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?