12 May This week, you will analyze a three- to five-minute segment of a movie or a television episode depicting prejudice and stereotype. Aft
This week, you will analyze a three- to five-minute segment of a movie or a television episode depicting prejudice and stereotype.
After watching the movie segment, create a three- to four-page report on your analysis. In your report:
- Mention the name of the movie.
- Describe the setting and overall storyline of the movie.
- Describe the main characters in the observed movie section.
- Describe the situation that you analyzed and interpret the action of the characters depicting prejudice and stereotype.
- Draw conclusions based on social psychological concepts and theories.
Stereotypes.html
Stereotypes
When we think of stereotypes, we think of certain behavioral patterns for an individual based on specific characteristics common to the individual’s race, ethnicity, age, body structure, or career title. The problem arises when individuals:
- Stereotype others without having complete information.
- Interact with others based on generalized characteristics rather than actual individual traits.
One area where stereotypes are present is the care and treatment of individuals diagnosed with mental illness.
Behavioral health professionals use a system of diagnostic criteria to establish a diagnosis for those displaying a set of symptoms common for that diagnosis. The system of diagnostic criteria has an established set of symptom aids for different illnesses or disorders to ensure consistent care and treatment of individuals. However, the system is not foolproof; it can act as a label producing an inaccurate and unrealistic stereotype of individuals undergoing treatment. For instance, the system once considered the analysis of a person’s intelligence an essential criterion for establishing a diagnosis of intellectual disability (mental retardation). However, this criterion was not accurate, as some intelligence tests use mental age as the tool to compare the intelligence of those tested to their comparable-age counterparts without intellectual deficits. For instance, an individual with a chronological age of 30 years may have a mental age of 10 years, leading to the misconception that individuals with intellectual disability are like children, which is not true.
Scholl and Sabat (2008) did an extensive literature review on issues related to defining a stereotype for individuals with Alzheimer's disease, a chronic neurological disorder. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, a debilitating illness causing memory loss and subsequent overall adaptive functioning loss. Scholl and Sabat concluded that individuals with Alzheimer's disease are "extremely vulnerable to the debilitating effects of negative self-stereotyping and stereotype threat" (p. 122).
Scholl, J., & Sabat, S. (2008). Stereotypes, stereotype threat, and ageing: Implications for the understanding and treatment of people with Alzheimer's disease. Ageing and Society, 28, 103–130.
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Prejudice and Discrimination.html
Prejudice and Discrimination
Steel and Aronson (1995, as cited in Scholl and Sabat, 2008) proposed a theory of stereotype threat that suggested, "The mere awareness of the existence of a stereotype pertaining to a group with which one identifies can have a negative effect on the group's subsequent performances" (p. 114). The theory also indicated that being stereotyped into a particular group may have a negative effect on people's beliefs and attitudes about themselves and others. In addition, overgeneralized and negative-outcome stereotypes (not taking into account an individual's abilities and characteristics) are considered discrimination.
Let's discuss the social identity theory to understand how individuals relate stereotypes to prejudice and discrimination.
View the PDF transcript for Social Identity Theory:Prejudice and Discrimination
media/week8/SU_PSY3011_Social_Identity.pdf
Page 1 of 1 PSY3011_Social Psychology Lab
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Social Identity Theory: Prejudice and Discrimination Social identity theory was originally developed to understand the psychological basis behind intergroup discrimination. How is social identity theory related to determining stereotypes? Social identity theory provides a framework for understanding how individuals establish part of their concept of self by identifying with their cultural traditions. An individual’s concept of self is shaped by the individual’s life experiences, including interactions with family, friends, and coworkers, as well as other social interactions. For example, an individual’s self-concept may include identifying with a particular race, religion, career, and social activity (Myers, 2008). What does social identity theory focus on? Social identity theory helps explain that an individual's self-concept (attitudes, beliefs, and prejudices) is shaped through group identification. In addition, an individual’s social identity is established by favorably comparing the individual’s in-group (those the individual identifies with) with an out-group (those the individual doesn’t identify with). This theory concludes that individuals identify themselves with the groups they associate with and actively differentiate themselves from the groups they don't identify with. How is social identity theory related to coping with a negative social identity? Shinnar (2008) interviewed 17 Mexican immigrants living in Las Vegas. Shinnar used a face-to-face, semistructured interview method (a lead question with unscripted follow-up questions). He concluded that the majority of those interviewed reported a negative social identity and the motivation to maintain a positive self-concept created a need to cope. Identifying and analyzing the participants’ responses helped Shinnar understand that the coping mechanism for a negative social identity involves reflecting stereotypes and prejudices onto out-groups. The results of the study implied that the perpetuation of prejudice and discrimination will continue if they are used as the means of differentiating (negatively) between an individual's in-group and out-group.
