...has grown from a fledgling nation to one of the most powerful countries in the world. The principles which established this nation attracted many different groups to its shores. Principles of freedom of religion and speech bought refugees from different ethnic groups. While other groups came to seek their fortune in the “land of opportunity”, one group came to the America under duress. Each group found prejudice and discrimination. As the years passed and the country continued to grow, the barriers of prejudice and discrimination were beginning to crumble. The different groups began to accept the differences that accompanied the diversity of the nation. These changes bring up a question. Has the United States finally overcome our fear of diversity? If we examine the cultural background of Americans, we will discover many are of European descent. Many of our ancestors came looking for religious freedom. Others came to settle debts they had in their homeland. Some citizens are descendants of slaves who were sold to affluent citizens and plantation owners. The circumstances around people in these groups arrival resulted in prejudice and ethnocentrism. Prejudice was not just directed toward African Americans during the 19th century. German, Irish, Polish, Chinese and Italian immigrants found themselves the victims of prejudice and discrimination (Schaeffer, 2013). They came to the United States to find a better life. Many worked for wages which were less than Caucasian...
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...Stereotypes (of Muslims), Causes, Consequences and Solutions It is extremely important for People to feel safe and be included in their environments in order to maintain a decent life. Stereotypes against Muslims in America can lead to fear and isolation among Muslim people and prejudices against Muslims can affect the quality of the life of Muslims in America. The following excerpt is taken from an interview with Fatima, a female Muslim worshipper after the Friday prayer. “Because I wear the head scarf I usually get the hateful stares. I just cannot stand that. I fear for my life. Muslims are harassed and targeted. I know that many Americans hate Muslims and Muslims are the victims of hate crimes. I am afraid if America get too paranoid...
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...The narrator, in Brent Staples' Black Men and Public Spaces, finds himself bothered by the fear response that he invokes in others. He attributes this response to his being black. He too though shows himself to get caught up in the fear of stereotypes, attributing their response to his skin color and failing to see the natural fear response that is evoked in people when they are in a situation that is unfamiliar to them, and through conditioning, perceive it to be threatening to their fundamental, all encompassing, humanistic need to survive. He overlooks these details in many situations. Because he feels that they are stereotyping him based on the color of his skin he allows himself to get upset over these situations rather than understand them. He speaks of giving other subway goers room to ease their worries about his skin color but it has become natural for subway goers to be weary of other passengers because of the extensive amount of talk or writing that goes around about all of the subway fatalities and incidents that occur by men and women, whites and minorities, young and old and even the ones that appear to be normal and the ones that obviously seem disturbed. Him running into the office of a magazine he works for with a deadline paper in hand and being thought to be a burglar is also something he attributes to his race; "Black men trade tales like this all the time" (para10). He fails to make a paralleling scene in which a white man is running into the office of a...
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...Pre-Reflective Xenophobia Xenophobia is a fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners or of anything that is strange or alien. Pre-reflective gut racism is basically xenophobia, but it is xenophobia of a group or person that you have never came in contact with. Many people, especially people from a segregated community or a community with little cultural influence from outside or someone who has not spent time with people from other social groups, have Pre-reflective gut racism. A good example would be a small town in the middle of nowhere where they have never left would tend to have more Pre-reflective gut racism. Pre-reflective gut racism is also used in stereotypes against other people, for example "All catholic priests are child molesters." many people that say this have probably not even met a catholic priests and have made an assumption. It is often associated with the unknown because people have no experience with something new, so they automatically fear it. Pre-reflective gut racism is one of the most common racisms, and it is usually the first kind of racism one will have. Examples of Pre-reflective gut racism that I have experienced because I am from California have been "Do most people surf, do you surf?" "So you're a liberal". Hollywood makes California look like a place of beaches college parties, surfers, and money. The media does a great job of promoting racism because most people see it on the news so much. If they see a black person rob a store they start...
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...The American drama film, “Crash”, which is co-written, produced and directed by Paul Haggis, highlights many social psychology concepts. One of such concepts is stereotypes. Stereotypes as term by Baron, Branscombe and Bryne (2006), refer to the beliefs about social groups in terms of the traits or characteristics that they are deemed to share. Stereotypes are cognitive frameworks that influence the processing of social information (p.571). In the movie, stereotypes which are distinctively directed towards race are evident. The Whites and Persians all created stereotypes based on race; thus, the aim of the paper is to discuss how this social psychology concept is illustrated in the movie. Firstly, stereotype is evident in the scene where the Persian man (Farhad), along with his daughter, visits a shop with the intention of purchasing a firearm. The owner of the shop, a white Caucasian, refuses to sell the Farhad the gun and assumes he is an Arab. The shop owner goes as far as to theorize that Farhad may even be a terrorist; this is evident when the shop owner states: “Yo Osama, play the jihad on your own time”. When Farhad tries to declare that he is Persian, he is thrown out of the store by the security. In this scene, Farhad is being stereotyped because of his accent and the fact that he does not speak English well, but in fact, Farhad is only interested in having a gun for his safety. In addition to the encounter with the shop owner at the gun store, Farhad is once again...
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...The reinvention of the new “Orient Woman” According to Said, “Oritentalism”, the colonial stereotype is a complex and contradictory process. It arises due to the fear of miscegenation, yet the “other” is prefigured as being simultaneously an object of fear and desire. The “other”, on one hand, a subject of suppressed, disgust and discrimination, the other, it is a dream, fantasy, obsessions and desire. Therefore, it is fair to infer that the Orient is not a property of bodies or something originally existent in human beings; rather it is the social construct. Specifically, it is the product of the society’s dominant class – the Whites, the master- narrative. Racial differences have been used as a basis for racial stereotypes, for instance the White “norm” versus Non-white people. It is clear that racial identity is marked on skin. It is undeniable that some stereotypes do/might have a basis of truth, however such stereotypes do not take into the account of differences among the Orient. It is out of fear and apprehensiveness that lead to the birth of such unjust stereotypes, the film “Memoirs of a Geisha” directed by Rob Marshall highlights the irony of the stereotypes resulting in fragmentations of identity. “Memoirs of a Geisha” (Marshall, 2005) offers an interesting twist to our typical story-telling, the women are no longer silenced, and the story is told through the voice of a woman (though written by a male...
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...The Consequences of Stereotypes A stereotype is “...a fixed, over generalized belief about a particular group or class of people.” (Cardwell, 1996). People stereotypes based on the environment they were raised in and the situations they have been put in. Another disadvantage is after prejudging someone you will make generalizations about more people in or out of their community. The consequences to stereotyping can be missing out on opportunities and relationships that could benefit you later in life. The positive side to stereotyping is that it will allow you to act rapidly in certain situations that might be harmful to one life. Stereotypes are assumptions based on different races and backgrounds, however. Gender stereotypes also exist. For example, it is stereotypical for men to say that women can’t drive, like wise it is stereotypical for women to say men don’t show their emotions. Most Stereotypes are false, due to the lack of inside knowledge. If one is not a part of that community than they will assume certain characteristics about that race. Sexual orientation stereotypes are also common. These stereotypes occur when you have negative views on gays, lesbians, and transgender individuals. People who have these negative views are usually known to be homophobic. A common stereotype about gay people is that they are all hostile. Even if the...
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...Stereotype threat affects many people in many different ways. Social Psychology defines Stereotype threat “is a disruptive concern, when facing a negative stereotype, that one will be evaluated based on a negative stereotype. Unlike self-fulfilling prophecies that hammer one’s self –concept, stereotype threat situations have immediate effects ” The effects of stereotype threat are advanced because of the self-fulfilling prophecies that many different races, sexes or even religions fall into the effects of. Stereotype threat plays amongst different groups, and the effects that may cause a different reaction otherwise if not being associated with that group, self -fulfilling prophecies can be the consequence. In some situations Stereotype threat can be a subconscious thought, but for some situations or people if they believe a stereotype and circum to it simply without even trying, that is the self -fulfilling prophecy that is placed on oneself. Stereotype threat can be implanted in us by certain words and attitudes that are associated with certain groups of people. It has been studied more over the years of the different ways that stereotype threat plays a role in certain groups and the consequences that it has. Research was originally centered on race and how it has caused underachievement among African Americans. In recent research it has been broadened to show this threat in many different areas that can affect almost all people in some way. Options that can be used to minimize...
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...mother of two sons. She was once employed at the Whitehouse for President Gerald R. Ford. She held a prominent position as the first female “advance man”. The defined position is “A man who travels ahead to arrange the details of scheduling, publicity, security, and other matters connected with a trip or public appearance, especially one to be made by a politician or dignitary”. Mary Fisher gave her “A Whisper of Aids “speech on August 19, 1992 at the Republican National Convention at the Astrodome in Houston, TX. That day she did not stand in front of her audience to speak for the Republican Party or for any advance man duties. She stood there that day as an HIV positive victim. An Aids victim that did not fit the profile of the stereotype. Behind the podium she voiced awareness through compassion. She wanted to erase stereo type and raise concern. She clearly states the reason for her rhetoric in her plea,” Set aside prejudice and politics to make room for compassion and sound policy.” Mary Fisher in her speech persuasively and successfully used appeals to achieve interest and concern to the rise of the Aids epidemic. Mary Fisher and her personal testimony of an HIV victim offered purpose and authority to speak of the subject. The use of Ethos is seen in her first few sentences. She states “I want your attention not your applause”. Coming clean about her motive. Her testimony also creates ethos in establishing trust of character by her personal revelation of her disease...
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...as more feminine. Sixty nine individuals participated in our study. They were randomly assigned to read a scenario about either CEO, department manager or an entry level female and rate the female facial expression provided. Seven different emotions were rated which included disgust, anger, fear, happiness, neutral, sadness and surprise, on a seven-point Likert-type scale. After data was collected, perceived emotional intensity was measured and analyzed using a total feminine emotion score. Results showed that there was no difference in perceived emotional intensity based occupation level or gender of participant. These findings suggest that social roles are not a factor in perceived emotion level within a target; however future research should use a measure that equally describes both masculine stereotyped emotions and feminine stereotyped emotions. Keywords: perception, facial expressions, stereotypes, emotional expressions. The Effect of Social Role on Gender Specific Emotion Perception Facial expressions and the emotions they incite are the most powerful form of nonverbal communication (Algoe, Buswell & DeLameter, 2000). Emotions such as happiness, sadness, fear, anger and disgust are interpreted through our facial expressions and relate to others our degree of approachability, confidence, and nurturance. Research suggests...
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...Definition | Stereotypes | unreliable, exaggerated generalizationsabout all members of a group that donot take individual differences intoaccount | Prejudice | is most often used to refer to preconceived judgments toward people or a person because of race/ethnicity, gender, social class, age, disability, religion, sexuality, nationality or other personal characteristics. It can also refer to unfounded beliefs and may include "any unreasonable attitude that is unusually resistant to rational influence. | Labeling theory | a sociological approach introducedby Howard Becker that attempts toexplain why certain people are viewedas deviants and others engaging in thesame behavior are not | Part II Select three of the identity categories below and name or describe at least 3 related stereotypes for each: * Race * Ethnicity * Religion * Gender * Sexual orientation * Age * Disability Category | Stereotype 1 | Stereotype 2 | Stereotype 3 | Race | All Afro American can play basketball | White cannot dance | All Hispanics can speak English | Religion | all Muslims are terrorists. | All Catholic Priests molest boys | Christians are brainwashed | Gender Male | Is to be the financial provider | He is also to be assertive, competitive, independent, courageous, and career-focused. | Hold his emotions in check; and always initiate sex. | Part III Answer each question in 100 to 150 words related to those stereotypes: * What...
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...What is a stereotype? Stereotypes that I am aware of are cultural, groups of individuals, sexual stereotypes, and men vs. women. “The definition of a stereotype is any commonly known public belief about a certain social group or a type of individual. Stereotypes are often confused with prejudices, because, like prejudices, a stereotype is based on a prior assumption. Stereotypes are often created about people of specific cultures or races. Almost every culture or race has a stereotype, including Jewish people, Blacks, Irish people, and Polish people, among others. Stereotypes are not just centered on different races and backgrounds, however. Gender stereotypes also exist. For example, if you say that men are better than women, you’re stereotyping all men and all women. If you say that all women like to cook, you are stereotyping women. Sexual orientation stereotypes are also common. These stereotypes occur when you have negative views on gays, lesbians, and transgender individuals. People who have these negative views are often known as homophobic (Stereotype Examples)”. Our concerns of people that are different from us would be: are these people okay to be around, will they attempt to hurt me if I wear this color, what is their motive or way of thinking, people who wear their pants below their butts are gangsters, and etc.. I find myself curious of other people’s identities that are from a different culture because I always ask myself "how differently were they raised by their...
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...witchcraft] in the court records” (Brooks, 2016, para. 5). Abigail, the one making accusations against townspeople, chose her first target wisely, picking on someone who could potentially be a likely offender based on stereotypes. Not only does this attest cunningness of Abigal, this also is an example of stereotyping, as exhibited through characters in The Crucible. In the McCarthy Era, one of the biggest stereotypes was that all celebrities had ties with the communist regime. As a result, at least 50 people, consisting of directors, writers, and actors were blacklisted between 1946 and 1960 (Nscivoletto, 2015, para. 1). Dozens of celebrities lost their jobs and had their names ruined because stereotypes and false assumptions were taken as facts. Radical religious stereotypes and the labeling of terrorists is most common today. As stated in a lawsuit, filed by a business was devastated after an accusation, “the only thing worse in this day and age than being labeled a terrorist is being wrongly labeled a terrorist” (Omand, 2016, para. 3). Based on terrorist attacks of radical groups, Muslims face this mislabeling and stereotyping often. Although the assumptions and stereotypes are not true, the wrongdoings of a small group quickly gives way for negative stereotypes to be turned into...
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...wanted a better life for him so we took him out to breakfast one morning at the Ihop nearby our house. After we ordered our food, he went to the restroom as everyone moved out of his way with his purple bandanas showing to represent his gang. An older lady came up to my mom and I and asked if we were ok and if he was with us with a startled face. Right then and there I realized society makes bold stereotypes off of appearance and race. In the two articles “Hip Hop Planet” and “Black Men and Public Space” society stereotypes identity by appearance and race. The authors in both articles explain their thoughts on appearance and race. Brent Staples in “Black Men and Public Space” feels appearance is a strong way for society to judge people. Also he states that more black males cause fear in people than any other race. James McBride actually states his fear is his daughter marrying a rapper with gold teeth and a do-rag. He also says hip-hop in New York started from black males in Harlem and the Bronx. Brent displays his experiences on the streets to show that society stereotypes race and appearance. Staples states, “At dark shadowy intersections, I could cross in front of a car stopped at a traffic light and elicit the thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk, of the driver- black, white, male, or female- hammering down the door locks. […] I grew accustomed but never comfortable with people crossing to the other side of the street rather than pass me.” This quote possesses Brent Staples’...
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...maintain their status, income, recourses, the ability to make decisions, etc. Racism empowers some and disempowers others. Even though we have seen the down side of racism, it is something we continue to repeat from country to country and decade to decade because we know it works to maintain power. Despite all the advances society has seen in research, knowledge and technology, mankind has not been able to abolish racism. Therefore, in spite of our understanding of the psychological and physical dangers of racism on a broad scale, humans are inherently power hungry and use racism to perpetuates a hierarchy in society. Secondary Research Racial Stereotypes A stereotype is a false belief about a group of people based on a specific attribute such as skin colour, ethnicity, gender, etc. One author, Louise McEwan, defines stereotypes in her...
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