Causes and Effects of Prejudice: Social Psychology Perspective - Coursework Example

Causes and Effects of Prejudice (Social Psychology Perspective) This paper discusses relative factors that attribute to the presence of discrimination among members of the society. It offers evidences how the prevalence of discrimination creates a notion of disturbance and negative impact to the social and interactive nature within societal social groups. In a normative perspective, the paper has given a conceptual framework on how the prevalence of discrimination creates hostility and antisocial environment among other problems. There is no doubt how prejudice permeates every facet of the societal life, and it has been confirmed that discrimination affects both the victims and the perpetrators thus everybody has developed interest towards its eradication from the society. The paper will also address pertinent areas to the pernicious effect of prejudice to the society. Besides, the paper addresses psychological mechanism relevant to the development of animosity and tolerance of discrimination in the society. Introduction One of the world’s problems that have existed for more than one decade is the presence of discrimination. For several decades, discrimination has remained a problem that the society has consistently found too difficult to eradicate. To start with, discrimination is either positive or negative attitude towards another persons social factor or because of being an affiliate to a particular group of the society. Several factors enhance the existence of discrimination. Some of the factors such as extreme fear of the unknown result, superiority and ignorance are dominant roles on how society views the discrimination. However, discrimination of any kind generates out of bad thoughts that people have against their colleagues (Dixon, 2011). Whichever the case, any form of discrimination is dangerous and must be stemmed out since it has the potential of influencing thoughts and feelings towards another person and finally ruins it. In a family setting, a person may not be fully aware of the existence of hate towards a particular ethnicity, but at least a closer friend might have good reasons for this. Therefore, this paper investigates on Causes and Effects of Prejudice and how to control the occurrence. Components of prejudice Interestingly, discrimination is a vague term in one way or another, but it affects almost all members of the society. False conclusion is that a prejudice only affects some particular people. It is untrue because both the majority and the minority members of the society feel its effects. Being recursive in nature, discrimination entails three basic components: a cognitive component that engages the stereotyped approach of the societal members, an emotional part that interests attitudes such as anger or hostility and the behavioral part resulting from inspired actions. People who hold these components are not only serving under the sense of attitudes, but they show physical demonstration of their course of action (Chin, 2004). The cognitive component Concerning cognitive component, stereotype forms part of the driving factor discriminate either a person or a member of a social group. The issues of stereotype are expansive in that, it covers all the characters of the group and once it has been completely absorbed by the people, it sticks in the mind and becomes radically hard to change. However, stereotype may not lead to direct aggression because it does not in any way contain traits of emotion. It brings variations between two different ethnic communities (Chin, 2004). For example, making video game that shows white people in expensive car models competing against blacks in a dilapidated model brings an impression of completely two different classes of that society. It drives in an intention that white people are better off to own expensive cars than blacks. Stereotype may also take the form of gender disparity where the traditional nature of women makes them inferior to the male counterparts. Needless to say that, the aspect of gender disparity may not be factual on a realistic basis. In essence, colleagues may underrate a civil engineer who is female as incompetent, but this is unrealistic because owning such a profession requires one to undergo rigorous training. Emotional component According to Chin (2004), the emotional part of discrimination is mainly associated to the act of discrimination. It is, therefore, considered unjustifiable law, negative in nature and driven by immoral intentions. Emotional components concerns attitudes such as anger or hostility and behavior resulting from discrimination inspired by actions. This prejudice engages the approach of a person to behave either positively or negatively in response to a scenario. In essence, a patient being handled by a doctor from the community he does not like then the response can be quite negative especially if he has hatred towards that community. Moreover, the emotional component can as well be positive in terms of response towards an intrinsic idea. In contrast to both the negative and positive understanding of this part, most of the psychologist scholars have repeatedly used prejudice only for the negative perceptions as confirmed by (Chin, 2004). In this case, discrimination entails understanding of negativity towards particular people because they swear allegiance to the norms of that group. A Muslim who hates a Christian does not only exercise miss contempt against that person specifically, but he does so because the person belongs to a bigger group “the Christians”. Behavioral component This prejudice part always goes with stereotypical, a fact that is subjective to some form of discrimination. In a broader capacity, it may be termed as discrimination since it brings unjustified action to a person only because he is an affiliate to some social group. For example, the African society believes that men are stronger than women are. Therefore, despite all the efforts women they still face discrimination based on their strength. Based on the behavioral component, discrimination is exercised on the grounds of hate or love to a person. In situations where a person discriminates due to his own personal motives, relates to self-esteemed. Consequently, behavioral prejudice mainly constitutes attitudes driven towards an individual or social group. Whereas, the main particular characters to hate another generates mainly from a person’s heart. A central approach behavior should remain open (Chin, 2004). Cause of prejudice As illustrated by Abrams (2010), not even one-person is sure as to wherever discrimination is a biological make up or not. In response to most of the documents written by psychological scholars, there is no doubt that all human beings prejudice naturally. However, some of the particular characters usually undergo transition from one generation to the other. Majority has come to terms that discrimination is leant because grown up children may not necessarily reflect the attitudes of the parents. As such, the attitudes retained during early childhood do not undergo inheritance. There are several psychologists who have also pointed out that discrimination is created by attitudes and negative feeling towards another. Through undue influence, some people may find themselves at the wrong end of hatred or discrimination. However, most of the researches carried out throughout the world have drawn conclusions that prejudices are usually attribute by social factors amongst which include the following Social values Most scholarly articles have pointed out that discrimination passes through a generation mainly from parents to the offspring. In this case, the use of media cultivates images of negativity against a particular group of the society that may compose ethnic community, disabled or may be based on gender. In such a case, members of a society inherit the norm, culture of hatred against a particular social group. As such, discrimination becomes an inclusive process through the generation asserts (Abrams, 2010). More or less like an inherited trait, it embraces a tendency where parents are responsible for fueling hatred to their children. Besides, the uses of media, movies or adverts also spearhead the action of stereotype against minority members of the society. Socialization mainly engages on rules and standards of the society that is a critical sociological process determining the level of discrimination. For instance, children brought out of a racist family automatically are influenced by the culture of racism against other members of the society. Children are mainly used to fuel the culture social discrimination because they take up the word of adults with many trusts even if it is meant to castigate negativity. Economic competition Max confirms that discrimination is attributed by members of the society are competing for the available jobs. Prejudice rises when a person undergoes stressful situation or faces an economic hardship. In a prejudiced environment, majority who are likely to lose resources are the minority group. In a restrictive analysis between white and black members of the society, the white dependency in taking up work opportunities will automatically cause an economic disparity against black members of the society who are also aspiring for similar positions. With respect to economic competition, limited resources are the determining factors causing exploitation of a minority group while the benefactor gains a material advantage over the less dominant group. In essence, some business that targets higher profits out off cheap workforce to gains competitive advantage may seek an option of hiring cheap labor displacing job opportunities for the already existing expatriates of that region thus resulting into an economic conflict between the two groups (Abrams, 2010). Normative value Normative value also forms an essential factor in the formation of prejudice by tending to the culture of others in relation to one’s personal standards or values. More interestingly, normative value of discrimination entails any form of suspicion that is generated by outsiders. Besides, it engages stereotypical thoughts that are mostly dominant among certain cultures of the community as confirmed by (Abrams, 2010). Being supported by negative connotation, normative value always brings a conviction that one a particular faction is better than the other. in relevant to this consent, ethnocentric people often believes that their group is better than the rest thus rejects people they believe do not share their culture. Consequent derails in societal normative value always give way to political conflicts, war or genocide. Arbitrary rules Arbitrary act and capricious means working in accordance to one’s will or notion and, therefore, subjectively tending to abuse based on power. Based on the relevant of socialization, a person may resort to an act of discrimination because of fears. People who conform to arbitrary rule are quite radical and have high chances of rejection that they believed is likely to be of threat. Converged by authority and personality, their characters can be traced back the parents who may have had similar characters (Abrams, 2010). Effects of prejudice In contrast to the emotional contempt, discrimination has always remained having negativity towards a particular group of persons. Based on the negative aspect, effect of discrimination is always never a pleasant to the person under experience. Victims of discrimination are mostly the minority members of a particular group, insane members of the society or people of a particular ethnicity. Whichever the group, all are usually affected by the following negativity illustrates (Whitley & Kite, 2010). Depression This is a mental state of mind where a person would feel as an isolated member of the society due to unknown reasons. Excessive disappointment to a particular group of the society can be recursive through generations confirms (Whitley & Kite, 2010). For example, political isolation of a particular ethnic group makes them deficient of government job opportunities thus resulting into poverty because depression is a leeway to a poor kind of life. Loss of self esteemed Prejudice turns down the esteem of a person leaving him in a status of neglect and frustration. Such statuses are detrimental to the emotional health of a person thus increasing chances of being passed from one-generation to the other. Prevalent level of discrimination within the society increases threat that influences stereotype turning down low esteem (Whitley & Kite, 2010). Reduces individual rights Prejudice often associates by an act of racism and discrimination that imposes underserved on the well-being of others. Factors such as ethnicity are factors that are used to override the gains of a particular social group. In essence, when a black student joins a school dominated by white ethnic group then there is high risk of discrimination on the ground that he is not well acquainted with the culture and the standards of the white society (Whitley & Kite, 2010). How to reduce discrimination Prejudice is a complex element that varies from one community to the other thus reducing it depends on different methods. However, the following methods are best suited for community and institutions. Recruitment of employees should take place cross-cultural settings, as this would encourage the staff members to realize the awareness for each other. Moreover, an organization should organize active sessions and openly discuss color; this would break barriers about ethnicity while signifying the need of taking each other seriously. Both the community leaders and the government should institute a taskforce that investigates and amend the constitution in favor of none perusal society. Moreover, people must embrace the spirit of welcoming the neighbors and visitors because this would serve as a stepping-stone for future elimination of racial society (Robinson, 2013). Conclusion Relationship between individuals is based on mutual respect and the common good between members of the society. As such, positive relations are fundamental to fairness and mutual consistence among members of the society. The paper has explored the existence of prejudice and the exact elements that enhances the existence of the vice. A section of this paper has also identified various forms of prejudice and possible solutions to restrain the menace from escalating. In conclusion, prejudice is a vice and appropriate measures are necessary to ensure it is to completely eradicate it from the society. References: Abrams, D. (2010).Processes of prejudice: Theory, evidence and intervention. Centre for the Study of Group Processes, University of Kent. Spring. Chin, J. (2004). The psychology of prejudice and discrimination / 3 Bias based on gender and sexual orientation. Westport, Conn. [u.a.]: Praeger Publ. Dixon, J. (2011). Beyond prejudice: extending the social psychology of intergroup conflict, inequality and social change. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press. Robinson, D. (2013). Workplace Discrimination Prevention Manual: Tips for Executives, Managers, and Students to Increase Productivity and Reduce Litigation Archway Publishing. Whitley, B & Kite, M. (2010). The psychology of prejudice and discrimination. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Read More