Theories of Prejudice

Theories of Prejudice

According to the textbook; "Prejudice is a rigid and unfair generalization about an entire category of people" (Prentice-Hall, p. 284, 2006). In other words prejudice is basically a prejudgment about people before having any adequate knowledge of the people in question; such as being against a race, social class of people, someone's gender, even their ethnicity, it could be anything. Some people are even prejudice over being homeless, being elderly or disabled, even over people who are obese, plus there is religious prejudice as well as sexual orientation.

What is Race is defined as classification of humans as well as being defined by ethnicity. Ethnicity is basically classified as people who can identify with each other, through their common heritage. Both of these words are identifiable through many of the same things such as common language or religion but are not limited to these things. To fully understand race and ethnicity people refer to groups of people who have differences and similarities in biological traits deemed by society to be socially significant. Ethnicity refers to the shared cultural practices of the people within that race as well as within the region they come from.

Racial /Ethnic Prejudice affects people as well as populations all over the United States as well as throughout other countries. In other words it is like an infectious disease that spreads like wild fire. According to the Popular Issues website "It is diagnosed by the cataloguing of its various symptoms and manifestations which include fear, intolerance, preparation, segregation, discrimination, and hatred" (Racial Prejudice-Discrimination 2002-2011). There is one main underlying cause of someone being prejudice and that is complete ignorance. Unfortunately this is a growing social disease because if there are differences there will always be fear as well as intolerance and major injustice.

Scapegoat Theory is when people or groups of people basically do not like themselves and will not blame themselves for their own problem. Therefore these individuals or groups of people will blame other people. Example of scapegoat could be since the economy has fallen and jobs are scarce some people say it is due to the Mexican's coming in a taking their jobs by working for less pay (this is heard everywhere here in Oregon). Ok so they work for less money so what and technically their Nationality is Hispanic and most people who come to this country want a better life. The way I look at this situation is that when they move here to make a better life for themselves. The people who are complaining would not do the type of work that these citizens are doing such as landscaping and construction. Most people feel that if the job is beneath their pay grade then no one should do it but what it really comes down to is that the people who move to the United States will do whatever it takes to provide for their family. So this type of theory is everywhere everyday and all the time.

Authoritarian Personality Theory is basically a psychodynamic theory which treats prejudice as a personality disorder since this basically develops within people who have Authoritarian Personality Syndrome. "This means that these individuals would have hostility as well as they can have a