Social Biases

Social Biases Paper

Jamaica R. Webster

Social Psychology/PSYCH 555

July 04, 2011

Dr. Belinda Newcomer, PhD, LMHC

Social Biases

In today’s society one questions how do people gather social biases?  A social bias occurs when one has a prejudiced attitude toward a specific group, race, sex, or religion.  In this paper one will define the concept of prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination.  One will also explain the differences between subtle and blatant bias.  One will also provide a description of the impact of biases on the lives of individuals.  One will evaluate at least two strategies that can be used to overcome social biases.

Concept of Social Bias

Social biases reflect as an issue in society because it entails one group looking down on an individual or a group of individuals because that particular group believes to be superior to the other individual or group.  Social biases can be detrimental as well as hinder communication among people (Fiske, 2010).  “Just as aggression research reveals the basic social psychology of processes that can prove deadly, the research on bias reveals processes that are demonstrably unhealthy and sometimes deadly for both agents and targets of bias” (Fiske, 2010, p. 428).  When an individual displays his or her attitude or behavior influenced by a specific judgment this can be biased.  It is possible for one to not know that he or she is bias because one can be biases and not be aware of it.  Bias can be described as the way one think about and view something.  “Collectively, stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination all are biases because treating the individual as an exact representation of the group is never accurate” (Fiske, 2010, p. 430).  

The Concept of Prejudice, Stereotyping, and Discrimination

        Prejudice is one’s attitude or beliefs toward a specific individual or a group, designed on the sources of his or her involvement in that group (Fiske, 2010).  When people do not have factual information about a group in which, he or she does not belong, stereotypes are created based on these omissions.  Lack of factual information may lead to one being treated in a discriminatory way.   The most common types of prejudice are those based on race, gender, sexual orientation, and disability.  According to Renata, racial prejudice and discrimination can transpire in various ways.  Normally when one think about racism, one think of one race being less inferior to others (2011).  For example, Caucasians are superior to people of color.  Prejudice based on sex or sexism contains the certainty that one sex is essentially greater than the other; normally men are said to be better than women and deserves more power.  For example, prejudice in the workforce is that men are more intelligent than woman and should hold better positions.  “Since heterosexuality is considered superior to homosexuality, stereotypes about homosexuals persist.  These stereotypes can lead to prejudice and discrimination” (Renata,  2011, para. 4).  For example, a hate crime is committed against someone who is gay.  Ableism is one discriminating against or mistreating individuals with disabilities.  For example, an employer does not hire someone because he or she is disabling and is dependent on a wheelchair.

Stereotyping

        Stereotyping involves applying negativity to one’s perceptive probabilities and relations about the group in which one is involved (Fiske, 2010).  When one stereotypes he or she expresses his or her beliefs that he or she has pre-judged about another without knowing him or her in depth.  Stereotypes can lead to prejudice and misleading assumptions about a group of people.  From a practical viewpoint, stereotypes justify (or rationalize) our sentimental and interactive responses to the category (Jost & Major, 2001).  For example, if a group of individuals are grouped, and a judgment is made about them without knowledge this is considered as stereotyping.

Discrimination

        Discrimination is one acting on the basis of one’s stereotypes and prejudices, denying fairness of treatment that one may desire (Fiske, 2010).  Discrimination is a combination of prejudice and stereotypes, but the involvement of unfair treatment takes place toward a person or a group of people.  To discriminate is to deny one or a group of an opportunity or equal rights.  Discrimination can be toward any person or group of people.  For example, one sees a crowd of teenage boys walking down the street appearing to be arguing so a store owner denies them to come in his or her store.  In actuality the group of child just left choir practice and was singing a new song.  

Differences between Subtle and Blatant Bias

“Most people hold prejudices that are subtler than the kinds of blatant prejudices we usually imagine.  Subtle prejudice is cool and indirect.  The culture and its norms promote subtle prejudice, which is more cognitively cool and indirect that blatant bias, which is more emotionally hot and direct, covered later” (Fiske, 2010, p. 437).  Blatant bias accentuates belonging and scheming other than the last purposes.  According to Fiske, “Belonging surfaces via in group identity and status concerns, whereas controlling surfaces via concerns about resources held by the ingroup.  In all of this, people strive to feel good about themselves as a group” (2010, p. 458).