The Maintenance of Stereotypes Essay Example for Free

The Maintenance of Stereotypes Essay Although the nature of stereotypes are not essentially negative it has been found that stereotypes of out-group members are more likely to be negative than those of in-group members (Castelli et al. 2005; Perdue, Dovidio, Gurtman Tyler, 1990). Despite this fact, engaging in stereotyping still occurs. In order to adequately understand why we continue to use stereotypes, when we know of the negativity that can be attached to them, several areas need to be considered. Firstly, in the context of this essay stereotypes need to be defined. Lippman (1922) can be credited for having coined the term as being a set of socially shared representations and beliefs about the characteristics, features and behaviours of members of a group (Lyons Kashima, 2001). The Social Identity Theory also seeks to define stereotypes (Brown, 2000). Secondly, there are various mechanisms which occur that support the ongoing use and maintenance of stereotypes. In relation to this is priming, which has been found to be an active influence (Rudman Borgida, 1995; Lepore Brown, 1997; Blair Banaji, 1996). More recent research illustrates that stereotyping emerges as a way of simplifying the demands on an individual, a type of cognitive shortcut (Macrae et al. , 1994; Clark Kashima, 2007). Furthermore, stereotypes can be seen as a function of social connectivity and are thus maintained through communication (Lyons Kashima, 2006; Lyons and Kashima, 2003; Karasawa, Asai Tanabe, 2007). This essay will attempt to look at the most recent research in the past two decades and investigate the various methods that have been found to support the preservation of stereotypes. One of the key points with Social Identity Theory is that in the very act of categorisation, regardless of group contact, in-group preference is produced (Brown, 2000). This then defines a differentiation from out-group members (2000). This group differentiation can lead to the formation of stereotypes. Individuals seek also to perceive themselves in as optimistic light as possible, in an attempt to establish a positive distinctiveness between the self and other in-group members and between the in-group in comparison with the out-group. This is known as the self-esteem hypothesis (2000). From understanding how stereotypes are formed through the social identity theory, we can see how they are maintained. As found by Perdue, Dovidio, Gurtman, Tyler (1990), priming plays an intricate role in influencing the opinions and judgments of individuals on out-group members. A study conducted by Rudman Borgida (1995) primed male subjects to sexist female stereotypes through a television commercial in which women were portrayed as sexual objects. It was found that the primed males were more likely to engender women in a sexual fashion, paying more attention to her appearance than to what she was saying. They also responded faster to sexist words pertaining to women (babe and bimbo) than to non-sexist (mother and nurture). In this way, language plays a role in unconsciously priming people to stereotypes. It helps create an in-group versus out-group bias (1990). Impressions of people are also moulded by the names and labels which are applied to them (1990). As found by Perdue et al. (1990) ‘we’, ’us’, ‘ours’ are collective pro-nouns and are thus powerful priming influences in social cognition and perception, subtly characterising evaluative responses towards others and upholding the maintenance of stereotypes. However, in a study carried out by Blair and Banaji (1996) it was found that, although priming in stereotypes is automatically activated, an individual can control and even eliminate the automatic response, such as in gender stereotyping. In fact, it is also the individual’s intentions and cognitive resources that determine the extent to which an individual avoids the influence of such automatic processes. For example, in their study (1996) participants were asked to judge whether a name was male or female, when primed with a gender paired word, such as caring, sensitive, weak (for females) strong, arrogant or decisive (for males) or a neutral word like autumn, jelly, sleep. When sufficient cognitive resources were available and the participants intended to process counter-stereotypic information (the gender neutral words) there was a complete reversal of stereotype priming (1996). So although priming is a powerful method in maintaining stereotypes it does not fully account for the continuation of stereotyping in the face of its negativity. As reported by Bodenhausen (1990) instead of processing incoming or new information, stereotypes rely on previously stored knowledge and as a result information processing becomes easier. Thus the maintenance of stereotypes could be partially due to a type of cognitive laziness. Instead of flexing the grey matter muscle and using cognitive energy to process the new information, people effectively ‘rest on their laurels’, without motivation to change them they are reinforced to continue using stereotypes (Blair Banaji, 1996). However, as Macrae, Milne Bodenhausen (1994) established, stereotyping can also occur as a way to free up resources which can then be used in other tasks. Either way stereotypes are a type of judgmental heuristic, a short cut we take when demands are high and resources low. For example, it was found that morning people, whose peak function was early on in the day, fell back on stereotypic responses in the afternoon and for afternoon people, whose peak function was later on in the day, it was the reverse (1990). In this case, the amount of cognitive energy was the motivation to either reject or maintain a stereotype. In terms of the continuation of stereotypes, the motivation to reject them and process new information is thus a strong mechanism. It appears from the research (Clark Kashima, 2007; Lyons and Kashima, 2003; Lyons and Kashima, 2006; Lyons and Kashima, 2001) that stereotype-consistent information is more likely to be communicated than stereotype-inconsistent information, called the stereotype consistency bias. To test this, Lyons and Kashima (2001) investigated communication through a chain of people. The experiment involved one participant reading a story with stereotype-consistent and inconsistent information relevant to the stereotypes of footballers then reproducing it from memory to another person. The second person then read it to a third, and the third to a forth and so on and so forth (2001). As the story was communicated down the chain it became devoid of all stereotype-inconsistent information, effectively illustrating how communication is key in maintaining stereotypes. Clark and Kashima (2007) also found that the stereotype consistency bias would occur due to the social connectivity function found in stereotypes. In other words; when a stereotype was perceived as being socially shared it was more likely to be used. Thus, the social connectivity aspect of communication is a strong mechanism in the continuation of them. Subtyping occurs when any information from an individual, that undermines a group’s stereotype, is functionally placed outside of the group and thus not calculated when forming a stereotype (Park, Wolsko Judd, 2001). This leaves the overall stereotype unchanged even though aspects of it have been disproved. Kunda and Oleson (2001) have also found that members of one group do not generalize the neutral information of an individual in the out-group to members of that same group. In other words, it is the negative aspects of out-group members that are projected, while the neutral as well as the positive features are ignored. Subtyping provides us with another mechanism in the maintenance of stereotypes, as we can see through this model that stereotypes are able to effectively shed aspects which are proven to be inaccurate whilst still maintaining the overall stereotypical view. Stereotypes are a persistent and persuasive method of social categorisation. Socially we are primed towards engaging in stereotypes (Perdue, Dovidio, Gurtman, Tyler, 1990). In terms of communication we use stereotypes when we perceive that the people we are communicating with hold the same stereotypes and so stereotypes become a type of social lubrication, assisting communication (Karasawa, Asai, Tanabe, 2007). In this way, communication is also a motivation to not reject the stereotype and process new information. However, if we consciously allocated more cognitive resources we would reject the stereotype and process new information (Macrae, Milne Bodenhausen, 1994). Although the mechanisms that underlie the maintenance of stereotypes are intricate and complex, if the puzzle of these mechanisms were to be explained then, although we know that we should avoid stereotypes, we would understand how to. Blair, V. I. , Banaji, M. (1996). Automatic and controlled processors in stereotype priming. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70, 1142-1163. Bodenhausen, G.V. (1990). Stereotypes as judgmental heuristics: Evidence of circadian variations in discrimination. Psychological Science, 1, 319-322. Brown, R. (2000) Social identity theory: Past problems, current achievements and future challenges. European Journal of Social Psychology, 30, 745-778 Castelli, L. , Zecchini, A. , De Amicis, L. , Sherman, S. J. (2005). The impact of implicit prejudice about the elderly on the reaction to stereotype confirmation and disconfirmation. Current Psychology: Developmental, Learning, Personality, Social, 24, 134-146. Clark, E.A. , Kashima, Y. (2007). Stereotypes help people connect with others in the community: A situated functional analysis of the stereotype consistency bias in communication. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 93, 1028-1039. Karasawa, M. , Asai, N. , Tanabe, Y. (2007). Stereotypes as shared beliefs: Effects of group identity on dyadic conversations. Group Processes Intergroup Relations, 10, 515-532. Kunda, Z. , Oleson, K. C. (1995). Maintaining stereotypes in the face of disconfirmation: Constructing grounds for subtyping deviants. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 68, 565-579. Lepore, L, Brown, R. (1997) Category and stereotype activation: Is prejudice inevitable? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77, 275-287. Lipman (1922) as cited in Lyons, A. , Kashima, Y. (2001). The reproduction of culture: Communication processes tend to maintain cultural stereotypes. Social Cognition, 19, 372-391. Lyons, A. , Kashima, Y. (2006). Maintaining stereotypes in communication: Investigating memory bias and coherence-seeking storytelling. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 9, 59-71. Lyons, A. , Kashima, Y. (2003). How are stereotypes maintained through communication? The influence of stereotype sharedness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85, 989-1005. Lyons, A. , Kashima, Y. (2001). The reproduction of culture: Communication processes tend to maintain cultural stereotypes. Social Cognition, 19, 372-391. Macrae, C. N. , Milne, A. B. , Bodenhausen, G. V. (1994). Stereotypes as energy-saving devices: A peek inside the cognitive toolbox. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66, 37-47. Park, B., Wolsko, C. , Judd, C. M. (2001). Measurement of subtyping in stereotype change. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 37, 325 – 332. Perdue, C. W. , Dovidio, J. F. , Gurtman, M. B. , Tyler, R. B. (1990). Us and them: Social catergorization and the process of intergroup bias. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 5, 475-186. Rudman, L. A. , Borgida, E. (1995). The afterglow of construct accessibility: The behavioural consequences of priming men to view women as sexual objects. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 31, 493 – 517.

Essay --

Of the many dynasties that make up China’s history, one of the most notable is the Han Dynasty, which lasted from 206 BCE to 220 CE, under the rule of numerous emperors. It made many contributions to China’s history and made lasting changes, some of which remained for millennia following the dynasty’s collapse. They made changes to China’s economy, technology, social order, religion, philosophy, and education that revolutionized the way China operated. Also, as the Han Dynasty expanded greatly during its rule, many of the territory that the dynasty conquered became part of what would later be modern day China. These changes helped to shape the country that China became. One of the major lasting effects was the Han Dynasty’s changes to the economy. The Han Dynasty expanded their influence throughout the land and made improvements in many products made in China, including silk, iron, and textiles, as well as inventing paper. As stated in the article, â€Å"Great Journeys of China†¦ The Silk Road†, â€Å"at the order of Emperor Wudi, courtier General Zhang Qian travelled to the â€Å"regions western ...

Russia Superstitions

Customs that are more often regarded as superstition Mothers typically do not show their baby to anyone except the father, the midwife and other close relatives for forty days after the baby is born. Many nationalities have a set of rituals for the guests that they have to follow to see the baby for the first time. [1] Before leaving for a long journey travelers, and all those who are seeing them off, must sit for a moment in silence before leaving the house. It is often conveniently written off as a time to sit and think of anything one may have forgotten. 2] After someone has left the house on a long journey, their room and/or their things should not be cleaned up until they have arrived, or at least a day has passed if they are guests in a house. [2] Knocking on wood is practiced in Russia as in other countries. However Russians tend to add a symbolic three spits over one's left shoulder (or simply with the head turned to the left), and Russians will often knock three times as wel l. Traditionally one was spitting on the devil (who is always on the left). 3] Breaking a mirror is considered bad luck in Russia, as is looking at one's reflection in a broken mirror. The effect is also more severe than 7 years of bad luck (as in American culture). [4] On examination day, it is bad luck to make your bed, wear anything new, or cut your fingernails. [3] It is bad luck to use physical hand gestures to demonstrate something negative using oneself or someone else as the object. For example, when describing a scar you saw on someone's face you should not gesture on your own face or someone else's. If you must, you can demonstrate in mid-air.If one does it without realizing, it can be countered by making a hand motion towards the body part used and then an abrupt motion away (as if to pick up the bad energy and throw it away). [3] If one person accidentally steps on another person's foot, it is common for the person who was stepped on to lightly step on the foot of the pe rson who stepped first. It is said that they thus avoid a future conflict. [3] Birthday parties should be celebrated on or after one's birthday, not before. So when one's birthday falls during the week, it's best to celebrate the following weekend. And never give someone birthday wishes before their birthday. 3] Talking about future success, especially boasting about it, is considered bad luck. It is considered better to be silent until the success has been achieved or to even sound pessimistic. [3] Returning home for forgotten things is a bad omen. It is better to leave it behind, but if returning is necessary, one should look in the mirror before leaving the house again. Otherwise the journey will be bad. [4] Many Russians consider giving sharp objects, like knives or scissors, as gifts, to be taboo. You can avoid this taboo taking symbolic little money, for example one Russian ruble, in exchange as if it is a trade, not a gift. 4] Birds that land on a windowsill should be chased away. If they tap on the window, or fly into it (open or closed) it is considered a very bad omen (often of death). [5] If a chicken crows at you three times before noon, the death of a close family member can be expected within a fortnight. The chicken should be killed, but not eaten, as consuming it will bring about further misfortune. [5] Things bought for a newborn baby (such as clothes, toys, furniture, etc. ) should only be purchased after the baby is born. This is usually done in a big hurry. 1] It is often considered taboo to step over people, or parts of their body, who are on the ground. It is often said that it will prevent the person from growing (if they are not fully grown already). It is better to politely ask the person to move or to find a way around them. If one accidentally steps over a person (or people), it is sometimes standard to step backwards over them. [3] Unmarried people should not sit at the corner of the table. Otherwise they will not marry. This mostly applies to girls, and often only young girls. Sometimes it is said that you will not marry for 7 years, making it all right for young children to sit there. 6] When giving an animal as a gift (a cat, dog, bird, etc. ), the receiver should give the giver a symbolic sum of money, for example one Russian ruble. [5] A purse (or any other money holder) as a gift requires a little money inside. Given empty it causes bad financial luck. [4] A funeral procession brings good luck. But one should never cross its path or it is bad luck. [7] A woman with empty water buckets coming towards you is considered a bad omen. [3] A group of two or more people should not talk on different sides of a tree. They should all keep to one side or the other. [3] Bread should only be cut with a knife, not with your hands.Otherwise, it is said, that your life will be broken. The opposite is held true by some people. [4] Two or more people should never use one towel at the same time to dry their hands or bodies, or it is said to bring conflict. [4] A stranger should not look at a newborn baby before it is a certain age (between two months and one year). If one looks at the baby it is considered bad luck to compliment it. Instead, one could say, â€Å"Oh, what an ugly child! â€Å". [1] It's good luck to trip on your left foot. [3] One should never hand a knife directly to another person, as it is said that the two will get into a fight.Instead a person should always place the knife down on a surface, and only then can the other person pick it up. In several cases you can give it directly, but only pointing the sharp end to yourself and making the knife's handle accessible for the opposite person. [4] If one feels that he or she may have been cursed by someone (had the â€Å"evil eye† put on them) or just has the feeling of a hostile presence, it is recommended to remove one's coat and then put it back on starting with the hand opposing the usually used one. It is also recommended to pin a French Pin inside your clothing to avoid the curse of the evil eye in the first place. 3] One should not to shake hands or give something through a threshold. [3] Whistling in a house would bring misfortune to that household (see origins below). It is considered taboo to give something that is broken or has a defect as a gift. Before one takes an exam, someone else would say, â€Å" ! † which roughly translates to â€Å"neither fur, nor feather! † which means good luck. To this, the one taking the exam would reply, â€Å"? ! † which means, â€Å"Go to the Devil! † or â€Å"To the Devil! † which is a way of securing good luck

Breast Cancer Essay - 1270 Words

Cancer lies resting in all of us; all the living organisms such as our bodies are consistently making defective cells1. This is how tumors are developed. Our bodies are provided with a number of mechanisms that can detect and keep such cells in check1. Breast Cancer (BC), is the most common malignancy found in women worldwide, and it is associated with high morbidity and mortality2. These breast tumors are made up of different characteristics of breast cancer cells3. However, toxicity and chemoresistance are the main reasons that limit the treatments in BC cases to become successful4. Major treatment strategies for breast cancer consist of either radiotherapy, surgery and/or chemotherapy2. The chances of surviving when patients receive†¦show more content†¦Further data demonstrated that frankincense oil can induce apoptosis in breast cancer3. Whether or not frankincense oil influences apoptosis in breast cancer remains unclear. This study will utilize breast cancer cells to determine if frankincense oil influences the viability of the cells and cytotoxicity. Hypothesis: Since scientists have been unable to find a cure for breast cancer, research is needed to lower the viability of breast cancer cells. Due to frankincense’s anti-inflammatory ability to reduce cancer, we hypothesize that frankincense oil will inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells and promote apoptosis. Methodology: Breast cancer cells (MCF-7) will be kept at 37 ° C and 5% CO2 in an incubator. The breast cancer cells are going to be treated by having a control group with media only while the experimental groups will be treated with different concentrations of frankincense (5%, 10%, 20%, and 25%). Breast cancer cells will be incubated for 24 hours. 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