Humanity : Undermine (Prejudice)
Prejudice
Definition:
The word prejudice refers to prejudgment mindset, or forming
an opinion before becoming aware of the relevant facts of a case. The word is
often used to refer :
a. preconcieved
b. usually
unfavourable
c. judgmental
toward people or a person because of social class, age,
disability, sexuality, race/ethnicity, language, nationality or other
characteristics.
Prejudice can
also refer to an unfounded belief and may include "any unreasonable
attitude that is unusually resistant to rational influence.
"Gordon Allport"defined prejudice as a "feeling, favorable or unfavorable, toward a person or thing, prior to, or not based on, actual experience."
"Gordon Allport"defined prejudice as a "feeling, favorable or unfavorable, toward a person or thing, prior to, or not based on, actual experience."
Prejudice is a baseless and negative attitude toward members of a group. Common features of prejudice include negative feelings, stereotyped beliefs, and a tendency to discriminate against members of the group. While specific definitions of prejudice given by social scientists often differ, most agree that it involves prejudgments (usually negative) about members of a group.
Prejudice is a belief. It divides people into inferior and superior groups based on what one person thinks about another person or group.
Discrimination is the action. When people act based on their prejudices, they are discriminating against others. Some examples of discrimination inclusive :
- A rich-looking person getting served before a poorer-looking person at a restaurant
- A woman getting turned down for a job promotion in favor of a man
- A police officer keeping a closer watch on a black teenager than a white teenager hanging out in front of a store
- An woman in her 30s getting treated better than a woman in her 70s by a store staff
Prejudice Terms
Ableism
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Ableism
is prejudice and/or discrimination against people with mental or physical
disabilities.
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Ageism
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Ageism
is prejudice and/or discrimination against people because of their age.
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Anti-Bias
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Anti-Bias
is an active commitment to challenging prejudice, stereotyping and all forms
of discrimination.
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Anti-Semitism
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Anti-Semitism
is a form of religious bigotry. It is prejudice or discrimination against
Jews, based on negative ideas about Jews' religious beliefs and practices
and/or on negative group stereotypes.
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Bias
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Bias
is an inclination or preference either for or against an individual or group
that interferes with impartial judgment.
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Bigotry
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Bigotry
is prejudice and/or discrimination against one or all members of a particular
group based on negative perceptions of their beliefs and practices or on
negative group stereotypes.
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Classism
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Classism
is prejudice and/or discrimination against people because of their
socio-economic class.
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Culture
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Culture
is the patterns of daily life learned consciously and unconsciously by a
group of people. These patterns can be seen in language, governing practices,
arts, customs, holiday celebrations, food, religion, dating rituals, and
clothing, to name a few examples.
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Discrimination
(an action)
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Discrimination
is the behavior that can follow prejudicial thinking. Discrimination is the
denial of justice and fair treatment in many arenas, including employment,
housing and political rights
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Diversity
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Diversity
means different or varied. The population of the United States is made up of
people from diverse races, cultures and places.
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Heterosexism
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Heterosexism
is prejudice or discrimination against people who are gay, lesbian or
bisexual. Homophobia is the fear of homosexuals, or of people thought to be
lesbian, gay or bisexual.
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Linguistic discrimination
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Individuals
or groups may be treated unfairly based solely on their use of language. This
use of language may include the individual's native language or other
characteristics of the person's speech, such as an accent, the size of
vocabulary (whether the person uses complex and varied words), and syntax. It
may also involve a person's ability or inability to use one language instead
of another.
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Multicultural
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Multicultural means many or
multiple cultures. The United States is multicultural because its population
consists of people from many different cultures.
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Nationalism |
Nationalism is a sentiment based
on common cultural characteristics that binds a population. It often produces a policy of national
independence or separatism. It suggests a “shared identity” amongst a
nation's people that minimizes differences within the group and emphasizes
perceived boundaries between the group and non-members.
It
assumes that members of the nation have more in common, “culturally unified,”
even if injustices within the nation based on differences like status and
race.
Nationalism
usually involves a push for conformity, obedience, and solidarity amongst the
nation’s people and can result, not only in feelings of public
responsibility, but also a narrow sense of community due to the exclusion of
those who are considered outsiders.
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Prejudice (a feeling)
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Prejudice
is pre-judging, making a decision about a person or group of people without
sufficient knowledge. Prejudicial thinking is based on stereotypes. Prejudice
is a feeling or attitude.
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Racism
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Racism
is a prejudice and/or discrimination based on the myth of race. Racists
believe that some groups are born superior to others and, in the name of
protecting their race from "contamination," they justify the
domination and destruction of races they consider to be inferior to their
own.
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Religious
discrimination
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While
various religions teach their members to be tolerant of those who are
different and to have compassion, throughout history there have also been
instances where religion has been used to promote hate.
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Scapegoating
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Scapegoating
is the action of blaming an individual or group for something when, in
reality, there is no one person or group responsible for the problem. It
means blaming another person or group for problems in society because of that
person's group identity. Prejudicial thinking and discriminatory acts can
lead to scapegoating. Members of the disliked group are denied employment,
housing, political rights, social privileges, or a combination of these.
Scapegoating can lead to verbal and physical violence, including death
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Sexism
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Sexism is prejudice or
discrimination based on gender.
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Sexual discrimination
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One’s
sexual orientation is a “predilection for homosexuality, heterosexuality, or
bisexuality”. Like most minority groups, homosexuals and bisexuals are not
immune to prejudice or stereotypes from the majority group. They may
experience hatred from others because of their sexual preferences; a term for
such intense hatred based upon one’s sexual orientation is homophobia.
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Stereotype (an idea)
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A
stereotype is an oversimplified generalization about an entire group of
people without regard for individual differences. Even positive stereotypes,
such as Asians are good at math and computers, have a negative impact.
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Prejudice and Stereotyping
When prejudice occurs, stereotyping and discrimination
may also result. In many cases, prejudices are based upon stereotypes. A
stereotype is a simplified assumption about a group based on prior assumptions.
Stereotypes can be both positive ("women are warm and nurturing") or
negative ("teenagers are lazy"). Stereotypes can lead to faulty
beliefs, but they can also result in both prejudice and discrimination.
"Once formed, categories are the basis for normal prejudgment. We cannot possibly avoid this process. Orderly living depends upon it. " This process of categorization applies to the social world as well, as we sort people into mental groups based on factors such as age, sex and race.
However, researchers have found that while when it comes
to categorizing information about people, we tend to minimize the differences
between people within groups and exaggerate the differences between groups. In
one classic experiment, participants were asked to judge the height of people
shown in photographs. People in the experiment were also told that:
"In
his research, the men and women are actually of equal height and pictured and
to judge each photograph as an individual case; do not rely on the person's
sex."
A
$50 cash prize was offered to whoever made the most accurate judgments of
height. Despite this, participants consistently rated the men as being a few inches
taller than the women. Because of their prejudgment that men are taller than
women, the participants were unable to dismiss their existing categorical
beliefs about men and women in order to judge the heights accurately.
Researchers
have also found that people tend to view members of outside groups as being
more homogenous than members of their own group, a phenomenon referred to as
the out-group homogeneity bias. This perception that all member of an out-group
are alike holds true of all groups, whether based on race, nationality,
religion, age or other naturally occurring group affiliation.
Stereotypes generalizations
When
we assume that people of shared physical, religious, cultural or other
characteristics have certain behavioral attributes, this is called a
stereotype. Some examples of stereotypes are:
- Men are more adventurous than women
- Women are more emotional than men
- Aboriginal people are all alcoholics
- Gay men are all effeminate
The effects of prejudice
Prejudice and discrimination are harmful behaviors that
limit the opportunities of certain groups of people by reducing or withholding
access to people defined as inferior and by increasing or extending access to
people defined as superior.
Prejudice and discrimination limit include:
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Social
risks include :
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This
can lead to
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·
victimization
(violence, abuse, theft and bullying)
·
suspicion
(blame or assumed guilt for crimes and harmful actions)
·
rejection,
alienation and isolation (which all can lead to low self-esteem, self-hatred
and self-destruction)
·
exploitation
and oppression
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·
emotional
suffering
·
reduced
self-esteem
·
sense
of futility or lack of control
·
blaming
victims
·
losing
hope in the future
·
fear/mistrust
of others
·
lack
of respect for authority
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Prejudice is described as a negative attitude towards a group of people, which can lead to stereotyping and active or passive discrimination. Groups victimized by prejudice can include ethnic minorities, individuals suffering from poor mental health, and social groupings within school systems, for example. Prejudice can have both short and long-term effects.
1. Difficulty Performing Tasks
o Victims
of prejudice, may have difficulty focusing on tasks and making clear decisions,
an effect which can linger after the incident.
o Researchers
at the University of Toronto Scarborough studied individuals' reactions to
negative stereotyping, and found that after being placed in a situation where
they were victims of prejudice, found it hard to concentrate or were even
aggressive. Since an individual's ability to turn his full attention to a task
is impaired, a victim of prejudice is placed at a disadvantage in academic
environments, for example.
2. Exclusion
o Prejudice
excludes people in many ways. For example, an employer might be prejudiced
against a certain ethnic group, and would therefore be less likely to accept
job applications from members of that group and would look more favorably on
candidates from another ethnicity.
o An
individual who suffers from a mental health problem might find that she is
excluded from certain social activities, since others may perceive her as
dangerous, and may not receive support from medical services.
3. Internalization
o Over
a period of time, a victim of constant prejudice might begin to believe that he
deserves the abuse or problems he has encountered, and that prejudiced
individuals are right to treat him in such a way.
o An
individual who believes negative comments about his own group is suffering from
self-stigma, as described by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
website. This belief can, in turn, lead to further problems, as the individual
is likely to suffer from poor self-esteem and may even fall into depression.
4. Withdrawal into Group
o Prejudiced
behavior against a particular group can cause members of that group to retreat
further into the security provided by a group mindset. Individuals may cease
trying to interact with members of other groups; for example, they might begin
to view the only people who will be their friends as others of their own group,
and withdraw all other social contact. This sense of belonging can be
comforting, but ultimately it creates an "us vs. them" distinction,
which is not healthy for anyone.
5. Difficulties in Group
o As
victims of prejudice retreat into their own groups, their own individual
personalities begin to collapse, and they are left with attitudes which
coincide with others in their group out of fear of ostracism.
o Also,
if an individual begins to believe his own behavior or beliefs are wrong as a
result of prejudice, this can cause conflict with others in his own group.
Even
worse, when not uprooted, prejudices get passed on from one generation to the
next and can fuel discrimination, victimization, bigotry and hate. With
awareness, education and action, we can weed them out.
Action Guide
A. Home
Prejudice-Free Zone
§ Study
your ancestral roots and the pride in your heritage with others.
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§ Celebrate
with extended family and use such opportunities to encourage storytelling and
share personal experiences about your generations.
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§ Invite
friends from different backgrounds from your own to experience the joy of
your traditions and customs.
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§ Be
mindful of your language; avoid stereotypical remarks and challenge those
made by others.
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§ Speak
out against jokes and slurs that target people or groups. Silence sends a
message that you are in agreement. It is not enough to refuse to laugh.
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§ Be
knowledgeable; provide as much accurate information as possible to reject
harmful myths and stereotypes. Discuss with family the impact of prejudicial
attitudes and behavior.
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§ Plan
outings with diverse neighbors in and community to learn different cultures.
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§ Visit
important landmarks in your area associated with the struggle for human and
civil rights such as museums, public libraries and historical sites.
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§ Research
your family tree and trace your family's involvement in the struggle for
civil and human rights or the immigration experience. Identify personal
heroes and positive role models
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§ Read
and encourage your children to read books that promote understanding of
different cultures as well as those that are written by authors of diverse
backgrounds.
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B. School Prejudice-Free Zone
§ Have
a school pledge against prejudice created by student body, at a school-wide
assembly
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§ Display
a poster-size version of the pledge in a prominent area of your school and
encourage people to sign it
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§ Establish
a Diversity Club that serves as an umbrella organization to promote harmony
and respect for differences. Reach out to sports teams, drama clubs and
language clubs for ideas and involvement.
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§ Initiate
classroom discussions of terms such as anti-Semitism, racism, sexism,
homophobia and bias. Then compose a list of definitions and post it in a
prominent place.
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§ Invite
a motivational speaker who is a recognized civil or human rights leader to address
an all-school assembly. Videotape the speech and publish an interview with
the speaker in the school and local newspapers.
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§ Organize
an essay contest whose theme is either a personal experience with prejudice
or a success story in the fight against it. Suggest that the winning entries
be published in your school newspaper, featured in your town newspaper,
highlighted on a local cable program.
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§ Create
an anti-prejudice slogan for your school that could be printed as a bumper
sticker and sold in the wider community to raise funds for these efforts.
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§ Hold
a school functions such "Rock Against Racism" or a concert,
dance-a-thon, bike-a-thon, car wash or battle-of-the-bands and donate the
proceeds from ticket sales to underwrite diversity training and other
programs for the school
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§ Form
a student-faculty committee to write "Rules of Respect" for your
school and display the finished set of rules in every classroom.
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§ Invite
your district attorney, police chief or a representative from the attorney
general's office to speak to your school about civil rights, hate crimes and
other legal aspects of the fight against prejudice.
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§ Designate
a wall space on or near school grounds where graffiti with a harmonious and
unifying message can be written, drawn or painted.
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§ Publish
a newsletter specifically devoted to promoting respect for diversity and
publicizing multicultural events. Try to have your local newspaper or
community Internet Home Page do the same.
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§ Encourage
representation of all students on every school board, committee, group,
publication and team.
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§ Create
an orientation program that addresses the needs of students of all
backgrounds so that they feel welcome when joining the student body.
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§ Establish
a school exchange that matches students from different schools to bring youth
of differing backgrounds closer together.
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§ Start
an annual multicultural film festival at your school. Invite community groups
and local theaters to be cosponsors.
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C. Workplace Prejudice-Free Zone
§ Make
“respect for diversity” a core value in your company and articulate it as
such in the company's handbook/employee manual
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§ Provide
ongoing awareness programs about the value of human diversity for all
employees in the organization.
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§ Have
a diversity consultants and training programs such as a workplace of
difference to inculcate diversity ethics.
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§ Incorporate
diversity as a business goal. Secure a high degree of commitment from all
employees.
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§ Become
aware and respectful of individual work styles.
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§Create
an environment conducive to the exploration of diversity
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§ Create
a display area where employees can post notices of events and activities
happening in their communities.
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§ Publish
and distribute to all staff a list of ethnic and/or religious holidays and
the meaning of the customs associated with celebrating them.
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§ Sponsor
a lunchtime talk that features speakers on diversity topics.
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§ Sponsor
a mentoring program and reach out to students in local high schools and
colleges.
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§ Provide
opportunities to attend local cultural events and exhibits.
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§ Participate
as a sponsor in community events that support the health and welfare of
society.
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D. Religious Prejudice-Free Zone
§ Urge
your leaders to use the pulpit to condemn all forms of bigotry.
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§ Encourage
friends of other faiths to visit your religious services and share your
religious knowledge with them.
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§ Invite
clergy representing religions different from your own to participate in
services and deliver the sermon.
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§ Host
a tour for elected and appointed city/town officials to learn more about your
religion and the programs and activities your religious community offers.
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§ Ensure
that all faiths are represented accurately in existing library materials and
religious school curricula
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§ Reach
out to diverse religious communities to cosponsor festivals and holiday
observances and celebrate our common humanity.
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§ Be
respectful of everyone who attends your religious services whether they are
members of or visitors to your congregation.
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§ Turn
one bulletin board into a display space where newspaper/magazine clippings
depicting current events related to anti-Semitism and other forms of
religious persecution, or human rights violations, can be posted for all to
read.
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§ Organize
an interfaith retreat for young people to increase understanding of each
other's beliefs and build lasting friendships
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E. Community Prejudice-Free Zone
§ Establish
a Community Watch Group in your city/town.
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§ Organize
a local multicultural committee that serves as an umbrella organization for
groups which raise awareness about prejudice and provide support for cultural
events, holiday programs or community efforts that promote intergroup harmony
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§ Volunteer
to serve on one of these organizations' committees and work to support their
initiatives.
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§ Petition
government officials to issue a proclamation making your city/town a
prejudice-free zone.
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§ Plan
a community-wide "Walk/Run Against Hate" in which sponsored
participants would donate all monies pledged to an anti-bias or other human
rights organization.
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§ Become
aware of your city/town's demographics and compare it to others around the
state to better understand the diversity in your community.
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§ Suggest
to your local newspaper that it devote a corner of the editorial page each
month to at least one opinion piece relating to anti-prejudice and
pro-diversity themes
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§ Meet
with school and community librarians and local bookstores to discuss ways to
highlight literature that is representative of all cultures
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§ Compile
a citizen's directory of the businesses and community organizations that
exist to support diverse groups in the community.
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§ Research
your town/community's involvement in struggles for civil and human rights
throughout history, e.g., abolition, the civil rights movement, etc., and
create an exhibit for the local library/town hall.
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§ Discuss
alternative accessibility routes such as ramps, stairs and elevators in your
community and invite speakers into your school and community groups to talk
about such initiatives
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§ Make
sure your public facilities accommodate the needs of all residents.
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No one is born prejudiced! Prejudice is learned and can be unlearned. Prejudices are attitudes rooted in ignorance and a fear of differences. Whether the seeds are planted around the dinner table, on the playing field, by the water cooler or in the boardroom, they can grow out of control.
Even worse, when not uprooted, prejudices get passed on from one generation to the next and can fuel discrimination, victimization, bigotry and hate. With awareness, education and action, we can weed them out.
Excerpt and extracts taken with many
thanks from:
Wikipedia
http://archive.adl.org/prejudice/print.html
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