Stigma by Prejudice

In this paper, we will become acquainted with concepts such as prejudice, racism, and sexism, along with their relationship with each other, and attempt to draw a parallel between these concepts. Also, we will analyze and compare two different articles on this topic and aim to understand their influence on the behavior patterns of individuals from various races.

Racism, a form of discrimination based on race, encompasses ideas about an inherent division of races into superior and inferior levels, where the former dominates the latter.

A key belief within the principle of racism is that race impacts a person’s character, thinking, and mental abilities. The human psyche is such that, in order to maintain self-respect, and feel calm and dignified, most individuals tend to overlook some characteristics they innately possess.

Sexism is an ideology affirming an unequal status and different rights of men and women. If men dominate, it’s referred to as patriarchy; if women do, it’s matriarchy. Currently, all societies known globally are patriarchal, thereby making them sexist. Researchers usually analogize the issue of sexism with racism, but the similarities are quite remote. Firstly, the history of relationships between racial groups is relatively short compared to the perpetuity of gender relationships. Secondly, racial groups can exist independently of each other and be self-sufficient.

Terms such as prejudice, racism, and sexism are often used interchangeably. Prejudice represents a mindset, a particular blend of feelings, behavioral inclinations, and beliefs. Therefore, prejudice is an amalgamation of sentiments, behavioral tendencies, and cognition (beliefs). A person who harbours prejudice may dislike those who are different from them and discriminate against them, subscribing to the notion that they are dangerous and ignorant.

Like many attitudes, prejudices have a complex structure. They may even encompass elements such as sympathy, expressed in the form of patronage, which ironically worsens the predicament of those towards whom it is directed. Negative evaluations, as an indicator of prejudice, may associate with emotional reactions, justifications for one’s behavior, or negative beliefs, known as stereotypes. Stereotypical thinking implies generalisation.

Prejudice implies a negative attitude; discrimination denotes negative behavior. Often, discriminatory behaviors are prejudiced informed attitudes. Racism and sexism are institutionalized discriminatory practices, persisting even when not linked to prejudice. Prejudice is a biased negative attitude, while discrimination refers to unjustifiably negative behavior. Terms like racism and sexism are used to describe manifestations of individual biased attitudes.

In Article 1, we observe the stigma transmission effect of prejudice, where white women are threatened by prejudice directed against a group of African Americans and Latinos. In 4 out of 5 studies, white women are depicted as threatened by racism due to assumptions that they fear African Americans and Latinos. These fears stem from stereotypes associating these groups with aggression and depicting them as less intelligent and competent individuals.

Therefore, there was the effect of stigma transmission by transmitting prejudice, whereas there was no such effect for white women. Moreover, if the subjects are asked about their racial prejudices, most disagree with the notion that they have any racial prejudices. However, the true feelings of the respondents towards members of a different race may be somewhat different. That is, in essence, while hard forms of racial discrimination weaken over time, they do not completely disappear.

According to Article 2, the concept of stigma is seen as a sign of shame, a sign of serious condemnation. In our society, people lack the compassion to accept those who are different from them. Consequently, stigma and prejudice can lead to discrimination. Prejudice discrimination, such as sexism and racism, is more familiar and recognizable as discrimination than discrimination due to stigma. In researching the correlation between prejudice and discrimination, we find that racism is associated with discrimination, but sexism is not. It is important to acknowledge that the propensity for sexism and racism lies within us all, and we must confront these prejudices.

As seen from the above, the problem of racism is complex and goes beyond political or economic factors. Despite the fact that scientific attempts to justify racism have shown its complete inconsistency, racism continues to exist. The reason for this lies in the social and psychological properties of both the individual and the groups affected by the mechanisms that foster competition and subsequent hostility between different groups.

The emergence of racism in society is based on a number of factors, one of which is the mentality of the ethnic group, others include economic factors and the standard of living in the state. Additionally, social factors such as a low level of culture and awareness among the citizens of the country are also significant catalysts of racism.

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