STEREOTYPES AND PREJUDICE

Stereotypes

The broader term commonly used to refer to negative or positive judgements made about individuals based on any observable or believed group membership.

Profiling

Refers to a law enforcement practice of scrutinizing certain individuals based on characteristics thought to indicate a likehood of criminal behaviour.

NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON COMMUNICATION

• Cause us to assume that a widely held belief is true when it may not be.
• Continued use of the stereotype reinforces the belief.
• Stereotypes also impede communication when they cause us to assume that a widely held belief is true of any one individual.
• The stereotype can become a “self-fulfilling prophecy” for the person stereotyped. 

RACE

A group, especially of people, with particular similar physical characteristics, who are considered as belonging to the same type. 

Physical differences of human e.g. : color of skin, texture of hair, etc.

RACISM

• Any policy, practice, belief, or attitude that attributes characteristics or status to individuals based on their race.
• The belief that people’s qualities are influenced by their race and that the members of other races are not as good as the members of your own, or resulting unfair treatment of members of other races.

THE FATHER OF RACISM

ARTHUR DE GOBINEAU

•   Ville-D’avray (French), July 14, 1816  --  October 18, 1882 in Turin, Italy.
•   A French aristocrat, novelist and man of letters who became famous for developing the racialist theory of the Aryan Master Race in his book An Essay Of The Inequality Of The Human Races (1853–1855).
•   De Gobineau is credited as being the father of modern racial demography. 

Gobineu categorized all people into three groups:

White (the most advanced)
Yellow (the middle)
Black (the least advanced)


SPREAD OF PREJUDICE AND RACISM
Prejudice and racism  are commonly viewed as being rooted in the child’s early socialization and fostered  in communication  with other people who are prejudiced or racist (Adorno et al., 1950).