a) Genetic predispositions. The individuals who are prejudiced might have a particular personality type known as “the authoritarian personality “(Adorno,1950).The authoritarians personalities have a set of inflexible and rigid beliefs ,which make them to immediately reject or act against to individuals with different values/ethics/ cultures and ethnicity (Adorno,1950). Moreover, Individuals with authoritarian personalities tend to adapt themselves to the group whose ethnic dimension and nation belong (Adorno, 1950). Authoritarians, consider out- group members and other nations as hostile and dangerous enemies, while they regard in-group members as dominant and superiors (Adorno, 1950). Thus, an individual with an authoritarian personality has high-possibilities to engage into discriminatory actions against out-group members (Adorno, 1950).
b) The realistic group conflict theory: The competition between groups could develop into prejudice (Fiske, 1998). In a study the boys in a summer camp were divided into two groups and lived in different huts. During the first stage of the study the two groups worked separately, but very quickly the boys developed a strong team spirit that rapidly developed into hostility towards the other group. Near the end of the study, the boys developed a very negative attitude against the other group and engaged into prejudiced actions and discriminatory behaviors
According to the realistic group conflict theory, the cause of prejudice and discrimination is the existence of different groups who are in conflict or competition with each other (Fiske, 1998).
c) Social identity theory: The mere existence of different groups is enough to create in-group favoritism and out-group prejudice (LaPiere, 1934). According to the theory ,when an individual becomes a member of a group his perceptions of himself are changed and begin to identify with the other members of that group and sees himself as similar to them (LaPiere, 1934). In the same way, the individual begins to see the members of other groups as different to him (LaPiere, 1934). These intra-group similarities and inter-group differences become more and more exaggerated (LaPiere, 1934).
Furthermore, according to the Social Identity theory, an individual’s social identity is tied in with his group membership (LaPiere, 1934) .The position of a group where an individual belongs determines his self-esteem (LaPiere, 1934) .This leads an individual to make group comparisons in order to raise his self-esteem( LaPiere, 1934). The need for a high-esteem can make an individual to perceive his group us superior and maximize the differences between his group and the members of other groups (LaPiere, 1934).
To conclude, discrimination always existed and will exist if we stay passive. The nation, family, schools, universities, Media and each individual should formulate an action plan in order to reduce discrimination. But firstly, each of us should be aware of his own prejudices and try (via rational thought) to free himself from them. Discrimination hurts and benefits no one.
References
Adorno, T., Frankel-Brunswik, E., Levinson, D. and Sanford, R. 1950. The Authoritarian Personality. New York: Harper.
Allport, Gordon. 1954. Nature of Prejudice, Cambridge, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Devine, Patricia. 1989. “Stereotypes and Prejudice: Their Automatic and Controlled
Components.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 56:5-18.
Fiske, Susan. 1998. “Stereotyping, Prejudice, and Discrimination,” in Gilbert, Daniel, Susan Fiske, and Gardner Lindzey (Eds.), Handbook of Social Psychology, vol.4.
Harrison, Roderick J. and Claudette E. Bennett. 1995. “Racial and Ethnic Diversity.” Pp. 141–210 in State of the Union: America in the 1990s, vol. 2, Social Trends, edited by R. Farley. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.
LaPiere, Richard T. 1934. “Attitudes vs. Actions.” Social Forces 13:230-237.
