SocialJudgment
Socialjudgment can be described as the way individuals perceive others,forming impressions about them as well as mundane things. It can alsobe defined as the evaluation and perception of a notion by relatingit to current attitudes. On that, social psychology concentrates onhow people make the judgments, accuracy and consequences of thedecisions. The manner in which a person is judged depends on his/herfirst impression. Often people are judged incorrectly basing ondiscrimination and prejudice[ CITATION Lui10 l 1033 ].The paper will examine how the behavior of various sects lead toprejudice and stereotyping. The paper will also analyze the media andhow it influences ethnic, social and cultural groups regardingstereotypes. Describing the kinds of ethical considerations as wellas likely consequences if prejudice and stereotyping are notminimized will also be a major undertaking in this paper.
Theattitudes and behavior of a given group can contribute to prejudiceand stereotype in many ways. First of all, prejudice is theunjustified reaction usually negative, towards individuals basedimmensely on the person’s membership in a social group.Stereotyping, on the other hand, involves thoughts adopted aboutcertain people or way of doing things[ CITATION Car101 l 1033 ].In most cases the beliefs or opinions do not reflect reality. A goodexample of stereotypes can be drawn from Africa, particularly Kenya.There is a notion that people from certain ethnic groups are thievesor rather they have a higher affinity to money than others [ CITATION Gal10 l 1033 ].Due to that idea, they are handled in an unusual way when it comes tomonetary things. Some ethnic groups are also considered witchcraftsi.e. have an attraction to black magic. The above examples make itquite hard for people to associate freely or even intermarry.
Prejudiceagainst the elderly is a common feature across the globe. Some peopleoften have negative ideas about the aging normally, intense dislikeas well as discrimination against them[ CITATION Gal10 l 1033 m Car101].Examples of prejudice mainly concern race, gender, age, disability,sexual preference and ethnicity among others. Though many countrieshave come with mechanisms of eradicating prejudice, it has not been100% fruitful. Organizations in collaboration with governments haveset up educational and legislation measures trying to curb all theseacts. For instance, some top managers do not consider employingphysically challenged individuals. The same applies to race andethnicity. Over the past decades, the fight against racism hasintensified. The most common are prejudice against the blacks.
Themedia plays an immense role when it comes to social perception andperpetuation of stereotypes. For example, it provides the meaning ofethnicity, race playing a vital role in shaping how people understandethnicity and race. Additionally, it relates people’s identity,social institutions, daily lives, and history. Back in 1986, in atelevised competition “The $25,000 Pyramid,” some exchangeportraying ethnicity occurred[ CITATION Car101 l 1033 ].In the show, a series of words were displayed on the screen, andcontestants were supposed to identify the accurate word. In theprocess, two strangers linked East LA with gangs. TheMexican-American mainly occupy the area. In most entertainment media,Latinos are associated with gangs and even the countrywide newschannels cover the same. In the process, most people assumeindividuals from such areas belong to gangs. It is a perception thatis mainly influenced by the media in various capacities [ CITATION Stu10 l 1033 ].
Beinga member of a group can impact social judgment in several ways. Onekey means is conformity. In this case, an individual agrees to acertain decision just to conform to the rest of the group. A goodexample is decisions made within political parties. A member maydecide to agree to a particular decision so as not to facediscriminations from the other members [ CITATION Lui10 l 1033 ].Insome groups, a particular trait may hinder one from expressinghim/herself. In that case, the member agrees to the decisions madewhether right or wrong just because he/she has no zeal to showhimself. In some groups, some people impose decisions on members. Insuch cases, they make decisions on behalf of the other members. Itbecomes rather hard for silent members to address their issues [ CITATION Gal10 l 1033 ].
Theeffects of stereotypes are felt in the daily undertakings. There is anotion that older adults are less likely to learn new things sincethey are more forgetful than youths. It is a belief shared by botholder and younger persons. The assumptions have barred many peoplefrom getting employment or even a promotion. Even though studies maysupport the idea, evidence shows that most of the people occupyingvital positions in the society are old in age. Examples includefederal judges among others. By the current literature, both negativeand positive stereotypes affect judgment about older adults in theirdaily lives. Older people are continuously reminded of negativestereotypes in media adverts among other avenues. In some instances,patronizing means of communication are used referring older people.Some employers have a tendency of assuming black employees come froma solid background. In some entertainment movies, it is believed thatonly the black race can break into a vehicle. Such scenarios areexpounded in our day to day lives [ CITATION Lui10 l 1033 ].
Wheneverone opts to conduct research, it is always important to consider someethical aspects. A researcher should respect the participants. Insome cases, the norms are so much instilled within them such that itrequires care when conducting research. A researcher may come up withdirect questions that may seem disrespectful to the participants. Forinstance, addressing the black community using the term “nigga”[ CITATION Gal10 l 1033 ].The researcher must also avoid situations that may bring harm. It isa standard norm for people to dig into particular matters to anextent that it results in physical harm. Researchers should avoid anyaspects that may arouse the respondents and result into physicaldamage [ CITATION Stu10 l 1033 ].
Implicationand consequences of prejudice and stereotyping are quite vast. Theyrange from hostility in institutions to disharmony amongneighborhoods. If not well handled, a society may live in disharmonynot appreciating each other. A community tends to be quite diverse.For each person to understand cultural diversity, prejudice andstereotypes ought to be minimized [ CITATION Gal10 l 1033 ].People lose jobs or are deterred from making applications due toprejudice and stereotypes. Lack of peace within the society is mainlydue to stereotypes. Ethnic groups dislike each other immensely andmay even fight whenever a problem occurs. It is also common to seepeople of certain race segregating themselves from others citingvarious reasons. Prejudice and stereotyping results in loss of loveand care among different groups. With the continued heightening ofthese aspects, war can be the ultimate result.
References
Allan, S. (2010). Issues in Cultural and Media Studies. Issues in Cultural and Media Studies, 1-42.
Cort, C. (2010). A Long Way to Go: Minorities and the Media. Retrieved from A Long Way to Go: Minorities and the Media: http://www.medialit.org/reading-room/long-way-go-minorities-and-media
Galen, B. T. (2010). Controlling Prejudice and Stereotyping Antecedents, Mechanisms, and Contexts. Controlling Prejudice and Stereotyping Antecedents, Mechanisms, and Contexts, 111-136.
Samuelsson, L. G. (2010). Construction of Identities in Kenya. Construction of Identities in Kenya, 1-69.