Ch. 4 Exam Emphasis Elements of Exclusion (3) Why Do We Stereotype People (1) Prejudiced Prone Personality (1) How & Why We Become Prejudiced (3) How Do People Express Prejudice (2)
Elements of Exclusion Stereotypes = a way of thinking Labels are used to identify groups of information Problems occur when labels become rigid, irrational beliefs about a group of people Prejudice = a way of feeling Judging a group of people as better or worse than others Most serious career to advancement for women & African-Americans
Elements of Exclusion Discrimination = a way of acting Refers to behavior that is prejudiced, and the acts that have an effect on people who are the targets of prejudice Power imbalance is a key aspect of discrimination Discrimination is built into our institutions & systems
Why Do We Stereotype People? Making complex reality manageable Short-cutting with categories Quickly identifying things Incorporating multi-sensory experiences Being rational or not Justifying dislike
Key Aspects of Discrimination Power Imbalance Key to Discrimination Must have the power to discriminate Privilege Imbalance A powerful group enjoys distinct privileges that others don’t have Some Types of Prejudice Sexism, racism, ageism, etc.
Prejudiced Prone Personality Highly prejudiced personality More likely to think in either/or terms They have an authoritarian personality Low tolerance for ambiguity (rigidity) View interactions with diverse others as threatening Less prejudiced personality Sees things in shades of gray Can tolerate ambiguity Empathize with & are sensitive to those who are different
How & Why Do We Become Prejudiced? Typical reasons for becoming prejudiced Need to feel superior Fear of competition General frustration Need for approval Tendency to conform We learn prejudice from our culture Society, family, media, schools, work, & government
How & Why Do We Become Prejudiced? We develop an ethnic identity We form in-groups These groups may vary Reference group An in-group you’re happy to belong to A group you’d like to belong to We become ethnocentric Belief that your ethnic group is superior
How Do People Express Prejudice? They deny prejudice exists & rationalize or justify their prejudice They act out - talking against or physically attacking out-groups They subtly discriminate - Avoidance prejudice of liberals & symbolic prejudice of conservatives They scapegoat - Projecting your shortcomings & failures onto the out-group, blaming them for your failure