What is
prejudice?
CPA Fact Sheet
Prejudgement without any real knowledge.
There are a large number of approaches to the explanation of prejudice.
Biological Theories - like ethnocentrism - viewed as part of our evolutionary past; "red in tooth and claw" - aggression is a natural instinct, competition in genes,...
Social
Theories
suggest that were learn to
distinguish between types of people for political, economic and social
reasons. Conformity and Modelling others' behaviours and attitudes.
Psychological
Theories
often mix elements from these
other two, e.g.,
Hostility
Displacement and Scapegoating is built on the Freudian model of "hydraulics" where aggression and hostility towards others is seen as a
deflection of psychological energy (libido) from some frustration in one's
life.
(i.e., Boss
(father figure) yells at you, you yell at kids, kids yell at cat.) Someone
becomes the victim or scapegoat of the action. The fundamental attribution
error may be invovled too.
Cognitive - Use stereotypes as categories to organise the world, prejudice is the use of 'loose categories' that don't work very well. Perhaps need to teach people more accurate information so they can know the 'others' better.
Implicit associations tests show such inherent biases when judging others. See in time to make judgement about positive and negative attributes associated with "racial" or disadvantaged groups (i.e. Blacks, Aboriginal Peoples, Women, ...) Take the Test
Tajfel
- Social Identity Theory -
-Positive valuation in comparison
with other groups is observed in Minimal Group Studies. Preference for paintings, give more money to "fictitious in-group'.
The problem of the Commons
- social traps
-Social
Identity Theory suggests that we have a need for distinctiveness
of social identity. We favour our in-groups to the exclusion of others.
Positive feelings of value
and emotional significance arise through group membership.
Education, information, sharing and contact (these are part of the multicultural policy and multicultural ideology). Teach people to become active witnesses (Ishiyama)
Identity theory of prejudice - Through identifying with others you will experience them as yourself, you will no longer be prejudiced against them as others. Vedanta, Buddhism, Christianity -love thy enemy, Gandhi quoted Christ on this point in his non-violent stand against discrimination.
Creating Superordinate goals or groups - Sherif - Robbers' Cave Experiements where boys from two competing groups had to pull together to overcome an outside threat.
Contact hypothesis suggests that having contact with people from other groups one will become less prejudiced and more accepting and tolerant of differences that were once perceived as incommensurate.
Tajfel (1978) indicates that simple categorization of people into groups will lead to an exaggeration of the differences between the groups and a minimization of the differences within the groups.
Amir (1986) provides reviews on the contact hypothesis, indicating that contact may or may not lead to a reduction in prejudiced attitudes, depending upon a number of variables.
Those variables pertinant in
developing positive inter-relations between groups:
(1) The initial
intergroup attitudes are not extremely negative;
(2) Contact of an intimate
rather than casual nature which allows the interacting members to really
get to know each other beyond the superficial level;
(3) An 'authority' and/or
social climate slanted in favour of and promoting
the pursuit of common goals;
(4) Equal-status
contact between the members of the interacting groups. (p. 74)
It is not simply contact that the multicultural policy should be after, but a special kind of contact, as described above.
Peacemaking: Cooperation and finding superordinate goals (Sherif, 1966). The groups (survivors) need to cooperate to do better. Communication made simple and clear. Concilliation or winning over the favour of others is important for coming together on challenging issues.
Ethnicity
and Identity
Built around the need for
a distinctive identity, and the need to maintain a link to one's history,
past, traditions, ...cultures one enters into
group relations and influences
BLM
Strange Fruit
A change is gonna come
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-kA3UtBj4M
Indigenous Voices in Canada