PSYC331 - Lecture 4 Detailed Notes

PSYC331 - Lecture 4 Scientific Racism Answer- Dominant time period: Before 1920s Context: Use of scientific research to justify White cultural domination. Focus: Identifying exotic & negative differences in non-White people. View of prejudice: Justified by data. (e.g., phrenology) Psychodynamic Theories Answer- Dominant time period: 1920s-1950s Context: Prevalence of explicit racism, aftermath of the Holocaust. Focus: Identifying why individuals are prejudiced. View of prejudice: Irrational and unjustifiable, rooted in individual differences Saw discrimination as displaced frustration and anger onto a weaker target The Authoritarian Personality Answer- A set of personality traits associated with belief in obedience to authority and oppression of subordinate groups. - Psychodynamic explanation: The "id" produces negative impulses, which cannot be properly controlled by one's "ego". - This "psychic conflict" then projects those negative impulses onto minority groups and greater respect for authority. Sociocultural Theories Answer- Dominant time period: 1960s-1970s Context: Civil Rights Movement Focus: Social and cultural influences on prejudice. View of prejudice: Prejudice is a manifestation of cultural norms Example: Clark & Clark (1947): Black and white doll Cognitive Theories Answer- Dominant time period: 1980s - Present