Prejudice Is an Attitude
Prejudice is an attitude (usually negative) toward the member of some group solely on their membership in that group.
Prejudice can also bee seen as part of the general process of ethnocentrism.
Discrimination can be seen as the behavioural expression of prejudice.
Psychological theories which attempt to explain the origins of prejudice fall into two major categories. Personality theories, which see the source of prejudice as being in the individual and social psychological theories, which see prejudice as a result of group membership.
An example of a personality theory would be Bandura’s social learning theory, which argues that attitudes such as prejudices are learned from role models.
Many social psychological theories argue that society may be much more important than personality types in accounting for prejudice. Such theories see prejudice as a result of group membership and group interaction.
An interesting social psychological approach was demonstrated by Sherif. Sherif (1966) believes that prejudice arises out of conflict between two groups. For example when two groups want to achieve the same goal but cannot both have it, hostility is produced between them.
Increased competition between various groups during periods of economic decline, for example, may be one of the factors contributing to prejudice.
Tajfel like Sherif believes that the personality approach is inadequate in explaining prejudice and he also uses a social psychological approach. However, Tajfel et al (1971) argue that ‘competition’ is not a sufficient condition for inter-group conflict and hostility. Tajfel does not deny the importance of ‘competition’ between groups, personality types as explanations for the origins of prejudice but argues that mere perception of the existence of another group can itself produce discrimination. Tajfel et al argue that, before any discrimination can occur, people must be categorised as members of an in-group or an out-group, but
Prejudice can also bee seen as part of the general process of ethnocentrism.
Discrimination can be seen as the behavioural expression of prejudice.
Psychological theories which attempt to explain the origins of prejudice fall into two major categories. Personality theories, which see the source of prejudice as being in the individual and social psychological theories, which see prejudice as a result of group membership.
An example of a personality theory would be Bandura’s social learning theory, which argues that attitudes such as prejudices are learned from role models.
Many social psychological theories argue that society may be much more important than personality types in accounting for prejudice. Such theories see prejudice as a result of group membership and group interaction.
An interesting social psychological approach was demonstrated by Sherif. Sherif (1966) believes that prejudice arises out of conflict between two groups. For example when two groups want to achieve the same goal but cannot both have it, hostility is produced between them.
Increased competition between various groups during periods of economic decline, for example, may be one of the factors contributing to prejudice.
Tajfel like Sherif believes that the personality approach is inadequate in explaining prejudice and he also uses a social psychological approach. However, Tajfel et al (1971) argue that ‘competition’ is not a sufficient condition for inter-group conflict and hostility. Tajfel does not deny the importance of ‘competition’ between groups, personality types as explanations for the origins of prejudice but argues that mere perception of the existence of another group can itself produce discrimination. Tajfel et al argue that, before any discrimination can occur, people must be categorised as members of an in-group or an out-group, but