Prejudice

Prejudice

Section A: Summarize at least three salient points of the reading

The first salient point of this reading is that it elaborates and integrates the basic grounds of the theory of group position prejudice by Herbert Blumer. It does so with the aim to make clearer, more empirically pliable and fully integrated theoretical basics of a sociological examination of the nature of racial prejudice. In doing so, this reading identifies significant points of agreement between Herbert Blumer's approach to prejudice and that of Gordon Allport.

The second most important point is Blumer's challenge that race prejudice is derived from an individual's association with a racial group and the connection between the associates of dissimilar racial groups and not on the basis of individual feelings (Blumer,1958). According to him, using experience and understanding, one race group turns out to be the superior group and the other the inferior group. Thus, the feelings of the superior group toward the inferior group turn out to be the source for racial prejudice. While Gordon Allport's debate that besides requiring a close research on perceptions, habits, personality and motivation, we need an examination of situational forces, social settings, ecological and demographic variables, and economic and legal trends. Sociological and psychological perspectives balance each other in offering a fuller clarification on the subject of intergroup relations (Allport, 1979).

The third major point is that Blumer contended that prejudice can take in feelings, beliefs and a tendency to action, therefore inspiring behavior that emanate from the social hierarchy (Blumer, 1958). By highlighting historically established relationships and group positions, Blumer swung his focus further than individuals' personality and attitudes compositions. On the other hand, Allport typified persons most vulnerable to upholding a prejudiced viewpoint as those with characteristics closely connected to the type known as "authoritarian personality" being famous in the ...