Chapter 7, part 2

Cultural Antipathy

Prejudice ( - )

A negative attitude directed to a group as a whole or to an individual of that group

Prejudice relies on communication for its transmission

Stages of prejudice

Five – Phase Model for Expression of Prejudice

1. Antilocution – (mildest) prejudiced talk among friends. There are 2 types:

Verbal abuse: ethnic jokes, name calling, etc

Hate speech: someone attempts to persuade an audience by making the audience angry at the out-group

Five – Phase Model for Expression of Prejudice

2. Avoidance – staying away from the group whom you are prejudiced against

Is this harmful?

Five – Phase Model for Expression of Prejudice

3. Discrimination – (most common) separation by excluding the out-group contact; denies equality

Discrimination toward microcultures: ageism, sexism, classism, heterosexism, and racism (see text 120-122)

Five – Phase Model for Expression of Prejudice

4. Physical attack – violence; usually happens in places where groups are forced to be together (jail, school, territory, etc)

5. Extermination – genocide or ethnic cleansing; the systematic and planned destruction of a group

Causes of Prejudice

Genetic / evolutionarySocial controlsMedia influencePersonality traitsOut-group threatsEconomic conditions

Functions of Prejudiced Communication

Cognitive restrictions – we want shortcuts, labels

Ego protection and group enhancementSocial functions

1. Avoiding contact

2. Detachment

3. Delegitimizing (making a group seem less than your group/less human)

Functions of Prejudiced Communication

Protecting the dominant group’s powerImpression management

1. bifurcate: using a favorable example first and then putting the group down

2. Concession – suggesting a negative statement about an out-group could apply to one’s own group