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How does media play a role in stereotypes
What is prejudice and discrimination
How does media play a role in stereotypes
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Many people know what prejudice and discrimination are, but some of us do not. Prejudice is known as the attitude which includes behavioral, cognitive and affective. This attitude is incorrect and is not justified because it usually deals with negative thoughts of a person. These thoughts can be based on any reasons, for example, it could be because of their social class, race, gender, sexuality, or anything else. Discriminitation on the other hand, is very similar, but involves taking action because of those thoughts. There have been many different types of discrimination, but the main one's are racial, age, and gender discrimination.
One factor that contributes to both prejudice and discrimination is the media. The media portrays many stereotypes
as well as many demeaning images about different social groups. For example, gays, lesbians, women, and blacks or any other ethinc group. Another factor which contributes to both of these are our environments. Some people grow up with family, friends, relatives, which is where we learn some of these prejudices and discriminations. We can learn these through media or our own social groups, in order to reduce these discriminations and prejudices people need to socially learn by avoiding teaching these developments to children. Another way to reduce these developments is by reducing one of the key factors like stereotyping. One way to reduce stereotypes is by engaging in the process of thinking of unique individual characteristics.
Prejudice is an issue that cannot be easily avoided in today's society. It has and always will have a huge impact on the discrimination that some people face based on religion, appearance, background, mental/physical disabilities and etc.
There are many influences that end up making stereotype what it is today. In reading Charles Ramirez-Berg article on “Categorizing the Other: Stereotypes and Stereotyping” gave wonderful insight to every element that is connected to stereotyping. Ramirez-Berg sums up stereotyping into three terms category making, ethnocentrism and prejudice. “A stereotype is the result of this process and can be defined as a negative generalization used by an in-group (Us) about an out-group (Them). Lippmann called these mental constructs “picture in our heads” (Ramirez-Berg pg. 15). In developing a bad stereotype there are two elements that take place. One is in having your own group be in the center of everything. Second is judging others in differences from your own. “Stereotyping regarding the Latina/o population in the United States seem to prevail in our public discourse, are promulgated by media, and go mainly unchallenged throughout our educational systems” (Rodriguez pg. 10). The Hollywood films caused the construction of whites stereotyping racial minorities. Films degraded Latinos and presented the
Prejudice is an unfavorable opinion or feeling, formed beforehand (e.g., before even meeting a person) based on non-personal characteristics (e.g., skin color, religious, gender). One form of prejudice is racism. Racism is negative attitudes and values held by people about other people based on their race. It is this attitude which causes one to discriminate against another. Discrimination is treating people unfavorably on the basis of race, color or sex. Prejudice and discrimination were prevalent in the 1950s and 1960s. This era was a time of hatred, a time of violence, a time when black people were colonized by the white colonizer, and it was a time of white-on-black racial violence. Because of this hatred, the whites discriminated against the blacks.
Some common ethnic stereotypes are derived out of implicit social cognition, also known as implicit bias. The Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity defines implicit bias in their report titled, “Understanding Implicit Bias”. “… Implicit bias refers to the attitudes or stereotypes that effect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner” (“Understanding Implicit Bias”). Stereotypes from implicit bias contrast with others because they are created in one’s subconscious, not necessarily from a palpable event or reason. Implicit biases can become rooted in a person’s subconscious in several different manners. “In addition to early life experiences, the media and news programming are often-cited origins of implicit associations,” says the Kirwan Institute (“Understanding Implicit Bias”). The manner in which the American media portrays specific groups of people influence the implicit biases of the American people. These biases causes people to have feelings or attitudes about other races, ethnicities, age groups, and appearances (“Understanding Implicit
Prejudice comes from the Latin noun praejudicium, which means a judgment based on previous decisions formed before the facts were known. If a person allows their prejudiced beliefs to block the progress of another, it is discrimination. Those who exclude all members of a race from certain types of employment, housing, political rights, educational opportunities, or a social interactions are guilty of racial discrimination.
According to Martin N. Marger (Race & Ethnic Relations, Martin N. Marger, 1991) discrimination, stereotypes and prejudice can all be closely defined in a similar way. Discrimination in Race and Ethnic Relations is defined as “negative actions against a group, aimed at denying its members equal access to societal rewards” and prejudice is defined as “a generalized belief usually inflexible or unfavorable, applied to members of a particular group.” Both of these terms relate to aspects of a particular group and stereotypes is more individual and is mainly a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.
The word prejudice is derived from the Latin word " praejudicium" and refers to prejudging without any factual evidence. Being prejudiced usually means having preconceived beliefs about groups of people or cultural practices. Discrimination is the "differential and unequal treatment of other groups of people, usually along racial, religious or ethnic lines." The distinction is that prejudice then refers to people's attitudes and beliefs, and discrimination to their overt behavior directed at another group. (Parrillo 76)
Prejudice against specific groups----> you are able to cope with some other groups,but you disapprove a special group of their religion-->that's why you have a prejudice against this particular group. But this kind of prejudice does not express that your religion is the best and that all other religions are worse than your own one. You are only biased against this particular religion. ----> ; prejudice against all other groups is called ethnocentricity Prejudice and discrimination Discrimination: -Speaking of discrimination against a special group we mean the combination of prejudice with action - In this sense the word "discriminating" means that we are treating a group in a negative way.
While prejudice and discrimination are closely related, the terms are not interchangeable. Prejudice is a negative attitude, feelings, thoughts or beliefs toward an entire category of people. There are two important factors that are present in the definition of prejudice, and they are attitude and entire category (Schaefer 35).
Media plays a huge role regarding race relations because there are always racist comments on social media, television, etc. and that teaches people – especially children – that it is okay to discriminate against either different races, cultures, or ethnicities. Discrimination through media is even discusses in the textbook: “during World War II American films often showed negative stereotypes of Japanese and German People.”
The term “discrimination” is a form of the idea that starts from the time of socialization. Through the family that brought us into this world, the way they nurture us and tell us about the world. Discrimination is a learning process we are not born into this world and know that certain people should be treated differently due to their gender differences and sexuality. Our culture, norms and values plays mature role in creating a negative image towards other groups of people.
From the reading I learned prejudice is when a person attaches negative emotion to a certain group of people that is not based on facts. Prejudice has two levels cognitive or affective where the cognitive is thinking and feeling prejudice while affecting is actually doing prejudice actions. Discrimination is also discussed in chapter one. Discrimination is unequal behavior or treatment of a person based on them being a member of a group. An example of discrimination would be not getting selected for a job because you are African
Prejudice can be caused because of various reasons. Religion, ethnic race and social status are examples of causes of prejudice. Sometimes prejudice is caused by how we are raised. Many times parents pass on prejudice beliefs to their children. A lot people raised in the southern part of the country are prejudice against blacks. In the early to mid 1960’s, prejudice was alive and well in the south. Blacks had their own bathrooms and were forced to ride in the back of city busses. It’s hard to believe that was doing on only 40 years ago. A lot of Middle Eastern countries are very prejudice against women.
Prejudice and discrimination have both been prevalent throughout human history. Prejudice deals with the inflexible and irrational attitudes and opinions that are held by others of one group against those of another. Discrimination on the other hand refers to the behaviors directed against another group. Prejudiced individuals have preconceived beliefs about groups of people or cultural practices. There are both positive and negative forms of prejudice, however, the negative form of prejudice leads to discrimination. Individuals that practice discrimination do so to protect opportunities for themselves, by denying access to those whom they believe do not deserve the same treatment as everyone else. An example of discrimination based on prejudice involves the Jews. “Biased sentiments and negative stereotypes of Jews have been a part of Western tradition for centuries and, in fact, have been stronger and more vicious in Europe than in the United States. For nearly two millennia, European Jews have been chastised and persecuted as the “killers of Christ” and stereotyped as materialistic moneylenders and crafty business owners (Healey, p.65). The prejudice against these groups led to the discrimination against them.
Prejudice can be defined as the judgement of a group or an individual based mainly on group association. Prejudice is not necessarily negative. Ethnocentrism is an example of positive prejudice towards one’s in-group. Discrimination can be defined as the negative or positive behaviours towards individuals based on their group association. Discrimination may be obvious or subtle, either way both can be damaging. Although discrimination and prejudice often go hand in hand, there is a difference between the two. Prejudice is just the negative or positive view of others, whereas discrimination is putting prejudice into action. An example of prejudice would be that of ordinary racist remarks whilst an example of discrimination would be the execution of the caste system in India. This question assumes that prejudice is common in this world, and that this problem needs to be solved.