STEREOTYPES AND PREJUDICES
Our identity is not defined just by this how we perceive ourselves, but also how others perceive us.
To make it easier to understand reality we use mechanism of categorization, which allow us to gather different experiences into the groups according to some common characteristics. That’ s the way in which simplified images of the experiences are born. Categorization is functional and adaptive mechanism, which provide us with capability to process great deal of information and make our meeting with reality simplier.
As any other experiences, our experiences with other people also are under the influence of categorization. We put other people into groups, which are diverse in-between themselves by some characteristics.
This simplified pictures we call stereotypes. By being simplified, they are more or less wrong, but in whole, they help us to have stabile and predictable picture of the world and make our coping with reality easier.
It should be noticed that stereotypes are always simplified in the same manner – they are partial, they always show »us« as better then »them«. Psychological need of people for self-respect makes us to see our group as better then other groups of people.
Stereotypes can be defined as simplified thoughts and mental generalizations of some group of people when we assume that all individuals in that group have same characteristics (stereotypes can be both –positive or negative).
Prejudice are stereotypes + emotions. They also can be positive or negative, but we often use this word to describe strong negative emotions towards some group of people.
Stereotypes and prejudges are part of socialization and they are made in very early periods in our lives by the influnce of family, friends, media etc. We often adopt them on unconscious level and they often act unconsciously, which make them difficult to change.
Discrimination is prejudice in action. When we have negative stereotype towards some group, and have negative emotions, then if we got power it is very likely that we’ll discriminate that group of people on many ways.
Tool details: Wall of prejudice
| Tool details | |
| Title | Wall of prejudice |
| Aim (what for?) | To introduce concepts of stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination; to make a difference within those concepts; to meet your own prejudices and stereotypes |
| Group (whom for?) | from 15 – 25 people |
| Material needed | flipchart paper (or any 10 big blank, wall papers), pens |
| Duration | 45 min |
| Description | You have on the wall 10 white papers with titles. Titles are different groups of people, made on different criteria. Your task will be to approach all the papers and to write down one or two characteristic for that group of people. It is your first association – do not overthink this exercise! Do not think about it at all if you can, try to do this as fast as you can. Don’t read other things that are written, we’ll have time to read them. This is silent game, so please don’t discuss and comment nothing while you are doing this. When you are finished, please sit down, just to see how many of you have finished. You can start. Groups of people, examples (written on the papers, wall)(try to avoid groups of people to whom participants belong): Politicians Japanese Artists Football players NGO activists Women English people Drug addicted people Chinese Yoga practitioners The trainer reads all the papers afterwards. Sharing and discussion: What we have now on the walls? Discussion what stereotypes are, what are prejudices, what is discrimination. Giving handout about stereotypes.
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