Invitation to Psychology

ChapteR 10 Behavior in Social and Cultural Context 365

Mr. Y: But a recent study shows that the percentage

of Jews in the banking business is negligible, far

smaller than the percentage of non-Jews.

Mr. X: That’s just it; they don’t go in for respect-

able business; they are only in the movie busi-

ness or run night clubs.

Notice that Mr. X doesn’t even try to respond

to Mr. Y’s evidence; he just moves along to

another reason for his dislike of Jews. That is the

slippery nature of prejudice. Indeed, many of the

stereotypes underlying anti-Semitism are mutu-

ally contradictory and constantly shift across gen-

erations and nations. Jews were attacked for being

Communists in Nazi Germany and Argentina,

and for being greedy capitalists in the Communist

Soviet Union. They have been criticized for being

too secular and also for being too mystical, for

being weak and also for being powerful enough

to dominate the world. Although anti-Semitism

declined in the 50 years after World War II, it

has been on the rise again in the United States,

Europe, the Middle East, and around the world

(Cohen et al., 2009).

The Origins of Prejudice LO 10.16

Prejudice provides the fuel for ethnocentrism. Its

specific targets change, but it persists everywhere

in some form because it has so many sources and

functions: psychological, social, economic, and

cultural.

Recite & Review

Recite: Do you have a positive or a negative stereotype of quizzes yet? Say aloud what you know

about social identities, ethnic identity, acculturation, ethnocentrism, and stereotypes.

Review: Next, read this section again.

Now take this Quick Quiz:

1. Frank, a black college student, has to decide between living in a dorm with mostly white stu-
   dents who share his interest in science, or living in a dorm with other black students who are
   studying the history and contributions of African culture. The first choice values
   whereas the second values.


2. John knows and likes the Chicano minority in his town, but he privately believes that Anglo cul-
   ture is superior to all others. His belief is evidence of his _____.


3. What strategy does the Robbers Cave study suggest for reducing us–them thinking and hostil-
   ity between groups?


4. What are three ways in which stereotypes can distort reality?
   Answers:

Study and Review at MyPsychLab

They exaggerate 4. interdependence in reaching mutual goals3. ethnocentrism2. acculturation, ethnic identity1.

• the stereowithin differences between groups; they produce selective perception; and they underestimate differences

typed group.

You are about to learn...

• four primary causes and functions of prejudice.

• four indirect ways of measuring prejudice.

• four conditions necessary for reducing
prejudice and conflict.

prejudice and Group

Conflict

A prejudice consists of a negative stereotype and a
strong, unreasonable dislike or hatred of a group.
A central feature of a prejudice is that it remains
immune to evidence. In his classic book The
Nature of Prejudice, Gordon Allport (1954/1979)
described the responses characteristic of a preju-
diced person when confronted with evidence con-
tradicting his or her beliefs:

Mr. X: The trouble with Jews is that they only take
care of their own group.

Mr. Y: But the record of the Community Chest
campaign shows that they give more generously,
in proportion to their numbers, to the general
charities of the community, than do non-Jews.

Mr. X: That shows they are always trying to buy
favor and intrude into Christian affairs. They
think of nothing but money; that is why there
are so many Jewish bankers.

prejudice A strong,

unreasonable dislike or

hatred of a group, based

on a negative stereotype.