We have seen that social categorization is a basic part of human nature and one that helps us to simplify our social worlds, to draw quick if potentially inaccurate conclusions about others, and to feel good about ourselves. In many cases, our preferences for ingroups may be relatively harmless—we may prefer to socialize with people who share our race or ethnicity for instance, but without particularly disliking the others. But categorizing others may also lead to prejudice and discrimination, and it may even do so without our awareness. Because prejudice and discrimination are so harmful to so many people, we must all work to get beyond them.

Discrimination influences the daily life of its victims in areas such as employment, income, financial opportunities, housing and educational opportunities, and medical care. 

Having summarised some of the important theoretical contributions to prejudice-reduction, I will now present a summary of the main types of interventions with evidence on effectiveness, drawing on case studies and suggesting some principles which may be usefully applied elsewhere. Again it is vital to note that the case studies are not intended to be directly applicable to prejudice-reduction in Scotland. For instance, some of them talk about successful interventions to improve intergroup relations in post-conflict societies, which may be dealing with tensions that often spills over into actual (violent) conflict, and we may also assume that these are likely to be more 'reactive' than preventative. However, it may be appropriate to apply some of the 'universal principles' emerging from these to future strategies.

A mixture of lab-based interventions and evaluations of prejudice-reduction initiatives 'in the field' make up the growing literature on 'what works', however the majority of studies are controlled and experimental, have taken place in psychology laboratories, and often with psychology students as participants. Fewer studies take place in 'real-life', in schools or communities for example.

This is the webinar conducted by EMPOWER PEOPLE and the key speakers are : Sumati and Mallika on Sunday, 15th November, 2020 at 8 pm to understand the psychological aspects behind discrimination! Here we get to know the psychological aspects and how all other topics are Inter-related which this. So let's find it out.

Discrimination is the unfair or prejudicial treatment of people and groups based on characteristics such as race, gender, age or sexual orientation. Social psychologists investigate numerous topics in their research. Many of these subjects are related to social influence, social perception, and social interaction. Here are just a few of the major areas of interest within social psychology.

Prejudice, discrimination, and stereotypes exist in any social group. Social psychologists are interested in the origins, causes, and effects of these types of attitudes and social categorization. How does prejudice develop? Why are stereotypes maintained in the face of contrary evidence? These are only a few of the questions social psychologists seek to answer.
Attitudes are not always reflected in overt actions, and prejudice is no exception to this. In many cases, people with negative attitudes toward various groups cannot express their views directly. Laws, social pressure, fear of retaliation all serve to deter them from putting their prejudiced views into practice

Overt action of discrimination- Example: barring people from public spaces, temples and buses.
But instances of hate crimes do exist.
Despite these extreme incidents, prejudice, in general, often finds expression in much more subtle forms of behavior. Many social psychologists believe that "old-fashioned racism," encompassing blatant feelings of superiority, has been replaced by more subtle forms, which they term modern racism.
Subtle Form of Discrimination can involve concealing prejudice from others in public settings, but expressing bigoted attitudes when it is safe to do so, for instance, in the company of friends known to share these views. It could also involve attempting to appear "color blind" and refusing to acknowledge race as a means of suggesting one isn't racist.
Social psychologists have recognized that many attitudes people hold are implicit- they exist and can influence behavior, but the people holding them may not be aware of their impact in some cases.
Bona fide Pipeline : Most are based on priming-where exposure to certain stimuli or events "prime" information held in memory, making it easier to bring to mind, or more available to influence our current reactions.
With this procedure, participants see various adjectives and are asked to indicate whether they have a "good" or "bad" meaning by pushing one of two buttons.

Research findings using this procedure indicate that people do indeed have implicit racial attitudes that are automatically elicited, and that such automatically elicited attitudes, in turn, can influence important forms of behavior such as decisions concerning others and the degree of friendliness that is expressed in interactions with them (Fazio & Hilden, 2001; Towles-Schwen & Fazio, 2001).

Despite the fact that blatant forms of racism and sexism have decreased, automatic prejudice is very much alive, and, through more subtle kinds of reactions, continues to affect behavior. People want to think of the groups that they belong to and identify with as being good and moral.

Motivated Forgetting.

There are other ways that people can deal with their group's harm-doing-such as motivated forgetting Sandra and Ross (2007) have shown that people's memory for harmful behaviors committed by their in group is not equivalent to their memory of instances where their in group was victimized by another group.

Exposure to how one's group has acted in a prejudiced fashion toward other groups can evoke defenses in order to avoid the aversive feelings of collective guilt-an emotional response that people can experience when they perceive their group as responsible for illegitimate wrong doings. This is known as collective guilt.

So in the crux of my topic is that we should not react before listening we need to need to be calm and composed before judging anyone. We need to listen before agreeing anything because now time we don't listen to other person we just impose a things and it's very difficult to distinguish even. So the discrimination need to be stopped as it is a very wrong practice which need changes time by time. It even tells how all the issues are Inter-related  in this webinar. 

Here we recognizes the importance of our thoughts and which enhances are skills and overcome many stages. We  understand the motive of perceived thoughts, what is prejudice and how it affects the skills development. How it is inter-related to the topic of Psychological benefits. How negative thoughts can benefit here?

  What are the Perceived Threat (to Image and interest)?

People want to see their own group positively which in practice means more positively than some other group. When an event threatens people's perceptions of their group's value, they may retaliate by derogating the source of threat. It is also the case that perceiving a threat to our group can lead us to identify more with our in group.

Prejudiced views of an out group allows group members to bolster their own group's image, particularly when it has been threatened. By putting down members of another group, we can affirm our own group's comparative value-and such prejudice is most strongly expressed when threat is experienced.
The mere knowledge of the other group was sufficient to generate name-calling between the two groups of boys. Perhaps simply being a member of a group and identifying with it is sufficient for prejudice to emerge. Here perceived reflects to become aware or conscious(of something); to come to a realization factors. So we need to know the upcoming threats which are discussed above.

How this enhances or reflects the Realistic conflict theory?
The theory further suggests that as competition escalates, the members of the groups involved will come to view each other in increasingly negative terms. They may label each other as "enemies." view their own group as morally superior, draw the boundaries between themselves and their opponents more firmly, and, under extreme conditions, may come to see the opposing group as not even human From this perspective, what starts out as simple competition can escalate into full-scale prejudice.

Competition can intensify conflict, although as you will see, it may not be the most basic cause of conflict between groups.

The participants were attempting to maximize the difference between the rewards given to the two groups. The results of these experiments were shocking at the time because they illustrated how people could be divided into distinct categories on almost any basis, and doing so could result in different perceptions of, and actions toward, us (members of their own group) versus them (members of the other group).

Social identity theory suggests that individuals seek to feel positively about the groups to which they belong, and part of our self-esteem is derived from our social group memberships Since people who are identified with their group are most likely to express favoritism toward their own group and a corresponding bias against out groups, valuing our own group will have predictable consequences for prejudice.

Feeling "fused with our group": Extreme actions to benefit and protect it.
"Identity Fusion"  is the extent to which you see yourself and your group as over lapping
Idea is that people who see themselves as fused with their nation yoke their individual agency to the group and see the group's outcomes as like their own.

So in the crux we understand the importance and can conclude the idea that negative thoughts can build the moral and it's not always about the adverse effects. There are lot of competitions in every areas so we need to acknowledge about our skills out and try to get more benefits out of everything.

 Social psychology: Understanding stereotype and prejudice (Part 2/4)

Compiled by Oviya.E

This webinar conducted by Empower People is a continuation of the first part conducted on October 17^th. Ms Sumati talks on how social psychology affects our lives.

She starts the session with a question. Can we be victims of stereotyping and not even recognise it?

1. The case of single people:

   Our society associates certain traits with people who are not married mostly young people and some traits with those who are married.

For example, characteristic traits like independent, lonely, self- centered and immature are some of the traits associated with single people. Traits like mature, stable, kind, happy and loving are associated with married people.

Characteristic traits are meant to deal with an individual and their mentality. Being single or married doesn’t have a say on it. The reason for this inequality not being protested against is the lack of awareness.

The next question she talks about is “why do we form stereotypes?”

The following are the reasons:

·        Schemes

·        A sense that we can predict other’s behaviour

·        They can help us feel positive about our own group identity in comparison to other social groups.

·        Selective attention-conformation bias

·        Subtypes to protect old schemes.

Next, she questions if stereotypes will ever change. Stereotyping will be stable as long as the nature of the intergroup relationship that exists between the groups is stable.

She then speaks of prejudice and feelings toward social groups. There are some important findings based on prejudice.

·        Essences-often, some biologically based feature that distinguishes that group from another serves as a justification for their differential treatment.

·        Prejudice is also based on different emotions.

This session clearly defines the reasons that allow prejudice to prevail in our society.

Know the laws Indian law provisions for crimes against vulnerable groups and women.

compiled by Oviya

Empower people comes up with another webinar to educate all of us about the laws available to protect vulnerable groups and women. In this webinar, we have Ruth Thomas Advocate and Co-Founder, SRT Law Associates, Roseann Rajan, Advocate, Madras High Court. Shruti Sahnmali, Enrolled as an advocate in Bar Council of Delhi. Shivani Nirmal moderates the webinar.

There has been a necessity to bring in laws for women since our ancient days. In case of human trafficking, the buyer and seller are called as traffickers and the subject is human.

Steps in human trafficking:

·        Recruitment

·        Transportation

·        Harbouring

·        Transferor

·        Receiver

Human trafficking is an electrifying issue. However, it is not evident unless an enquiry is done. She requests us to take it serious if any adolescent is missing in our neighbourhood and not consider that she has eloped. There is a lot of trauma associated with human trafficking but it is very important to not keep quite and we must report immediately.

It is important to learn to demarcate between what is an abuse and what is not. It is advisable to serve for the people in our family. The speaker says that this nurtures us as a good person.

Women are treated in an un welcoming manner in their workspace. They are told double meaning jokes, shown pornography, speaking in a sexually inclined manner and so on. Women are not supposed to live adjusting such circumstances. There must be an internal compliance committee in any workstation that has more than ten people. Not having one such system is an offence. If there is no reliance for the victim on this system, the ministry of women and children has a web portal to take such complaints. The portal is shebox.nic.in.

Educated people, NGOs and social workers must take the initiative to educate the people about sexual reproduction. This is to create awareness. It also stops abuses against women, stops child marriage and even put a stop to myths.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter. So ,it is our responsibility to talk when necessary about such issues.

Social psychology: Stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination-introduction (part 1/4)

This webinar is conducted by Empower people to discuss stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination that prevail in our society. This discussion is carried over by Ms.Sumati and Ms. Khayati.

According to the psychologists, stereotype comes under cognitive component. Affective component comprises of the prejudice and behavioural component comprises of discrimination.

Stereotyping: beliefs about social groups

  Stereotypes about groups are the beliefs and expectations concerning what members of those groups are like. Stereotypes can include more than traits, physical appearance and behaviour.

Glass ceiling:

Barriers based on attitudinal or organisational bias that prevent qualified females from advancing to top-level positions.

Example: A news which reads “male troops won’t accept women commanders” is a reflection of barriers in mind that prevent females to excel in their lives.

Objectification in video games:

    The findings about characterisation and appearance of females and males suggest that males who were exposed to the objectified images showed high tolerance for sexual harassment.

Tokenism: 

    It can refer to hiring based on membership. it can concern a numerically infrequent presence of a particular category.

This is an informative webinars where Ms Sumati throws light on several terms based of stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination.

Psych Talk: Manage your Mental Health with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

compiled by Oviya.E

Empower people has come up with an alarming webinar. Anuradha Karegar, a Counselling Psychologist and Shivani join the webinar to give us the right information.

The webinar starts with the explanation of cognitive behavioural therapy. CBT focuses on the thought process the patient is going through. Patients learn to automatically identify the negative thoughts and recognise how these thoughts affect their behaviour. It is a highly effective therapy. Patients are given homework to make it more effective.

Some signs of low emotional intelligence:

·        Being argumentative

·        Not listening

·        Blaming others

·        Emotional outbursts

CBT is used to solve such issues. CBT triangle was also described.

 The following are some of the CBT techniques:

·        Applied relaxation

·        Journaling

·        Setting goals

·        Guided discussions

·        Cognitive distorted examination

·        Creating rewards and desensitization.

There are some core beliefs that act as inner walls and restrict us from accepting new possibilities in life. The thought- behaviour cycle includes: core belief- negative self talk-cognitive disorders-unhelpful behaviour. It is important to not accept negative comments and thoughts which tend to degrade our potential.

 Light was thrown on topics such as irrational beliefs, irrational thinking , discomfort disturbance and cognitive distortions.

This webinar gives us better takeaways to live a positive life.

Understanding suicide (Prevalence, causes, risk factors, prevention)

Compiled by Oviya. E

   SUICIDE is a social issue. Empower people has taken the initiative to create awareness on suicide. Mental health experts have joined this webinar to speak on this alarming topic.

  Dr. Sharol Fernandes, consulting Psychiatrist, Ms. Anuradha Karegar, counseling Psychologist join us in the webinar. The panelists for this webinar are Sumati Rani and Amruta Khare. The webinar is moderated by Reema K Thunderbolt.

   Dr. Sharol started her session by stating that suicide is an act of killing oneself. It is a social problem and affects a community. Self-reservation is the act of doing anything to save oneself from a situation.

    The prevalence of suicide is increasing every day. Suicide is responsible for more deaths than malaria, breast cancer, war, or even homicide, according to the WHO. Close to 800 000 people die due to suicide every year. She presented the data of suicides nationally and globally.

   The most common methods of killing oneself are self -poisoning, hanging and firearms. It is important for us to know the methods in order to find out the preventive measures.

    Reasons for suicide arise in the following grounds:

·       Marital status

·       Education

·       Occupation

·       Family support

·       Psychiatric illness

People prone to these illnesses are more likely to attempt suicide:

·       Depression

·       Bipolar illness

·       Schizophrenia

·       People with substance use like alcohol misuse.

Precipitating factors/stressors:

·    Preceded by notable life events, in particular interpersonal or health-related events.

·    Negative lie events, stress, object loss, and negative interaction needs.

·    Other suicidal triggers include physical illness, bankruptcy, illicit relationships, and drug intoxication.

There are a few protective factors for one with suicidal thoughts. They are:

·       Relationship responsibilities

·       Children

·       Religious beliefs

·       Social and family support

·       Coping skills

Prevention for suicide:

·       Awareness

·       Early intervention

·       Treatment

·       Promote right coping strategies

·       Support groups

Ms. Anuradha started her presentation mentioning the importance of seeking help. She spoke about myths and misconceptions. Some of the myths are:

·       People who talk about suicide won’t really do it

·       Anyone who tries to kill themselves must be crazy

·       If someone is determined to kill themselves, nothing is going to stop them

·       People who die by suicide are people who were unwilling to seek help

·       Talking about suicide may give someone the idea.

She also discussed the do’s and don’ts. It is mandatory to get support at times of depression and anxiety.

          Examples of such supports are:

·       Professional help

·       Follow up on treatment

·       Be proactive

·       Encourage positive lifestyle changes

·       Make a safety plan

·       Remove potential means of suicide

·       Continue your support over the long haul.

It is advised to consult a Psychiatrist if one has a family history of suicide. It is not necessary if the individual does not face any signs.

Ms.Sumati brought to our notice how these issues are not tangible yet important. It is important to help people with depression and anxiety.

Ms. Amruta Khare spoke about media and its impact on mental health.

This session is a must-watch in order to create awareness against the evil in disguise-suicide.