Discussion Post: Culture & Society
• Modern Prejudice
Before we conclude that problems with prejudice are all but solved, we must keep a few important points in mind. First, yes, segregation is against the law. But how desegregated are we as a society? Ask students to think back to high school. Did black students sit mainly in one part of the cafeteria, whites in another, Hispanics in another, and Asians in yet another? Did they attend a school or live in an area that was ethnically diverse? In an area that had very little diversity? If people are still clustering by race and ethnicity, we might wonder whether biases still exist that shape our preferences in whom to approach and whom to avoid. Discuss why people tend to congregate with others who are similar and come up with strategies that would re-categorize these groups under the same umbrella.
• Stereotypes
How do they work? How do people form impressions of others? Are they correct? If you see a man in a jacket, collared shirt, and neatly trimmed, you may think that he's a young, attractive, professional man. This is a categorization based on age, appearance, perceived educational level, and gender. From this, relevant stereotypes are activated-intelligent, competent, well-liked. Because there is no reason not to, people will probably be happy to apply these judgments to him. Knowing your first impression of this person, how would you cope with finding out that this man is stalking victims, taking advantage of them (could be financially, psychologically, physically, etc.), and showing no remorse for his behavior when detained by the police? If stereotypes can be wrong, why do we categorize people?
• Death and Prejudice
Discuss how reminders of death can increase prejudice against the outgroup. When people are reminded of their death, they want to reinforce their worldview, which includes their beliefs and values. Notions of death cause anxiety, and this anxiety can be decreased by believing that your worldview is the correct one. Associating with the outgroup can increase anxiety and decrease self-esteem, because it is not reinforcing our world view.
The response should include a reference list. One-inch margins, Using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, double-space and APA style of writing and citations.