Sherif and Sherif's (1969)’s seminal work illustrated the realistic intergroup conflict theory which interprets prejudice as arising from competition for highly valued scarce resources. Thus a win or lose situation is created in which the boundaries surrounding the group are rigid. The experiment was conducted on two groups of 11-year-old boys in a camp setting. Initially, a strong bond and cohesiveness were seen within the groups due to their ignorance towards the other group's existence. Subsequently, competitive games were introduced whose rewards constituted scarce resources like pocket knives. This resulted in the uproar of intense negative feelings and physical aggression. In an attempt to eliminate the prejudice, it was discovered that mere contact did no good and instead ameliorated the hostility. Only when the groups were forced to cooperate to fulfill a common goal like restoring water supply, did the boundaries disappear.
Now let us look at the correlation between media and prejudice. Media is an integral part of our social environment and influences the way we perceive the world around us. As a result, it is critical to investigate the role of the media in the formation of bias. Television shows, newspapers, journals, books, and other media channels regularly provide inaccurate information on underrepresented social groups. For instance, individuals with mental disorders are often portrayed to be violent and dangerous. (Coverdale et al., 2002) Research shows that exposure to stereotypical media may lead to the activation of pre-existing stereotypes through a process called priming ( Allan, Collins, and Loftus, 1975). In this process, the media acts as cues bringing the cognitive stereotypes into the perceptive conscious and facilitating the information processing task. Although we have observed size inclusion in fashion media, there is an overrepresentation of ideal thin and lean bodies along with overweight characters often being central to situational comedies. (Fouts and Burggraf, 1999). When an individual knows nothing about the relevant attitude object or has flexible dispositions toward the target, the media information can have a significant impact on attitude development and modification thus reducing prejudice.
Lastly, let's explore prejudice through social media. Intergroup contact has increased now more than ever before, with the popularisation of social media. Along with providing a platform for individuals from different groups to interact, social media also affects the views of individuals about these groups. Numerous efforts have been made about raising awareness and attempting to change attitudes about groups online but in a study by Matsick et al. (2020), it was found that methods like exposure to filters in support of groups like the LGBTQ community do not change the negative attitudes of social media users to a significant extent. However, Zezelj (2017) found that for people belonging to three post-conflict countries, online contact in the form of friendships helped as much as direct contact and has been shown to reduce prejudice. With the COVID-19 pandemic, it is also important to take into consideration the increase in negative attitudes towards East Asians in the online space.
As we’ve read, prejudice is about individuals, originates within individuals, and affects individuals who are all an integral part of our society. The effects of prejudice either overt or subtle can have a profound impact on the prejudiced. Collective efforts need to be made to promote awareness and inclusion. As education, work, and even relationships have evolved online, media must remain a safe space for everyone. The social evil of prejudice can be combated only if we celebrate the different identities and their intersectionality instead of negating them.
Part I: https://theaicufblog.blogspot.com/2022/02/psychology-of-prejudice-i.html
By,
Aditi Bhanushali
Sanjali Desai
Vidisha Navalkar,
TYBA
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