Transcript HSP3CCulture & Discrimination

Culture & Discrimination
Stereotypes
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Simplified beliefs based on judging all members
of a group by the behaviours of a few, without
consideration for individual differences
A generalization
Ties into the Symbolic Interactionist school of
thought and Cooley's “Looking Glass theory”
concerning how we present ourselves to others
Prejudice
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Unfavorable belief or judgments about
members of a group, without knowledge or
experience needed to make a judgment
Discrimination
Unfair actions directed against people
based on their race, gender, ethnicity,
nationality, language, faith or sexual
orientation
Harassment
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Discrimination in the form of verbal or physical
attacks
Sexual harassment is unwanted sexual attention
from a colleague with implied or perceived
promise of reward for compliance
Racism
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Negative behaviour based on an incorrect
assumption that one race is inherently
superior to others
Genocide
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The organized systemic destruction of an
identifiable group (national, ethnic, racial or
religious group)
Additional terms
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Anti-Semitism: particular form of individual or systemic
discrimination directed against Jews
Systemic Discrimination: describes a system that favours
one or some groups over others in terms of hiring, benefits,
promotions, and pay increases
Systemic Racism: Discrimination based on a sense of racial
superiority is part of the philosophy and practices of a
company, institution, or a whole society
Systemic Sexism: Discrimination based on a sense of
gender superiority is part of the philosophy and practices of a
company, institution, or a whole society
Additional terms
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Oppression: Prolonged cruel or unjust treatment,
sometime unconscious, sometime covert; constant
state of denying to others fair and equal treatment
and fair and equal opportunities
Privilege: special rights, advantages or immunity
granted to or assumed by, certain groups and
considered by them as their right. e.g. in Canada,
privilege accrues mostly to whites, to
heterosexuals, and most of all, to white
heterosexual males.
Identities
: Identities are fluid
: Identities overlap & intersect
: One person can embody and live multiple
identities
: Many identities are invisible
: Valuing one identity supports valuing other
identities (i.e. Anti-racist = anti-ageist, antisexist, etc.)
The “isms”
Ageism
Sexism
(gender)
Faithism
Socioeconomic
status
(classism)
Ableism
Racism
(&
Ethnism)
Anger vs. Hatred
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Anger is felt towards individuals…
An emotion felt…
Crimes of passion intense personal anger directed at
someone well known to the perpetrator….
People feel remorse for their actions afterwards…
Hatred is directed at whole classes of people…
Deep-rooted with no real repentance as the aim is to
negate the object of hatred…
A sentiment, “an enduring organization of aggressive
impulses towards a person or peoples composed of
habitual bitter feelings and accusatory thoughts…”
Gordon Allport's Group Norms
theory...
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Believed that people readily adopt group norms
(attitudes, beliefs & behaviours of a group) as
the price of belonging to the “in-group”, to get
psychological rewards from membership,
including a sense of identity…
Explains that people develop prejudices against
others who don’t fit into mainstream culture,
known as the “out-group”
Social Learning Theory
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Attitudes and beliefs are a result of
socialization and learning. Young
children learn behaviours from parents,
peers and others. These attitudes can
have a long lasting impact on perception
and beliefs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6SKU5_w1Hk
Social-Economic Theories of
Prejudice
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Economic conditions could be factors that
contribute to prejudice. During an
economic recession for example, people
who fear their livelihood is threatened
might take a negative view on immigration.
When people react this way immigrants
become scapegoats – people who are
blamed unfairly for certain problems of
difficulties in society.
Psychological Theories of
Prejudice
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Research shows that some people become
prejudiced out of fear & suspicion of people who
seem different. These differences may call into
question their own way of doing things and
threaten self-esteem. An insecure person may
find it comforting to feel another group is
inferior.
Ethnocentric people view their own race or
ethnic group as superior to others.
Contact and Education helps to
eliminate prejudice by creating a
“paradigm shift”
(the formation of a new way of thinking
about people or ideas as a result of new
experiences and contact with others)
Robber's Cave Experiment
Debrief...
In small groups on chart paper, brainstorm some
ways in which the institution of Education has
had to adjust its policies regarding social justice
and equality for all...be specific with your
examples
Debrief
Thinking about all the aspects we talked about today,
are there some situations that would make it harder
for a person who is gay or lesbian to “come out”?
What are the situations where it is most difficult to be
gay or lesbian?
You can't choose to be gay or straight but you can
choose to “come out”. Why do you think some
people “come out” when they're 14 yrs and others
wait until they are 40+?