6.1 Defining and distinguishing prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination

Prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination are interconnected concepts that shape social interactions and societal structures. These biases, both conscious and unconscious, influence how we perceive and treat others based on group membership.

Understanding these concepts is crucial for recognizing and addressing inequalities. By examining the roots of prejudice and stereotypes, we can work towards creating more inclusive environments and combating discrimination in various aspects of life.

Understanding Bias

Types of Bias

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• Implicit bias refers to unconscious attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions
  • Operates outside of conscious awareness and control (hiring managers may unconsciously prefer candidates who are similar to themselves)
• Explicit bias involves conscious attitudes or beliefs we have about a person or group on a conscious level
  • Overt and intentional (openly stating a preference for one group over another in a job posting)
• Cognitive bias describes systematic errors in thinking that impact judgments and decisions
  • Includes confirmation bias (seeking information that confirms preexisting beliefs) and availability heuristic (overestimating the importance of readily available information)

In-Group and Out-Group Bias

• In-group favoritism involves favoring and preferring members of one's own group over those in other groups
  • Leads to preferential treatment, empathy, and allocation of resources to in-group members (supporting and promoting colleagues from the same alma mater)
• Out-group derogation involves holding negative attitudes and beliefs towards those outside one's own group
  • Results in negative treatment, prejudice, and discrimination against out-group members (assuming an employee is less qualified because they are of a different race or ethnicity)

Prejudice and Stereotypes

Prejudice

• Prejudice refers to a preconceived opinion or attitude toward a person or group that is not based on reason or actual experience
  • Often negative and directed towards a particular race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation
  • Can lead to discrimination and unjust treatment (avoiding interactions with colleagues of a certain race due to prejudiced beliefs)
• Prejudice can be conscious (explicit) or unconscious (implicit)
  • Conscious prejudice is intentional and overt (stating that members of a particular group are inferior)
  • Unconscious prejudice operates outside of awareness (unknowingly acting less friendly towards members of a certain group)

Stereotypes

• A stereotype is a widely held but oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or group
  • Often based on characteristics such as race, gender, age, or religion (assuming all members of a particular race are good at math)
• Stereotypes can be positive or negative
  • Positive stereotypes ascribe favorable traits to a group (Asians are naturally intelligent)
  • Negative stereotypes attribute unfavorable characteristics (Muslims are terrorists)
• Stereotypes are harmful because they fail to account for individual differences and lead to prejudice and discrimination

Discrimination

Understanding Discrimination

• Discrimination involves acting on prejudiced attitudes or stereotyped beliefs to treat people unjustly or unfairly
  • Encompasses behaviors and actions that create disparities and disadvantages for particular groups
• Discrimination can occur at individual, institutional, or systemic levels
  • Individual discrimination involves one person discriminating against another (a manager not hiring a qualified candidate because of their race)
  • Institutional discrimination refers to policies or practices that create disparate impacts for certain groups (a company's hiring practices consistently excluding women)
  • Systemic discrimination describes inequities and injustices embedded within social structures and systems (racial disparities in incarceration rates due to biased policing and sentencing)
• Discrimination can be based on various characteristics such as race, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, or disability status
  • Results in unequal opportunities, treatment, and outcomes for marginalized groups (LGBTQ+ individuals facing housing and employment discrimination)