Social categorization theory developed by Turner (1978) describes the categorization of people based on salient attributes like gender, ethnicity or age, resulting in stereotyping on the basis of these differences. Social categorization theory posits that similarities and dissimilarities of demographics can lead formation of different group with resulting effects on member of in-group favorably themselves to the detriment of members of out-groups social (Turner, Brown & Tajfel, 1979).
Self-categorization theory explains when individuals categorize themselves by assigning to themselves the manners, actions and other characteristics they link with association within a specific group (Schmitt, Branscombe, Silvia, Garcia, & Spears. 2016). By means of self-categorization and membership of a group, people cultivate a social identity that functions as a social-cognitive scheme (customs, standards and attitudes) for their group associated action. The tendency is for the perceiver to consider these attributes as vital to his or her own personality and thus use these attributes to label others (Hoffman Harburg, & Maier, 2014). Some vital end results of social identity and self categorization include stereotyping, prejudice and conflict (Tajfe & Turner, 2004). That is, as the identity groups engage in in-group, the out-group members are likely to be discriminated. The formation of sub-groups (“us” versus “them”) within an organization due to demographics diversity may pose
As a group, mostly all of our thoughts and opinions were similar when discussing the topic of this paper; which was diversity and ethnocentrism. After reading the first section "In Group Bias", we all agreed that prejudice will arise when different communities are put together. This is simply because people tend to stick together based on their culture, religion, or lifestyle. Natalie mentioned that preferences for an alike group are based on everyone's upbringing; which happens to be the topic of the next section "Questions about Race in Biology and Upbringing". Concerning this section, we realized that multiracial children are often times placed into categories that they do not fully identify with, but they are obligated to identify as because it is how they make friends or meet new kids.
Moreover, in today’s society still exist many stereotypes such as the athlete and the nerd. These stereotypes classifies the individuals involved in social groups that excludes any other that does not act
The need for categorization resulted to race being defined in institutional contexts such as “a group of people who perceive themselves and are perceived by others as possessing distinctive hereditary traits” (Ore, 2014, p.9). With this definition, it becomes easier to group individuals in limited categories, such as by their color. What is important to note is the attached perceptions and assumptions based on one’s racial background; this constitutes the social construct of race. As Ore (2014) explains, we do not create these assumptions due to their biological factors as individual people, but rather as social factors. Social construction of race goes all the way back to when the person is born.
Spread of negative stereotypes Negative stereotypes have been created by us, as a society, we have allowed ourselves to live with this misconceptions that impact all of us in a certain way. We have contributed to those beliefs that say that social status, income class and ethnicity define our identity. In fact, we have been and also have prejudged others at a certain point in our lives, we prejudge people we don’t know and also the ones we think we know like our own family members. In “The Achievement of Desire” by Richard Rodriguez he discusses his personal experience on how he stereotyped himself and also his family.
If a person does not act like a stereotypical member of their group, then society cannot place a stereotypical label on them, thus throwing a wrench in the racial categories that society relies on to rank people. If society cannot easily identify a person’s race, it begins to not only define them without the biracial person’s input, but also label them with derogatory
The Racial formation theory has its basis on the assumption that race of an individual is an identity that is socially constructed. As per the paradigms of this theory, the content and significance associated with racial categories are found to be determined in terms of political, social and economic forces. In the context of the society of the United States, the concept of race is found to be used in order to indicate the physical differences that exist between people as well as to signify the perceived and actual economic, behavioural and cultural differences that exist between people (Omi and Winant, 2014). In the early 19th century, the United States faced a major change due to the immigration of the Irish.
Society is structured so that the association of normality goes to the diffuse status characteristics of: white, man, heterosexual, and masculine. From a Symbolic Interactionist perspective, the expectations of people based on the stereotypes constructed by people of that particular society create a process of socialization where individuals are categorized and analyzed based on the norms of that society. The classifications of what is and is not normal for a category has created norms of how people should look, behave, think, feel, and even influences how they identify themselves. This process of classification negatively impacts the psychological aspect of many people’s health. Two of the largest aspects of psychology altered by categorization
The Unfavorable Offspring of the Humanistic Tendency to Form Bonds In the article “It Takes a Tribe,” David Berreby utilizes the example of students’ immediate college loyalty to claim that humans identify with groups because they desire to have a sense of belonging. In the article “ ‘Blaxicans’ and Other Reinvented Americans,” Richard Rodriguez talks about categorization by race to claim that Americans, in particular, feel the need to be in separate, defined classes. Berreby and Rodriguez emphasize different effects of humans’ natural tendency to classify themselves. Berreby focuses on the formation of opposition between groups while Rodriguez focuses on the formation of false perceptions of groups.
While reading both the Tressie McMillan’s essay “The Logic of Stupid Poor People” and Scott Russell Sanders essay “The Men we Carry in our Mind”, I thought about the social identity (us-them) theory which states that we have all divided the world into an "us" and a "them"; a root for all stereotyping and prejudice present throughout society. The "us" is one's view of an in-group and the "them" are the out-group. When we split society into these two organizations, the in-group begins to discriminate against the out-group leading, inherently, to stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination. This is clearly present throughout the two essays in that McMillan was taught that she was part of “them” and in order for her and her family to be more accepted
They put people into social groups divided into in-group or out-group i.e. us versus them through a process of social categorization. Social identity theory states that group members of an in-group will discriminate and hold prejudiced views against others in the out-group in order to enhance their self-esteem. Social identification is relational and comparative because people define themselves relative to individuals considered to belong to other categories (Tajfel et al
Tajfel defined social identity as "that part of an individual 's self-concept which derives from his membership of a social group (or groups), together with the value and emotional significance attached to this" (p. 63) SIT leans towards a cognitive approach of in-group bias. In group members believing that they are in a group with
These categories are created to classify people conceptually based on achieved and ascribed characteristics. We hold onto these categories and base them on race, gender, age, and ethnicity. In the Help, we see Massey’s theory of Social Stratification at work. Everyone is the movie is placed at a different level in the social hierarchy that is based on their race, gender, age, or class. The white men are at the top, the white women fall right below the, then black men and the black women are placed at the lowest level of the hierarchy.
In today’s society, individuals and groups are labeled with either positive or negative stereotypes. People encounter stereotypes everyday and everywhere. It is the picture people paint in their minds when approaching a group or individual when in fact it may be different in reality. Stereotypes affect a person’s way of living and thinking either in a negative or positive way. Stereotypes are based on truth but in an exaggerated way, while misconceptions are formed from having stereotypes.
In our society today and even in the past, there has always been a tendency to associate certain qualities and behaviors with a particular race or ethnicity. In addition, many times these associations
Stereotypes are widely believed mental pictures of a categorized group of people. People learn stereotypes from family members, social media, and entertainment. Family members are a person’s first and most important influence about life. Social media is the currently the way of communication and it satisfies the needs to understand the social world. No longer do people have to view a person as an individual, but now as a group member.