Term Islamophobia - Essay Example

Islamophobia is an example of a modern prejudice that is against the detestation, or terror of Islam or Muslims. This term became more common after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the US. It mainly refers to a kind of political discourse that is prejudicially hostile to the pro-Islamic argument. It is also referred to as hatred for Islam which eventually leads to dislike and hatred towards all Muslims. It further hinges on the follow of discrimination against Muslims, this is mainly done by excluding them from the economic as well as social aspects and public life of the nation. What it does comprise is the notion that Islam has nothing in common with other cultures and is substandard to the West and is a violent political ideology and not a religion. Islamophobia has the potential of causing widespread harm because it leads to a developed modern prejudice that leads people to treat individuals simply if they follow Islam or are Muslims as untrustworthy and terrorists.

Explain why this form of prejudice is pervasive in society and describe the theories pertaining to the origins of stereotyping and prejudice that best explain this example.

There are a number of theories that give different accounts of the way in which stereotypes develop. The core focus is on a person’s individual experience with a group, the way they communicate, and intergroup conflict. William James pioneered the psychologist’s fallacy which focuses on the relationships between different groups in a social structure (Ashworth, 2009); Whereas psychoanalytically oriented humanists are of the notion that stereotypes are a project of one to another. Another theory talks about the development of stereotypes being because of prejudicial thinking and an inability of people to take in the complexity and differences of other individuals.

Offer two or more strategies for prejudice reduction that might be effective for preventing the example you identified, and explain why they would be effective.

To prevent the development of Islamophobia or perhaps of any kind of a specific modern prejudice in order to avoid the discomfort and victimization individuals subjugated to stereotyping go through. In order to change our stereotypes and overcome our prejudices there are certain strategies and preventative measures that can be taken which will aid one in overcoming stereotyping. Firstly, there is the bookkeeping model which encompasses the learning of new contradictory information through which we automatically rethink the stereotype by aligning our perception with that of the new information. To go through this kind of change it is imperative that one gains a whole lot of information and evidence to prove a solid base to rethink the stereotype. Another strategy that one can undertake is that of the Conversion model in which a person discards everything that they have previously heard about the stereotype and start again. This is frequently done provided that the evidence is disconfirming (Lippman, 1984).