Prejudice How and why we do it
Jan 19, 2016
Prejudice How and why we do it
Where does racial prejudice come from?
Official Studies Started in the 1920’s but can be traced further backBased on Theories of superiority by whitesBlumenbach (Enlightenment)
Used skulls/skin color based on Linnaeus Caucasian (white)Mongolian (yellow)Malayan (brown)Ethiopian (black)American (red)
PrejudiceInvolved a prejudgment, usually negative, but
not always about a group or its members
Old Encyclopedia entry 1964 about blacks:“Woolly Haired Groups”“Dark skin sometimes almost black, broad noses,
usually a rather small brain in relation to their size, especially among the taller members of the group, with forearms and shins proportionally long.”
Personality SyndromesAuthoritarian Personality
Right Wing Authoritarianism
Social Dominance OrientationHierarchical society
Categorical ThinkingAddressed by Gordon Allport 1954
The Nature of Prejudice
Normal Human FunctionNeed categoriesSquare and Diamonds
ContinuityLife is not necessarily black and white, all on a
continuum. Social labels are approximations
Can you think of categories that do not overlap?
ContinuityDay/Night
Life/Death
Earth/Sea
Race?
Gender?
Age?
Sexual Orientation?
Kinsey Scale
Assimilation and Contrast
Outgroup HomogeneityIngroup: a group which someone belongs
Outgroup: A group to which someone does not belong
People tend to see the outgroup as more homogenous or similar to one another than the peers in their in group
Why?
Ingroup BiasOften racism, bias, or discrimination are due to
the fact that favored feelings belong to one’s ingroup.
People see their group as superior compared to others
High School Cliques?
Social Identity and Self Esteem
We have a lot of need to have self worth and self identity which correlates with one’s self esteem
Our self esteem is also connected to belonging to an in-group- Social identityExample: More likely to wear team jersey’s if they
win and refer to team as “we” whether it is your college team OR Seattle Seahawks winning Superbowl
Drop in self esteem = more chance of being prejudice
Causal Attributions and Prejudice
Just World TheoryPeople deserved what they got
Fundamental Attribution Error (again)People ARE a certain way, not the environmental
factors
Ultimate Attribution ErrorLose Lose situation
Subtle RacismSymbolic
Kinder and Sears (1981)
AmbivalentKatz (1981)
ModernMcConahay (1986)
AversiveGartner and Dovidio (1986)
Explicit versus ImplicitExplicit: Outright expression; can be seen
Implicit: Not aware, cannot necessarily be seenQuestion: Has anyone in here been walking at
night and moved to the other side of the street when someone was walking towards you? Was that person a Minority?
MediaWhere we are consistently exposed to our
stereotypes
Is this Racist?
This?
How about this?
And finally?
AP - Tue Aug 30,11:31 AM ET(via Yahoo! News)
New Orleans
AP caption:A young man walks through chest deep flood water after looting a grocery store in New Orleans on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2005. Flood waters continue to rise in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina did extensive damage when it made landfall on Monday. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
AFP/Getty Images - Tue Aug 30, 3:47 AM ET(via Yahoo! News)
New Orleans
AFP/Getty Images caption:Two residents wade through chest-deep water after finding bread and soda from a local grocery store after Hurricane Katrina came through the area in New Orleans, Louisiana.(AFP/Getty Images/Chris Graythen)
What is Stephen Balkaran’s primary argument?
What are the key pieces of evidence he uses to defend his argument?
What is Segmentation Theory?
What impact does media have on Racism?
Should we trust Balkaran?
If he is correct, what impact does his theory have on society in the US?
ConsequencesPriming: Just being around it, seeing it, etc, can
make you act in a different wayExample: Priming with old age
Behavior confirms stereotypeCan’t rid itTest Scores
ChildrenParents stereotype without realizing it
ReducingLearned at an early age so how do we reduce it?
Can be reduced when there is motivationTeaching empathyTeaching to think non-linearEducation
Will we ever truly reduce it?