Social Stereotypes and Prejudice

Social Stereotypes and Prejudice

Introduction

Social psychologists have been intrigued by stereotypes and prejudice for a long time, and it is arguably one of the most important topics for psychologists to ponder at. Over the years, there have been a number of studies that have been carried out by researchers on prejudice and stereotyping of colored Americans (Gaertner and Dovidio, 1986), old people (Brewer et al, 1981), homosexuals (Herek, 1987) and people with mental illness and weight issues (Crandall and Biernat, 1990). Studies have also covered prejudice and stereotyping of women, people with physical disorders and those with AIDS. Since the practical significance of prejudice and social stereotypes is massive, therefore, it has been a topic and interest and intrigue for social psychologists over the years.

Due to globalization, people from different cultures, ethnicities and races are coming in contact with each other like never before, and the role played by technology is a vital one in this context. Thus, due to the inter-mingling of people from various ethnicities and cultures, there are bound to be prejudice and stereotypes. Consequently, social psychologists have, over the years, focused their attention on prejudice and social stereotypes, since there is growing awareness about outcomes which may be negative when it comes to victims of prejudice (Jones, 1996) or the society as a whole. Furthermore, the importance of studying prejudice and stereotyping is magnified when one considers the topic to be closely linked to core psychology topics, such as conformity, social cognition, attitudes, aggression, person perception and group behavior. Stereotypes may be defined as beliefs about certain groups of people with similar characteristics, while prejudice is negative attitude or feeling against a particular group of people.

Thesis Statement

This paper is aimed at discussing social stereotypes and prejudice and will look to identify the source of stereotypes, in addition to analyzing the factors behind such beliefs. Moreover, the paper will also shed light on prejudice and the ways to counter it, through an analysis of relevant literature review on the subject.

Discussion

Where did stereotypes come from?

Stereotypes are usually learnt in the initial stages of a person's life. For instance, if a young child is questioned about who could drive fast cars; it would not come as a surprise if the child's answer is men. Similarly, if the child is asked about delicious cookies and who could bake them, the answer would inadvertently be women (Ruble and Martin, 1998). It is pertinent to note that classification of one another on the basis of race and gender is common practice amongst children when they are young, while prejudiced behavior may also result in certain cases.

According to some studies, young white American children seem to be more interested in playing with white dolls, as opposed to black dolls, implying that these young children prefer the in-group. However, there are various other sources of prejudice and stereotypes, which may stem from personal experiences with groups of people who are stereotyped or the messages that are heard on ...