Prejudice and
Stereotypes
Prejudice
•A rigid and unfair generalization about an
entire category of people
•Prejudices are prejudgments that can be
either positive or negative
Positive
Prejudices
•Exaggerate the
virtues of
people like
ourselves
Negative
Prejudices
•Can be
expressed as
anything from
mild dislike to
outright
hostility
• These attitudes are rooted in culture, everyone
has some prejudice
Stereotype
•A simplified description applied to every
person in some category.
•Both majorities and minorities have
certain stereotypes
Do you see stereotypes
in common phrases?
• “French kiss”
• “Dutch treat”
• “Indian giver”
• “Being “gypped”
Measuring Social Distance
•Emory Bogardus (1925) developed
a scale to measure social distance:
• how willing people are to interact with
members of some category
• https://www.brocku.ca/MeadProject/
Bogardus/Bogardus_1925c.html
Racism
•The belief that one racial category is
innately superior or inferior to
another
Theories of Prejudice
•Scapegoat Theory
•Prejudice springs from frustration
among people who are
themselves disadvantaged
Theories of Prejudice
•Authoritarian Personality Theory• Authoritarian personalities conform to
traditional values and morals
• Authoritarians believe society is
naturally competitive and there are
better people like themselves
Theories of Prejudice
•Culture Theory•Some prejudice is found in
everyone because prejudice is part
of the culture we live in
Theories of Prejudice
•Conflict Theory #1• Prejudice is used as a tool for powerful
people to oppress others
• Conflict Theory #2• Minorities encourage race consciousness
and claim they are victims entitled to
certain privileges based on their race
Discrimination
• Unequal treatment of various categories of
people
• Prejudice  Attitudes
• Discrimination  Actions
• Institutional Prejudice and Discriminationbias built into the operation of society’s
institutions (schools, hospitals, police,
workplace)
The history
of race and
ethnicity in
the U.S…