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The effect of prejudice on individual, society, education
The importance of showing respect for cultural differences
The effect of prejudice
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Today’s concerns about ethnic prejudice, taking place in the schools, are being brought to the forefront. In response to these concerns, two weeks of summer training is being considered as a requirement for all teachers and staff members. Some are under the impression that prejudice and hate are inevitable and therefore do not find the training necessary. What is being presented will address these concerns and show everyone that prejudice is prevalent with in the schools and can be reduced. There are effective methods that attempt to reduce this common issue.
Primary Issues
Prejudice is a negative evaluation, based on an individual’s group membership and the associated stereotypes (Crandall & Eshleman, 2003). Crandall & Eshleman suggest that prejudice is an affective state that is driven by a motivation (2003). “The basic argument of the inevitability of prejudice perspective is that as long as a stereotype exist, prejudice will follow” (Devine, 1989, pg6). Stereotypes and personal beliefs are completely independent cognitive structures, therefore influencing different behaviors toward individuals of other ethnicities or race (Devine, 1989). Exposure to stereotyping and prejudice, while transitioning through childhood and into later stages, is what causes the atomization of these attitudes (Devine, 1989).
Gordon Allport (1979) said that prejudice was based on faulty generalization towards a group or a member of the group (as cited in Sandhu & Brown, 1996, p.2). In Allport’s book he stated that there were different stages of prejudice. These stages included (1) expression of negative feelings, (2) avoidance of people we dislike, (3) discrimination, (4) violence and physical attack and (5) extermination (as cited in Sandh...
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...g the knowledge of understanding this phenomenon, can also play an important role when dealing with prejudice (Sandhu & Brown 1996). There would be costs that come with the workshops for teachers and students. However, bringing awareness in the classroom would not be too much of an expense.
In conclusion, it is important that we agree to recognize these issues and gain the intention to change them. Not only is it up to school administration and staff to combat these issues, but also be leaders for social change. Before changes can be made, the strong attitudes that have already been formed need to be weakened (Devine, 1989). Reducing prejudice is like breaking a bad habit (Devine, 1989). The processes of attitude change must consist of individuals who are willing to intentionally change beliefs about a group, attention from group members and time (Devine, 1989).
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.
Prejudice can be defined as any preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience, 2. Harm or injury that results or may result from some action or judgment, and due in part to the first Amendment, which gave all Americans the right of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition, many Americans believe they have the right to verbally judge whomever and whatever they seem fit, to no extent. However these same American underestimate the impact prejudice can have on a person’s body and mind because as we all know prejudice grows. Prejudice can also affect all phases of life: the past, the present, and the future. Maya Angelou said, “ Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and renders the present inaccessible.
However, this general knowledge is not apparent to White people. Similar to microaggressions, John F. Dovidio discusses the concept of aversion racism, “a subtle, often unintentional form of bias that characterizes many White Americans who possess strong egalitarian values and who believe that they are nonprejudiced” (90). Eduardo Bonilla-Silva and Sue both demonstrate from their research that Whites do not comprehend the impact of their unconscious biases. These biases towards students of colour in a white-based post-secondary school environment can result in stress and weak interracial relationships. This is an issue since the significance of these everyday actions are not fully recognized and acknowledged. I will elaborate on a variety of examples, specifically the influence of the peers, and
“The psychological approach to prejudice is to examine individual behavior.” (pg. 505) the author reveals the argument he is trying to make through the article by using the psychology of prejudices to research individual behavior and then explains how to reach this conclusion. “We can understand more about prejudice among individuals by focusing on four areas of study…” (pg. 505) the author organizes the article in this fashion to first reveal the point the author wants to express to the reader then illustrate step by step how he will persuade the reader into believing the author. Throughout the article the author separates his argument into four sections the levels of prejudice, self-justification, personality, and frustration. Each category helps the author dive the reader in depth of how the psychology of prejudices works. The author then continues onto his article of describing and defining each area of study “cognitive level of prejudice encompasses a person’s beliefs and of a group as threatening or non-threatening etc., emotional level of prejudice encompasses the feeling that a minority group arouses in an individual…action-orientation level of prejudice is the positive or negative predisposition to engage in discriminatory behavior.” (pg.
I HAVE A STRONG belief that PREJUDICE also HAPPENS within a group. If you belong to a social group and there is OTHER group who are OPPOSE TO PREVIOUS GROUP, for example 'charvas ' and 'Goths ' there is usually hostility between the THIS GROUPS, because they HAVE DIFFERENT DRESS CODE and enjoy DIFFERENT HOBBIES. However, if these OPPOSITE groups HAVE NO OPTION TO COORPORATE together in a CERTAIN POSITION that they had NO OTHER CHOICE, the BOUNDARY 'drawn ' between them LIKE 38TH PARALLEL would BE DESTORYED and BE ABLE get along TOGETHER. However, as discussES in a VARITIES of EXPERIMENT, Aronson et. al. who OPERATED with the jigsaw SERVEY technique, it has CERTIFIED that changes in prejudGEMENTAL arising from the PERFORMING situation may not generalize to other INCIDENTS and until prejudice is DEDUCED in society, for example through edification which will practice these methods, people will be further likely to stay within their private group and remain to be unreceptive to groups that are diverse from
We live in a culturally diverse society where there are many differences among various racial and ethnic groups. When these different groups come into contact with one another they interact in many different ways. Prejudice and discrimination are key factors in understanding intergroup relationships. Competition, religious ideas, fear of strangers and nationalism are elements that contribute to prejudice. Many expressions of negative prejudicial attitudes, stereotyping and discriminatory behavior can have negative impact on the social relationships between dominant and minority groups. Many prejudices are passed along from child to parent and the influence of television and movies perpetuate demeaning portrayals about specific groups. Although prejudice continues to flourish, education plays an import role in combating prejudice and racism by providing courses and programs that help to recognize the distinction between various ethnic groups and develop an appreciation of these cultural differences.
In 1995, the Carnegie Corporation commissioned a number of papers to summarize research that could be used to improve race relations in schools and youth organizations. One way to fight against racism is to “start teaching the importance of and strategies for positive intergroup relations when children are young”(Teaching Tolerance,). Bias is learned at an early age, often at home, so schools should offer lessons of tolerance and
In our global economy requiring functional and respectful relationships between nations, prejudice and stereotypes can be a destructive force both in the world and in individual societies, especially in diverse ones.
The basis for this concept, begins with the causes of prejudice. While there are many causes that relate to prejudice, the context ...
In 1954, social psychologist Gordon Allport published a book regarded as the point of divergence for modern researchers into the nature of prejudice, and it highlighted methods for mitigating prejudice in the society. Allport delineates the inclusive origins of intergroup discrimination and also series of recommendations to eliminate prejudice. Undoubtedly, for the past fifty years, Allport theories have made the most practical attempt to promote intergroup relationship. Allport defined prejudice as a social aversion based on a faulty and obstinate generalization of an individual or a group of people grounded on their social category or group membership (Allport, 1954). According to Allport (1954), prejudice and stereotyping emerged partly due to normal human thinking
Jr., Bernard E. Whitley and Mary E. Kite. The Psychology of Prejudice and Discrimination. Belmont: Cengage Learning, 2010. Web.
Instead, I think this study gives us the opportunity to further develop educational programs, diversity training, and policies that promote inclusivity to ensure we are not fostering environments that allow even subtle prejudice to go
It is very important for teacher educators to develop self-awareness of cultural biases and discriminatory practices as well as to exam the effects of their beliefs, their attitudes, and expectations for teacher
Firstly, elementary and middle school students who learn about the causes of racial bias and prejudice will interpret racial differences and inequalities differently than their less knowledgeable peers. For example, children who know about discrimination may attribute more positive and less negative traits to another race. They will have an openminded opinion about racism and may assert that although we all look different, we are all human and should be judged by our integrity rather than our race or ethnicity. Another benefit to teaching young learners about race and racism is that both privileged and minority children are more likely to recognize and challenge prejudice and discrimination, as well as their opposites, privilege and favoritism. The evidence of this comes from experimental studies which establish the correlation between knowledge of racial biases and detection of discrimination.
Ignorance is a huge problem, it is one of the biggest factors responsible for issues such as racism and sexism. Luckily, ignorance, generally speaking, is a relatively easy issue to fix. The obvious answer here would be more education, but this is not necessarily the case. In order to eliminate much of the racism, sexism, and other forms of prejudice that arise due to ignorance, it is necessary to look at education from another perspective: one that encourages togetherness and development alongside people of all races and genders. One quote by Grace Boggs book The Next American Revolution summarizes the issue perfectly. “Just imagine what our neighborhoods would be like if, instead of keeping our children isolated in classrooms for twelve years and more, we engaged them in community-building activities with the same audacity with which the civil rights movement engaged them in desegregation activities fifty years ago! ...Our children will be absorbing naturally and normally the values of social responsibility and cooperation at the same time that they are being inspired to learn the skills and acquire the information necessary to solve real problems” (Boggs 158). So, the main point here is that prejudice, against all sexes, genders, and creeds, can be eliminated via education that encourages cooperation with the largest variety of people. In order to understand this concept, it is necessary to look at it from a few different perspectives to analyze its viability in modern society.