1. Social Identity Theory Tajfel (1971)
Theories of Prejudice
Social Identity Theory
Tajfel (1971)

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

3. Prejudice ‘Pre’ (meaning before) and ‘judice’ (meaning justice)
An attitude – making judgements about someone based on their membership of a group rather than their individual nature.

4. 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:

5. 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

6. 2. Affective: Feelings of hostility and hatred

7. 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

8. 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?

9. 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

10. Read the article –
working-class-powerless
Please note this is an opinion piece and not research
We are using it to put the issues we are looking at into context. The issues brought up in the article are very relevant at the moment
Application

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. Tajfel (1970) - SIT Social categorisation Social identification
Social comparison
Look up these stages. In pairs discuss the definitions

13. 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!

14. Example 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?

15. Tajfel (1971)Minimal group paradigm experiments
The Minimal Group Paradigm is a methodology employed in social psychology to investigate the minimal conditions required for discrimination to occur between groups.
Experiment 1
64 Schoolboys ages groups of 8 (knew each other)
Experiment 2 Klee and Kandinsky
Summary must include:
Aim
Procedure
Results
Conclusion

16. Conclusions:
Out-group discrimination is present and easily triggered
In these experiments the act of social categorisation (in/out group) led to discrimination
People act according to the social norm they have learnt (I.e. in-group favouritism)
In real life the norms of being in a group may override fairness (for example?)
Even if giving more to the other group did not mean giving less to their own, the still gave more to their own

17. Tajfel Evaluation - GRAVE
Strengths
Weaknesses

18. Recap SIT and evaluation

19. US university football scores
Supporting research
Tajfel
Cialdini (1976)
US university football scores
Morel likely to wear their football team sweatshirt after a game had been won than lost
Interviews – referred to the team they supported as ‘us’ when they won and ‘they’ when they lost
Personal identity affected by association with a football team (social ID)
Aronson and Osherow (1980)
Blue eyes/brown eyes study(Jane Elliott)
Opposing research
Aim of SIT to favour situational factors rather than dispositional is not supported by evidence. 
Individual differences may affect SIT processes
Platow et al. (1990). Individuals with competitive orientations displayed a greater preference for the rule of relative ingroup gain compared to that of fairness, whereas those with prosocial orientations preferred the rule of fairness to that of relative ingroup gain.

20. Different theory
Realist conflict theory Sherif (1966)
Realistic conflict theory states that whenever there are two or more groups that are seeking the same limited resources, this will lead to conflict, negative stereotypes and beliefs, and discrimination between the groups.
This stands in contrast to SIT
Not simple act of categorisation but competition for limited resources

21. Evaluation – write out points and evidence or complete a table
Supporting research – Tajfel experiments, Cialdini, Aronson and Oreshow
Opposing research – Platow (1990)
Different theories – Realistic Conflict Theory
Application – useful? Why?
Reductionism
By only focusing on groups it does not take other factors into account
Does not measure how much prejudice
Some situations with greater prejudice?
Individual differences – i.e. personality
Prejudice is complex – unlikely that one theory as an explanation isn’t likely to be satisfactory

22. SIT - Evaluation Point Evidence/explanation Strength of weakness?
Supporting research
Opposing research
Different theory
Application (usefulness)

23. H/W exam practice
Some tension has arisen at a college because the Principal has allowed Mr Page’s class to go on a special trip but Mr Wood’s class has not been allowed to go. The Principal’s decision has caused lots of resentment amongst staff and students alike. Mr Page and his class are looking forward to the trip but are getting lots of hostility from the other class.
Use your understanding of prejudice and/or obedience to explain this situation. (6 marks)