In chapter 12 we discussed Stereotypes, Prejudice and Discrimination. We all hav

Question

In chapter 12 we discussed Stereotypes, Prejudice and Discrimination. We all have them, and acknowledging them is important, and often uncomfortable. For your final Reaction paper, I would like you to think about a specific stereotype or prejudice you hold. Discuss your stereotype or prejudice and reflect on it, explaining where it came from, what reinforcements you've received in regard to it and how it has affected your behavior.

Please remember that this is a 500 word reaction.

the book file:///C:/Users/Lenovo/Downloads/Psychology-OP.pdf

Explanation / Answer

Note: This response is in UK English, please paste the response to MS Word and you should be able to spot discrepancies easily. You may elaborate the answer based on personal views or your classwork if necessary.

(Answer) Stereotype roles are those that our social environment might be responsible for inculcating within us. Whether or not these perceptions are true, it is essential to understand that these conceptions are not inherent but rather taught to an individual by the milieu that they are exposed to.

As a growing child, one major gender influence has always been the toy section at supermarkets. It was always that company marketed toys with blue boxes containing cars and soldiers for boys and pink boxes with dolls and tea sets for girls. Such sections at supermarkets catered to stereotypes and eventually led to early and unfair gender assignments.

Such stereotypes are still held in a way that one might immediately pick up a blue toy if buying something for a little boy and a pink toy if purchasing it for a girl. This is a result of advertisements and even the social environment as a child that perpetuated such stereotypes. In order to understand the influences, one might refer to the biological model and its influencers.

The major socialisation influences could be attributed to the biological model. Bronfenbrenner explained that everything in a child’s environment is likely to affect how they grow and develop. He went on to explain that a child’s inherent qualities affect the social environment and vice-versa.

Bronfenbrenner’s biological model is in the form of concentric circles or levels that influence a child.

The first level – The Microsystem which is the child itself.

The second level – The Mesosystem which comprise of the family, school, playground, peers, religious institutions and healthcare systems.

The third level – The Ecosystem which contains the extended family, neighbours, friends of the family, legal services, social welfare services and the mass media.

The fourth level – The Macrosystem is formed by the attitudes and ideologies of the society.

The fifth level – The Chronosystem is formed by all of the events and transitions that occur within a child’s life.

All the levels of the society work together to assign such preconceptions about cultures and the kind of people that it might be limited to. Such reinforcements are sure to affect the behaviour of a child and perhaps might even continue if it is left unchecked.

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