Social Dominance Orientation- The world is seen as ruthlessly competitive jungle where it is appropriate and right for powerful groups to dominate weaker ones.

Coping with prejudice

Ways cope with a stereotype threat, 1.identity with role models, reappraising the anxiety as normal, and self affirmation-the recognition and assertion of the existence and value of one's individual self. To address/minimize their experience of prejudice in social interactions, stigmatized targets-must use confrontation, compensation, concealment and coming together. To minimize negative psychological effects of social devaluation, stigmatized targets can discount negative outcomes or devalue domains where they experience discrimination. Lastly, these strategies can be beneficial of targets in some situations. These can backfire, or create new problems as well.

Prejudice from the targets perspective Perceiving Prejudice

modern prejudice is less done or shown openly, it is difficult to know if and when one is the target of prejudice. People differ in their sensitivity to prejudice, but people commonly underestimate personal discrimination. People may be motivated to deny discrimination out of optimism or a desire to justify the social system. Prejudice can take a toll on a person's mental and physical health

Ways to reduce prejudice

see page 423