11.4 Prejudice, Discrimination, and Racism
Jennifer Puentes and Nora Karena
It is important to learn about stereotypes before discussing the terms prejudice, discrimination, and racism, which are often used interchangeably in everyday conversation. Stereotypes are oversimplified generalizations about groups of people. Stereotypes can be based on race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation—almost any characteristic. They may be positive (usually about one’s group) but are often negative (usually toward other groups, such as when members of a dominant racial group suggest that a subordinate racial group is stupid or lazy). In either case, the stereotype is a generalization that doesn’t take individual differences into account.
Where do stereotypes come from? New stereotypes are rarely created; rather, they are recycled from subordinate groups that have integrated into dominant society and are reused to describe newly subordinate groups. For example, many stereotypes that are currently used to characterize new immigrants were previously used to characterize Irish and Eastern European immigrants.
Prejudice
Prejudice refers to the beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and attitudes someone holds about a group. A prejudice is not based on personal experience; instead, it is a prejudgment originating outside one’s experience. Recall from Chapter 7 that the criminalization of marijuana was based on anti-immigrant sentiment. Proponents used fictional, fear-instilling stories and rampant immoral and illegal activities to justify new laws and harsh treatment of people who used marijuana. Many people who supported criminalizing marijuana had never met any of the new immigrants who were rumored to use it; the ideas were based on prejudice.
While prejudice is based on beliefs outside of experience, experience can lead people to feel that their prejudice is confirmed or justified. This is a type of confirmation bias. For example, if someone is taught to believe that a certain ethnic group has negative attributes, every negative act committed by someone in that group can be seen as confirming the prejudice. Even a minor social offense, such as crossing the street outside the crosswalk or talking too loudly on a bus, could confirm the prejudice.
Prejudice—as well as the stereotypes that lead to it and the discrimination that stems from it—is most often taught and learned. The teaching may take many forms, from direct instruction and indoctrination to observation and socialization. Movies, books, charismatic speakers, and even a desire to impress others can all support the development of prejudices.
Discrimination
While prejudice refers to biased thinking, discrimination consists of actions against a group of people. Discrimination can be based on race, ethnicity, age, religion, health, and other categories. It can take many forms, from unfair housing practices such as redlining to biased hiring systems. Overt discrimination has long been part of United States history