Stereotypes and social identity work together to keep prejudice alive. Let’s break it down:
Grouping: People naturally like to sort themselves and others into groups. We often think in terms of “us” versus “them.” This idea comes from something called Social Identity Theory, which says we get part of our self-worth from the groups we belong to.
Stereotypes: After we’ve grouped ourselves, we start to adopt stereotypes about those outside our group. This means we can have biased views, seeing individuals only through the narrow ideas linked to these stereotypes.
Favoring Our Group: We usually like our own group more. This can strengthen stereotypes about those in other groups. This kind of thinking makes us feel superior and can lead to unfair treatment of others.
Conflict Over Resources: When we think there isn’t enough to go around, groups compete with each other more. This can make negative stereotypes and prejudice even worse.
In short, it creates a cycle: negative stereotypes boost social identity, which then strengthens prejudice. This makes it really hard to break free from these harmful beliefs.
Stereotypes and social identity work together to keep prejudice alive. Let’s break it down:
Grouping: People naturally like to sort themselves and others into groups. We often think in terms of “us” versus “them.” This idea comes from something called Social Identity Theory, which says we get part of our self-worth from the groups we belong to.
Stereotypes: After we’ve grouped ourselves, we start to adopt stereotypes about those outside our group. This means we can have biased views, seeing individuals only through the narrow ideas linked to these stereotypes.
Favoring Our Group: We usually like our own group more. This can strengthen stereotypes about those in other groups. This kind of thinking makes us feel superior and can lead to unfair treatment of others.
Conflict Over Resources: When we think there isn’t enough to go around, groups compete with each other more. This can make negative stereotypes and prejudice even worse.
In short, it creates a cycle: negative stereotypes boost social identity, which then strengthens prejudice. This makes it really hard to break free from these harmful beliefs.