The Psychology of Prejudice and Discrimination From Prejudice to Discrimination Chapter 10

What is Discrimination? Discrimination consist of behaving differently towards people based solely or primarily on their membership in a social group Prejudice is an attitudedeals with how people think and feel about members of other groups.

Nov 2006Prepared by S.Saterfield for Whitly & Kite, 2006 What is Discrimination? Discrimination – –Can manifest itself in may ways and in many settings Verbally Behaviorally

Nov 2006Prepared by S.Saterfield for Whitly & Kite, 2006 Socially Approved and Disapproved Prejudices Approved % Disapproved % Rapists 98 Child abusers 98 Child molesters 97 Wife beaters 97 Terrorists 95 Racists 92 Members: Ku Klux Klan 91 Drunk Drivers 91 Members of the American Nazi Party 90 Pregnant women who drink alcohol 89 Men who refuse to pay Child support 89 Negligent parents 86 People who cheat on their spouses 82 Mentally retarded people 3 Native Americans 6 Black Americans 6 Jews 6 Catholics 6 Whites 7 Hispanics 7 Asian Americans 7 Canadians 7 Ugly people 10 Interracial couples 11 People with AIDS 11 Fat people 11 Groups for which prejudice and discrimination had the highest and lowest approval ratings

Nov 2006Prepared by S.Saterfield for Whitly & Kite, 2006 Forms of Discrimination Denokraitis and Feagin (1995) developed system to classify forms of discrimination and to show how they related to one another. Three forms of discrimination –Blatant –Subtle –Covert

Nov 2006Prepared by S.Saterfield for Whitly & Kite, 2006 Forms of Discrimination Blatant Discrimination –Unequal and harmful treatment –Typically intentional –Quite visible –Easily documented Also occurs in everyday contexts Some forms against groups are illegal and generally condomned

Nov 2006Prepared by S.Saterfield for Whitly & Kite, 2006 Forms of Discrimination Subtle Discrimination –Unequal and harmful treatment –Typically less visible and obvious than blatant discrimination –Often not noticed because people have internalized subtle discriminatory behaviors asNORMAL, NATURAL, or CUSTOMARY –Harder to document –Often unintentional –Can be manifested in everyday speech

Nov 2006Prepared by S.Saterfield for Whitly & Kite, 2006 Forms of Discrimination The Language of Prejudice Some of the most common examples of subtle prejudice can be found in everyday speech. –Hostile humor –Patronizing –Vanishing –Abnormalization –Linguistic devices

Nov 2006Prepared by S.Saterfield for Whitly & Kite, 2006 Forms of Discrimination Covert Discrimination Consist of unequal and harmful treatment that is Hidden Purposeful Often maliciously motivated Behavior that consciously attempts to ensure failure Very difficult to document

Nov 2006Prepared by S.Saterfield for Whitly & Kite, 2006 Forms of Discrimination Covert Discrimination Employment context Tokenismhiring one or a few members of group as evident that organization does not discriminate Containmentrestricting members of group to limited number of job categories Sabotagearranging for members of a group to fail; assigning them low volume territories but setting sales quotas very high

Nov 2006Prepared by S.Saterfield for Whitly & Kite, 2006 Levels of Discrimination Interpersonal discriminationbehaviors individuals direct at other individuals –Passive behavior ignoring behavior –Active Hostile stares demeaning remarks and commands

Nov 2006Prepared by S.Saterfield for Whitly & Kite, 2006 Levels of Discrimination Institutional discrimination norms, policies, and practices associated with a social institution such as the family, religious institution, the educational system, and the criminal justice system, result in different outcomes for members of difference groups.

Nov 2006Prepared by S.Saterfield for Whitly & Kite, 2006 Levels of Discrimination Organizational discrimination is the manifestation of institutional discrimination in the context of a particular organization. Work organizations SES neighborhoods

Nov 2006Prepared by S.Saterfield for Whitly & Kite, 2006 Levels of Discrimination Cultural discrimination consist of discrimination and inequality, built into our literature, art, music, language, morals, customs, beliefs, practices, and ideology... Define a generally agreed-upon way of life

Nov 2006Prepared by S.Saterfield for Whitly & Kite, 2006 Interpersonal Discrimination Relation between Prejudice and Discrimination Personal stereotypes Attitudes-Behavior correspondence Perceived social support

Nov 2006Prepared by S.Saterfield for Whitly & Kite, 2006 Interpersonal Discrimination Motivation to Control Prejudice Motivation to control prejudice reaction –Concern with Acting Prejudiced –Restraint to Avoid Dispute –Internal Motivation –External Motivation

Nov 2006Prepared by S.Saterfield for Whitly & Kite, 2006 Interpersonal Discrimination Motivation to Control Prejudice Motivation to respond without prejudice –Social Norms –The development of motivation to conrol prejudice –The Normative Context and Motivation to Control Prejudice

Nov 2006Prepared by S.Saterfield for Whitly & Kite, 2006 Interpersonal Discrimination Regressive Prejudice –Regressive racism –Control over behavior –Cognitive demands –Disinhibitors –Priming as a releaser of regressive prejudice

Nov 2006Prepared by S.Saterfield for Whitly & Kite, 2006 Interpersonal Discrimination Regressive Prejudice –Regressive racism –Control over behavior –Cognitive demands –Disinhibitors –Priming as a releaser of regressive prejudice

Nov 2006Prepared by S.Saterfield for Whitly & Kite, 2006 Interpersonal Discrimination Reactions to having acted in a Prejudice Manner –Differences between people –High and low implicit prejudice –Guilt –Those who point out behavior that is prejudice

Nov 2006Prepared by S.Saterfield for Whitly & Kite, 2006 From Prejudice to Discrimination Study Questions Which of the following is not an example of blatant prejudice? –threatening Muslims outside their mosque –refusing service to a Jewish person –denying housing to a lesbian –using baby talk when speaking to an older person

Nov 2006Prepared by S.Saterfield for Whitly & Kite, 2006 From Prejudice to Discrimination Study Questions Which of the following is not an example of blatant prejudice? –threatening Muslims outside their mosque –refusing service to a Jewish person –denying housing to a lesbian –using baby talk when speaking to an older person (p. 398)

Nov 2006Prepared by S.Saterfield for Whitly & Kite, 2006 From Prejudice to Discrimination Study Questions Sukja tells her friends that gay mens behavior is out of step with what men should be like. Which linguistic device describes her action? –abnormalization –vanishing –patronizing speech –hostile humor

Nov 2006Prepared by S.Saterfield for Whitly & Kite, 2006 From Prejudice to Discrimination Study Questions Sukja tells her friends that gay mens behavior is out of step with what men should be like. Which linguistic device describes her action? –Abnormalization (p. 399) –vanishing –patronizing speech –hostile humor

Nov 2006Prepared by S.Saterfield for Whitly & Kite, 2006 From Prejudice to Discrimination Study Questions If a person who is high in external but low in internal motivation to control prejudice acts in a prejudiced manner, he or she is likely to –feel guilty. –experience lower blood pressure. –criticize others. –feel threatened.

Nov 2006Prepared by S.Saterfield for Whitly & Kite, 2006 From Prejudice to Discrimination Study Questions If a person who is high in external but low in internal motivation to control prejudice acts in a prejudiced manner, he or she is likely to –feel guilty. –experience lower blood pressure. –criticize others. –feel threatened. (p. 407