Lecture 8

Stereotypes Prejudice and Discrimination PART 2 The Targets Perspective S P and D The Targets Perspective Definitionsy What is stigma y Types of stigmaWhat is it like to experience stereotypes and prejudice y Facing prejudice during social interactions y Academia performance career goals and stereotype threat y Reporting discrimination How do targets protect themselves from stereotypes and prejudice y The selfprotection hypothesis y Group identification and the rejectionidentification modelDefinitionsStigma y Goffman 1963y An attribute that extensively discredits an individual reducing him or her from a whole and usual person to a tainted discounted one y Stigmatized people believed to possess some attribute that conveys devalued social identityy Valued identities in North Americawhite male young heterosexual Christian rich physically able etcdevalued identities deviate from these standardsTypes of Stigma and ExamplesVisible obvious stigmagender race age physical abilityInvisible concealable stigmasexual orientation religion socioeconomic statusEvolutionary Origins of StigmaMost stigma scholars regard stigma as a social constructiony A label attached by societyy Variability in stigmas across time and cultures The practice of designating certain attributes as stigmatized may have evolved as a consequence of group livingIn order to survive people needed to quickly identifyy Friends for help y Foes people to avoid or to exploit for ingroup gain