Abstract: Intensive research throughout the world has led to the broadening of social science conceptions of both intergroup prejudice and discrimination. Prejudice is now seen as occurring at varying levels of depth. In fact, it can be so subtle that people are often unaware of their prejudices even though these attitudes influence their behavior. Situational effects and social norms also strongly influence the expression of prejudice. Similarly, discrimination is now recognized as largely a complex web of institutional arrangements that produces inequalities between groups. Indeed, the complexity of the phenomenon makes it extremely difficult to study and measure precisely. Discrimination is usually normative. Its structural web outlives its initiators and may not reflect current attitudes. Moreover, discrimination feeds upon itself; it is typically cumulative and self-perpetuating. These changing conceptions have uncovered the reality that the relationship between prejudice and discrimination is not nearly as simple as previously believed. Given the power of long-established and accepted discriminatory norms, many relatively tolerant people routinely discriminate against outgroups without animosity. In turn, antidiscriminatory norms can cause the highly prejudiced to resist acting on their beliefs. To be sure, prejudice is related to discrimination, but not in any simple one-to-one fashion. These considerations have direct implications for social policy designed to combat group discrimination. Structural efforts that increase favorable intergroup contact, such as affirmative action and school desegregation programs, are most likely to diminish both prejudice and discrimination.
Publication Year: 2015
Publication Date: 2015-01-01
Language: en
Type: book-chapter
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 1
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