5. Stereotype, Prejudice, Bias, and Discrimination
You are close to the end of this module! In the synchronous session, we will apply the concepts of power, privilege, and identity to issues of racism. To begin our conversation on racism, this section introduces the foundational concepts of stereotype, prejudice, discrimination, oppression, and bias.
Over the course of a lifetime beginning at a very early age, we are exposed to direct and indirect messages all around us through, for example, media, punishment and rewards, education, peers, and family. These messages often communicate positive or negative beliefs about the overly generalized characteristics of a social group, which are called stereotypes.
Example: "Students with purple hair are artistic but not smart."
In addition to developing stereotypes, these messages can contribute to forming prejudice - a negative opinion and attitude toward a social group or a member of that group not based on actual experience or reason. Prejudice can take the form of disliking, anger, fear, disgust, discomfort, and even hatred. While stereotypes are ideas or beliefs in our cognitive domain, prejudice refers to attitudes based on evaluative judgement.
Example: "I shouldn't take students with purple hair seriously. They aren't worth my time."
Discrimination
When our stereotypes and prejudices are acted out, it becomes discrimination - unjustified negative behaviors, such as the denial of equal treatment or access to opportunity, toward members of other social groups based on their group membership.
Example: A faculty does not respond to reference requests from students with purple hair, while agreeing to write reference letters for other students.
Oppression
When discrimination is enacted by someone who is in a position of power, it then becomes oppression - institutionalized power that positions certain individuals in a position of power over other individuals, based solely on their identities.
Example: The faculty member in the example above is in a position of power within the academic institution.
At this stage of learning, it is not crucial for you to be able to fully understand or articulate the precise definition of each concept presented on this page. However, pay attention to the general relationships among these concepts as illustrated in the diagram below.
Figure 1: The Staircase of Oppression (adapted from the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS Links to an external site.)
This diagram illustrates the following ideas:
- Inter-relatedness - As concepts are introduced at each step, these concepts are inter-related and build off one another.
- Systemic nature - Stereotype, prejudice, discrimination, and oppression do not occur randomly but are rather deeply embedded in and reinforced by systems of power (e.g., policies and practices within and across institutions).
Besides these conceptual relationships, it is important to recognize the impact of how we act on these concepts. Whether or not we are conscious, our stereotypes, prejudices, biases, and discrimination result in unfair and harmful experiences and outcomes for marginalized groups. We will discuss this further at the synchronous workshop.
Bias
Associations we develop based on stereotypes can cause us to have not only prejudices but also biases. Bias is defined as prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair. Bias is a broad concept and can be seen as the overarching definition of stereotype and prejudice, as well as a subjective opinion, preference, or inclination that influence our ability to evaluate a particular group or situation objectively or accurately.
Example: A faculty holds unfavourable opinions of scholarship applicants with purple hair despite their the same or higher qualifications than other applicants.
Bias affects our understanding, actions, and decisions, often in an unconscious manner. These biases that are activated involuntarily and without an individual’s awareness or intentional control are called implicit bias or unconscious bias.
Example: A faculty discourages a student with purple hair from applying for a prestigious graduate school saying, "You are aiming too high" (without checking the student's grades or recognizing one's negative bias about purple-hair students' academic ability).
Again, don't worry if you don't fully understand these concepts! They are complex concepts. We will cover them in our synchronous workshop!