Sociology of Racial and Cultural Groups Essay

In Paul Bloom’s TED Talk, “Can Prejudice Ever Be a Good Thing?,” he discusses the stereotypes people encounter in their everyday lives. Bloom asserts his personal opinions, along with facts, to show how prejudice and stereotypes begin to form in the human mind at a young age. He states that prejudice can be rational and useful but it can also be irrational, often leading to immoral consequences. He presents studies done by other psychologists that prove the development of stereotypes throughout the lifetime of an individual. Some of the studies show the way people react when they view an African American in relation to a white American. People favor the white Americans over the African Americans because it’s an instinct to choose white over

Three sociological perspectives used in the study of minorities are: Structural functionalism, symbolic interactionalism and conflict theory. These perspectives offer "theoretical paradigms" for explaining how society influences people, taking into account the social factors that impact on human behavior. However, different theories, ideas, and prejudices can influence a sociologist's conclusions. Each of these theories has a contribution to make with a distinct focus.

Discrimination has many meaning and many different ways people can discriminate against others. Discriminations can be as simple as a person making a judgment against someone else by the way they dress or the way they speak or it can be the people are discriminated (out casted/left out) because they choose to be different or have a disability or different colour of skin or even religion. Discrimination is unfair treatment of a person action based on prejudice.

The fundamental root of discrimination is prejudice. Prejudice starts with cognition and our thoughts towards another group which often leads to a generalization or stereotyping (Myers, 2014, pg.572). Stereotyping leads us to emotions directed towards a particular group or person; including fear, hatred, and hostility, fundamentally this is negative prejudice (Myers, 2014, pg.572). Myers (2014) states that if we believe our thoughts to be true, our emotions will lead to the actual act of discrimination. Taking action on prejudice is discrimination; it is the behaviours or actions directed towards a specific distinction of a group (Myers, 2014, ph.572). We do know that discrimination can take many forms, some acceptable and others purely inexcusable.

When we think of race, what do we think of? Generally if you ask this question, the idea of what race is delegates different explanations or answers. What if there was validation that race does not exist; that we only think it does. The motivation behind my research is the interest in showing that we are all genetically the same, no matter the difference between our physical appearance, especially having a high interest in the evidence(s) within Sociology. I had a professor who was very thorough with her evidence, as well as explanations. It got me thinking: “what can I prove to other’s who may disbelieve, or have a hard time understanding?”

There are several factors involved in the growth of prejudice. People generally know consequences of the prejudice and how those affect the living of minority groups. However, causes of the bias are barely defined. Perrillo (1994)

This essay's aim is to discuss the possibility of reducing prejudice and intergroup conflicts in the light of how social policies can help to achieve this goal. Since the second World War, social psychology went though major changes, and specifically effected by group influences. Before WWII psychology focused on ethnic and racial tensions, biological and cultural differences that made individuals react the way they did. After WWII the focus was on faulty, implicit generalisations that lead to racial hatred,

If we take a look at prejudice, which can be defined as socially shared judgement or evaluation of the group including feelings with judgement (Fiske, 2010). Prejudice is one that addresses both explicit and implicit nature (Crisp & Turner, 2010). It can also be based upon a number of factors that are effective from a social perspective as well. Some of the factors that can lead to prejudice is sex, race, age, and also sexual orientation. Some of the issues that occur may be pertaining to racism, sexism, classicism, homophobia, nationalism, and also religious prejudice as well. It can occur when stereotype is put into motion, which leads to a negative outcome. It can be looked at as an attitude, thus has affective, cognitive behavioral component as well. Prejudice has the ability to affect all of us, which include majority group members as well as minority. Gordon Allport discusses prejudice and stereotypes, emerges in part as a result of normal human thinking.

Unfortunately due to our past history, discrimination had been among us from since decades. Discrimination and prejudice would probably be among us until the end of the world. Prejudice and discrimination is an action that treats people unfairly because of their membership in a particular social group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs to rather on that individual. It is an unfair treatment to a person, racial group, and minority. It is an action based on prejudice.

In “Causes of Prejudice”, Vincent N. Parrillo attempts to give an explanation for the continuous existence of prejudice. Through his research, Parrillo provides information on different phenomenons in which he believes are directly related to its presence, all through the lens of the psychology of prejudice. Throughout the first section of this essay, he introduces the cognitive level of prejudice, our perception of a group of people based solely on the personal descriptions/labels we place on them. Its link to ethnocentrism, or the neglect or disregard of surrounding groups based on an individual’s commitment towards whatever group they fit within, is later explained to be directly related to our cognitive link to prejudice, with it being almost rooted within these subconscious feelings. He then moves further into the psychological reasoning behind prejudice, explaining our emotional attachment in discrimination. Through these developed emotions, it is explained how our feelings towards a minority group based on personal experiences or taught conceptions are directly related to prejudicial behaviour later directed towards the mentioned group. This condescending behavior builds an even bigger gap between the oppressed and the oppressor, directly impacting

Apply some of the theories of prejudice to explain their minority group status. Utilize at least one pattern of interaction to describe the historical treatment and contemporary situation of this minority.

Minority groups in general have to encounter and deal with two fundamental conflicts due to their identification with the non-dominant group: first, stereotyping and prejudice of the dominating group which problematize their self-image. Second,

Racial prejudice is one of the world’s major issues. Prejudice refers to a set of negative attitudes, beliefs, and judgments about whole categories of people, and about individual members of those categories, because of their perceived race and/or ethnicity- not on direct knowledge or experience. In the twenty century, was a big argument between the sociologist and psychologist about the race prejudice. Through the question, is race prejudice a product of group positon? Started the argument. Herbert Blumer, a sociologist, strongly argue that prejudice is a sense of group position rather than as an attitude based on individual feelings. However, Gordon W. Allport, a psychologist, sees the case as a natural result of a three-

Understanding race and racism can be very difficult for American citizens. This also leads to confusion when discussing current events around racial disparities and inequalities. Mainstream American general society views racism and race differently than sociologist who study these disparities and inequalities. The idea of double consciousness and ethnicity directly relate to the different ways in which different individuals understand and experience race and racism. In our current society where media is widely used, individual’s understandings of these topics becomes confusing and difficult to understand and/or comprehend. Discussing the blurry ideas of race and racism is so

Although prejudice and stereotype seem similar, they actually have two different meanings. While stereotyping involves the generalization of a group of people, prejudice involves negative feelings when “they” are in the presence of or even think about members of the group. “Prejudice comes from direct intergroup conflict, social learning, social categorization and other cognitive sources” (Ferguson). Not all stereotypes are negative; there are also positive and neutral stereotypes. Some stereotypes do not slander a race, culture, gender, or religion, but nonetheless generalize a group of people that may or may not be true. For example, some people say that all Asians are smart or good at math. Though people of Asian descent may often be more studious, not all Asians do equally well in school (Floyd, 62). Another common example of a positive stereotype is that all black people are good athletes, dancers, and singers. Though these are positive stereotypes, when people believe them, they don’t take into account that every person is an individual and different. A neutral stereotype