ChapteR 10 Behavior in Social and Cultural Context 367In times of war, most people fall victim to emotional reasoning about the enemy. They start thinking of “them” as
aggressors who are less than human, often as monsters, rats, or pigs. All nations do this. Americans depicted the
German enemy in World War I as a “mad brute,” and anti-U.S. protesters in Iran portrayed the American icon of
liberty as a purveyor of war and death.
Get Involved! Probing Your Prejudices
Are you prejudiced? No? Is there any group of people you dislike because of their gender, ethnicity, sexual
orientation, nationality, religion, physical appearance, or political views? How about old people, the one
target of prejudice that we all eventually join if we live long enough? Write down your deepest thoughts and
feelings about this group. Take as long as you want, and do not censor yourself or say what you think you
ought to say. Now reread what you have written. Which of the sources of prejudice discussed in the text
might be contributing to your views? Do you feel that your attitudes toward the group are legitimate, or are
you uncomfortable about having them?feelings and discriminatory behavior may lie dor-
mant during good times, only to be easily aroused
during economic bad times.
Research on prejudice must also take into
account that not all prejudiced people are preju-
diced in the same way or to the same extent.
Suppose that Raymond wishes to be tolerant and
open-minded, but he
grew up in a small
homogeneous com-
munity and feels
uncomfortable with
members of other
cultural and reli-
gious groups. Should we put Raymond in the
same category as Rupert, an outspoken white
supremacist? Do good intentions count? What
if Raymond knows nothing about Muslims and
mindlessly blurts out a remark that reveals his
ignorance? Is that prejudice or thoughtlessness?heathens, baby killers, or monsters—anything but
human beings like us.
Defining and Measuring
Prejudice LO 10.17
With the historic election in 2008 of Barack
Obama as the nation’s first black president, and
with women serving in high levels of govern-
ment, many people assumed that the worst forms
of racism and sexism in the United States were
ending. Indeed, the numbers of people who admit
to believing that blacks are inferior to whites,
women inferior to men, and gays inferior to
straights have been steadily dropping over the
past 65 years, especially among young people
(Weaver, 2008). But in 2012, white prejudice
toward blacks and other minorities began rising
significantly again. That is why prejudice is like
a weasel, hard to grasp and hold on to. Negative
Thinking
CriTiCally
About Defining Prejudice