Social Biases
Social Biases Paper
Faith Jones
PSYCH/555
August 12, 2013
Dr. Kimberly Kinsey
Social Biases
Individuals who are not classified as a part of the ingroup are stereotyped, shown prejudice, and discriminated against. All of these concepts represent acts of bias. This paper will define the concepts of stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination. It will also address the differences between subtle and blatant bias. Last, the paper hopes to address the impact that bias has on individuals and at least two strategies that can be used to overcome bias.
Prejudice, Stereotyping, and Discrimination Individuals who are not within the ingroup they are viewed negatively by others. These views are considered biases. Biases can be in the form of stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination. Stereotypes “entails applying to an individual one’s cognitive expectancies and associations about the group” (Fiske, 2010, p. 428). It is how individuals of the ingroup tend to view those that are different and not a part of the group. Individuals who are not a part of the ingroup are categorized as the outgroup. Individuals have certain expectations and thoughts about other individuals when they perceive them to be different. Such as it is a stereotype that Black men are criminals. When in reality, not all black men are criminals and not all criminals are Black. “From a functional perspective, stereotypes justify (or rationalize) our affective and behavioral reactions to the category” (Jost & Major, 2001). Culturally, stereotypes are based on a collective consensus of the outgroup. Prejudice “entails reacting emotionally to an individual on the basis of one’s feeling about the group as a whole” (Fiske, 2010, p. 429). Prejudice is holding an individual at fault because he or she is not a part of the ingroup and are associated with the outgroup. It is not judging the individual according to his or her own faults, but because of the
Faith Jones
PSYCH/555
August 12, 2013
Dr. Kimberly Kinsey
Social Biases
Individuals who are not classified as a part of the ingroup are stereotyped, shown prejudice, and discriminated against. All of these concepts represent acts of bias. This paper will define the concepts of stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination. It will also address the differences between subtle and blatant bias. Last, the paper hopes to address the impact that bias has on individuals and at least two strategies that can be used to overcome bias.
Prejudice, Stereotyping, and Discrimination Individuals who are not within the ingroup they are viewed negatively by others. These views are considered biases. Biases can be in the form of stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination. Stereotypes “entails applying to an individual one’s cognitive expectancies and associations about the group” (Fiske, 2010, p. 428). It is how individuals of the ingroup tend to view those that are different and not a part of the group. Individuals who are not a part of the ingroup are categorized as the outgroup. Individuals have certain expectations and thoughts about other individuals when they perceive them to be different. Such as it is a stereotype that Black men are criminals. When in reality, not all black men are criminals and not all criminals are Black. “From a functional perspective, stereotypes justify (or rationalize) our affective and behavioral reactions to the category” (Jost & Major, 2001). Culturally, stereotypes are based on a collective consensus of the outgroup. Prejudice “entails reacting emotionally to an individual on the basis of one’s feeling about the group as a whole” (Fiske, 2010, p. 429). Prejudice is holding an individual at fault because he or she is not a part of the ingroup and are associated with the outgroup. It is not judging the individual according to his or her own faults, but because of the