1. Prejudice

2. How many ways are there to discriminate against people?
List all the ways you can think of.
What problems are caused by prejudice?

3. Define prejudice and discrimination
Learning Objectives
Define prejudice and discrimination
Explain Tajfel’s Social Identity Theory as an explanation of prejudice

4. Prejudice ‘Pre’ (meaning before) and ‘judice’ (meaning justice)
To make judgements about someone based on their membership of a group rather than their individual nature.

5. One of the greatest problems of humanity
Leads to dehumanisation and violence
Why study prejudice?
If we understand how it is formed perhaps we can learn how to prevent it
Prejudice- extreme, unfavourable attitude associated with three components:

6. 1. Cognitive: Stereotypes:
Social perception of an individual based on their group membership or physical attributes
Overgeneralised belief based on limited information
Generalisations – applied to all members
Positive / negative

7. 2. Affective: Feelings of hostility and hatred

8. 3. Behavioural: In terms of prejudice can be displayed as avoidance, assault, joke-making or discrimination.
Actively excluding an individual or groups from things they are entitled to

9. Not all of these components manifest at the same time.
i.e. someone who is prejudiced may have the cognitive and affective component but not discriminate
Why?
Prevailing social norms or laws perhaps?

10. Causes of prejudice Individual Differences
Obedience & prejudice down to dispositional factors? I.e. personality?
How can it explain whole culture and societies being prejudiced?
Anti-Semitism developed over 10 or so years
Look at social factors that can explain how entire populations of people develop prejudiced attitudes
Social identity theory
Realistic conflict theory

11. Social Identity Theory – Tajfel (1970)
The simple act of being grouped will inevitably lead to prejudice against another group.
Tajfel classified group as in-groups or out-groups
There are three stages to the Social Identity Theory

12. Absorbing the culture of that group – becomes a part of your social identity
Tajfel (1970) - SIT
Social categorisation
Social identification
Social comparison
Look up these stages. In pairs discuss the definitions
Automatic act of putting yourself into a group.
In group = yours
Out group = others
Making your group appear better than the out group to boost your self esteem.

13. Personal identity – strive to achieve positive image linked to high self esteem
Social Identity
Identifying themselves by membership to certain social groups (social identification)
Adopting characteristics – significance to your membership and self esteem (personal ID) is bound up with the group
If social identity is favourable – personal identity of group members are positive. Boosting self esteem.
Opposite is also true
Social identity impacts on our personal identity
Examples?

14. Football team – continued success?
However if they lose several matches?

15. Social comparison:
Defining and emphasising in-group characteristics to elevate social identity
Comparing and derogating qualities of the out-group
Achieved by
1. In-group favouritism – members unique and favourable - Heterogeneous
2. Negative out-group bias – members ‘all the same’ unfavourable - Homogenous
Example!

16. Within a group – each member has a social identity
Image based on the attributes of the group
Group success =increases sense of belonging and self esteem
Example?
Football team – continued success?
However if they lose several matches?

17. Tajfel (1971)
Experiment 1
64 Schoolboys ages groups of 8 (knew eachother)
Experiment 2 Klee and Kandinsky

18. Can you find any images or headlines in the newspapers and magazines that show Social Identity Theory?
Create a mood board of images/headlines