Prejudice Worksheet

Associate Program Material

Stereotypes and Prejudice Worksheet

Please complete the following exercises, remembering that you are in an academic setting and should remain unbiased, considerate, and professional when completing this worksheet.

Part I

Select three of the identity categories below and name or describe at least 3 related stereotypes for each:

• Race • Ethnicity • Religion • Gender • Sexual orientation • Age • Disability

|Category |Stereotype 1 |Stereotype 2 |Stereotype 3 |
|Race | People say black people are lazy.|People say white people are smart |People say Jews are cheap but |
| | |and blonds are dumb. |rich. |
|Religion |Wiccan Pentacle Study, worship the|Gothic people are very weird and |Muslims are terrorist and women |
| |devil. |violent. |are beneath them. |
|Sexual Orientation |When someone see a feminine man |When someone sees masculine women |People say homosexuality is wrong |
| |and call him gay. |she is a lesbian. |and immoral. |

Part II

Answer each question in 50 to 100 words related to those stereotypes. Provide citations for all the sources you use.

What are the positive aspects of stereotypes, if any?

The aspects of positive stereotypes can be positive if a person know the difference and have the knowledge to understand what a person may be stating. If we prefer to someone as a “jock” we are acknowledging that this person is into sports. A person that is known to be preferred to by “Gothic” or “Punk” is because of the type of music they listen to and the type of clothing they wear. Usually no one is offended by this because it is factual and evident and these are positive aspects of stereotypes.

What are the negative aspects of stereotypes?

The negative aspects of stereotypes are the lack of understanding, the ignorance, and the labeling of someone to hurt their feelings as an individual or a group of people. A person may see a female with a short hair cut like a man and call them a dike without getting to know who that person is and assuming that this is what they are.

Part III

Answer each question in 50 to 150 words related to those stereotypes. Provide citations for all the sources you use.

Define stereotypes and prejudice. What is the difference between stereotyping and prejudice? Use examples to illustrate the differences.

Stereotype is something conforming to a fixed or general pattern, a standardized mental picture that is held in common by members of a group and that represents an oversimplified opinions, prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgment. Prejudice is prejudgment and negative attitude based on sex, race, age, sexual orientation, nationality, socioeconomic status, and religion towards an individual or group of people. The difference between stereotype and prejudice is that stereotype is standardized beliefs about people based on some prior assumptions. Prejudice is a type of judgment or assumption about somebody before having sufficient knowledge to judge with accuracy. Example of stereotype is all policemen eat donuts. Example of prejudice is an organization that hires more males and reject females are known to be prejudice.

What is the relationship between stereotyping and prejudice?

The relationship between stereotyping and prejudice is that stereotyping promotes prejudice and that prejudice reduction depends on stereotype change. Prejudice also influences the extent of stereotyping. The important theoretical tradition posits that this effect emerges because prejudice encourages the use of stereotypes as a means to justify societal inequality (e.g., Allport, 1954; Katz & Braly, 1933; Lippmann, 1922).

What can be done to prevent prejudice from occurring?

Intolerance stems from ignorance and arrogance this go hand in hand and people need to understand and have the knowledge not to pre-judge people. In order to prevent prejudice from occurring we need to begin now with the way we are raising our children and teach them not to be judgmental and preconceive people before we get to know someone. Teach them not to assume to not like someone because of the color of their skin or where they come from. People are people no matter what they may look like, getting to know a person is very important and not to judge a book by its cover. Have rallies of all race and culture so people can have a better understanding of others. It starts at home teach your children a better way so that they will understand life in a better perspective.

Reference: Voices.yahoo.com/stereotyping, Psychology.about.com, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary, azam.org.