Understanding Prejudice
- Week 1 -
Understanding prejudice is about understanding a majority group’s reaction to
minorities.
Social identity: a person’s sense of who they are based on group
membership(s). The categorization process is a central component in the
formation and perception of groups. From an evolutionary perspective,
categorization is necessary to distinguish friend from foe. From a cognitive
perspective, it is necessary to process a large amount of information effectively.
People simplify processing information by ignoring individual differences and
emphasizing similarities. They also emphasize similarities within groups and
differences between groups. Group formation often leads to discriminatory
behavior through in-group favoritism, even if groups are formed on basis of a
trivial category.
Social identity theory in four central concepts:
1) Social categorization: the process of bringing together social objects or
events in groups which mirror the individual’s actions, intentions and
beliefs. Any trivial characteristic may be used to distinguish between
groups. Categorization forms the basis not just of how we perceive the
world, but also how we perceive ourselves.
2) Social identity: based on the realization that one belongs to a social
category. And the evaluation associated with this membership. These
memberships may be divisive or exclusive and are often context
dependent. They also have a cultural component, which turns the category
into an identity by valuing it. Social identities have powerful consequences
in intergroup interaction.
3) Social comparison: the evaluation of a person’s own group’s relative
status by comparing it to other groups. People generally strive for a
positive social identity, so they want to belong to a positively evaluated
group.
4) Psychological group distinctiveness: the need to belong in a positively
evaluated group, yet also be distinct from other individuals. This leads to
people trying to achieve a unique position in their group that is also
positively regarded.
People strive to belong to groups that have positive and distinct identities. This
leads to social comparison. If they evaluate their own group as positive, they
shall try to attempt to retain or even enhance superiority. In the case of an
inadequate social identity, groups will try to seek change and search for cognitive
alternatives.
In unstable intragroup situations, a group strategy is formed. Social competition
(through riots or debates) form, comparisons are altered (moved to different
dimensions with the same group, or a new group all together), groups may
attempt to merge or change the meaning of their group’s traits. This is all
possible when the social situation is unstable and not legitimized.
, When a cognitive alternative is not possible, because the situation is stable and
legitimized, people may form individual strategies instead. They may try to
switch groups or compare themselves to other, lesser groups.
- Week 2 -
Early explanations of prejudice focused on personality characteristics. Prejudiced
personalities were supposed to long for authority, safety, and definitiveness.
They have an authoritarian personality. But then how could it be that entire
groups were prejudiced? Later, it was argued that prejudice was fundamentally a
matter of the relationships between racial groups.
Two crucial questions formed:
1) How do group conflicts develop?
Social categorization and in-group favoritism together with competition over
(scarce) recourses are common ingredients.
2) How can we solve group conflicts?
Shared problems that need to be resolved together or working to achieve a
common goal.
Realistic group conflict theory: groups always compete for scarce resources,
everywhere. Conflict develops if one group wants something that another group
already has. Scarce resources will always lead to conflict. Conflict depends on
whether the goals of the groups are in conflict or aligned. Group competition
- Week 1 -
Understanding prejudice is about understanding a majority group’s reaction to
minorities.
Social identity: a person’s sense of who they are based on group
membership(s). The categorization process is a central component in the
formation and perception of groups. From an evolutionary perspective,
categorization is necessary to distinguish friend from foe. From a cognitive
perspective, it is necessary to process a large amount of information effectively.
People simplify processing information by ignoring individual differences and
emphasizing similarities. They also emphasize similarities within groups and
differences between groups. Group formation often leads to discriminatory
behavior through in-group favoritism, even if groups are formed on basis of a
trivial category.
Social identity theory in four central concepts:
1) Social categorization: the process of bringing together social objects or
events in groups which mirror the individual’s actions, intentions and
beliefs. Any trivial characteristic may be used to distinguish between
groups. Categorization forms the basis not just of how we perceive the
world, but also how we perceive ourselves.
2) Social identity: based on the realization that one belongs to a social
category. And the evaluation associated with this membership. These
memberships may be divisive or exclusive and are often context
dependent. They also have a cultural component, which turns the category
into an identity by valuing it. Social identities have powerful consequences
in intergroup interaction.
3) Social comparison: the evaluation of a person’s own group’s relative
status by comparing it to other groups. People generally strive for a
positive social identity, so they want to belong to a positively evaluated
group.
4) Psychological group distinctiveness: the need to belong in a positively
evaluated group, yet also be distinct from other individuals. This leads to
people trying to achieve a unique position in their group that is also
positively regarded.
People strive to belong to groups that have positive and distinct identities. This
leads to social comparison. If they evaluate their own group as positive, they
shall try to attempt to retain or even enhance superiority. In the case of an
inadequate social identity, groups will try to seek change and search for cognitive
alternatives.
In unstable intragroup situations, a group strategy is formed. Social competition
(through riots or debates) form, comparisons are altered (moved to different
dimensions with the same group, or a new group all together), groups may
attempt to merge or change the meaning of their group’s traits. This is all
possible when the social situation is unstable and not legitimized.
, When a cognitive alternative is not possible, because the situation is stable and
legitimized, people may form individual strategies instead. They may try to
switch groups or compare themselves to other, lesser groups.
- Week 2 -
Early explanations of prejudice focused on personality characteristics. Prejudiced
personalities were supposed to long for authority, safety, and definitiveness.
They have an authoritarian personality. But then how could it be that entire
groups were prejudiced? Later, it was argued that prejudice was fundamentally a
matter of the relationships between racial groups.
Two crucial questions formed:
1) How do group conflicts develop?
Social categorization and in-group favoritism together with competition over
(scarce) recourses are common ingredients.
2) How can we solve group conflicts?
Shared problems that need to be resolved together or working to achieve a
common goal.
Realistic group conflict theory: groups always compete for scarce resources,
everywhere. Conflict develops if one group wants something that another group
already has. Scarce resources will always lead to conflict. Conflict depends on
whether the goals of the groups are in conflict or aligned. Group competition
