Social psychology: Understanding stereotype and prejudice (Part 2/4)
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 17th. 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.