GENDER AND SOCIETY

Module 5: Stereotype, Prejudice, and Discrimination

Overview
People in the world have different belief systems, religion, culture, and tradition. Yet, each person is unique mix
of their own. While appreciating diversity is important, stereotype,prejudice, and discrimination persisted in many
societies.

This module focuses on the existence of stereotype, prejudice, and discrimination in society. It will also help
people understand more on these concepts as a social construct that significantly affect the way people interact with
others.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this module, you should be able to:

1. Explain the differences between stereotype, prejudice, and discrimination;

2. Understand the manifestations of stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination on gender.
1.1 Stereotypes
Stereotypes are “fixed, over generalized belief about a particular group or class of people (Cardwell, cited in
McLeod, 2017). It is an assumption that people who belong to a particular group are the same. As a result, people
tend to associate others with the characteristics and attributes of the group they belong to. Others imposed
upon groups of people stereotype because of their race, gender or sexual orientation. By simplifying the
social world, some people will generalize other people or associate them with attributes that might not be true.

There are various types of stereotypes. The most common are racial stereotypes, gender stereotypes, and
sexual stereotypes. An example of racial stereotype is saying that “all Asians are good in Math.” Assuming that “girls
are not good at sports” is an example of gender stereotype. Whereas, the perception that being “gay is immoral”
is an example of sexualstereotype.

Stereotypes may be positive or negative. The stereotypes for students from Ivy Legue schools as intelligent
or that students of the University of the Philippines are matalino) is an example of positive stereotype. However,
stereotypes are mostly negative and imply an erroneous assumptions or generalizations like associating Muslim
with terrorism. As a result, it can lead to social categorization. Social categorization is the “natural cognitive
process by which we place individuals into the social groups” (Jhangiani & Tarry, 2012), which is a result
ofcategorizing people according to their group. For example, a man versus a woman, a Black person versus a White
person, and the likes. It can lead to prejudicial attitude of some people towards others.

Moreover, stereotypes can be categorized as explicit or implicit. An explicit stereotype means that someone is
aware of the way they think of others. Implicit stereotype, in contrast, refers to the stereotype that is imbedded in the
subconscious of a person, which is shaped by experience of the person (Peralta, Botor, & Laude, 2019). Thus, explicit
bias is intentional and can be controlled, while implicit bias is unconsciously done and simply manifests without the
control of the person.

Test Yourself!
Are you curious of your implicit biases?
You can measure your implicit bias through the Implicit Association Test (IAT). Try the IAT
at https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/.
1.2 Prejudice
Prejudice is the “an unjustifiable negative attitude toward an out-group or toward the membersof that out-
group” (Jhangiani & Tarry, 2012. It refers to the beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and attitudes someone holds about
a certain group. It can take a form of dislike, anger, discomfort, or disgust, or hatred to a particular group of
people. Generally, prejudice is not based on previous experiences, but on the actual experience. There are
times also; it is without ground and irrational.

The emotional response of people when they learn of others membership to a certain group results to their
negative attitude towards these people. These negative attitudes can be dangerous because it can result to
bullying, violence or discrimination.

While prejudice does not necessarily specific to ethnicity or race, racism is closely related to prejudice.
Others believe that their race or ethnicity if superior to others, which lead to racism. With racism, a racial
minority is placed in a disadvantage position, which can even lead to violence against them. A typical example
of this is the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan who primarily targets the African-Americans with their hate crime
and hate speech.

1.3 Discrimination
Discrimination refers to the intended or accomplished different treatment of person or social group for reasons
of certain generalized traits. Discrimination can be based on age, religion, health, race, and others. It is observable
in many societies from biased laws to unfair hiring systems at work.

Discrimination is harmful because it leads to inequality. While many countries fought for equality, discrimination
is a major societal problem that persisted despite enacted laws that uphold equality. The discriminatory attitude of
people takes different forms and it manifest in many ways. In many instances in the history of humankind,
discrimination occurred andcontinues to occur until today. According to Peralta, Botor, & Laude (2019), the following
are examples of discrimination:

 Genocide is the action of recognizing someone as different so much that they are treatedinhumanly and
degraded.
 Apartheid (means separateness) is a form if racial discrimination wherein one race is viewed as less than
the other, resulting in the separation of black and whites and the mass murder of Jews in concentration
camps.
 Gender discrimination is another common form of discrimination. Worldwide, there is a disparity in the wage
or pay that women receive as compared to their men counterparts. On the other hand, men also experienced
discrimination as manifested in the perception that it is not “manly” for any man to do house chores like
doing the laundry or cooking.
  LGBT discrimination happens when LGBT people are treated as lesser than straight people. Since
childhood, some members of the LGBT community experienced bullying from their peers for acting
differently, for liking girls’ toys, and for doing anything that is perceived to be feminine.

Discrimination also takes the form of restricting others of opportunities or privileges. Historically, women in the
Philippines were only confined at home and are discouraged to get an education. Women were also not allowed to
vote or to participate in politics. It was only in the 1937 that Filipino women were allowed to vote. Later, some women
participated in politics,although politics in the Philippines is still predominantly composed of men. The notion that
women are weaker compare to men contributes to the discrimination that women experiencedin the past, which
still resonates until today.

WATCH: What are Prejudice, Stereotyping, and Discrimination by Journeys In Film at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P0iP2Zm6a4.

Self-Study Question:
1. What are the historical roots of the existence of prejudice, stereotyping anddiscrimination?
.
1.3 Freedom and Equality
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) outlines the freedom and rights that everyone are entitled
to enjoy. While many countries were divided by oppression and racism at the end of the World War II, member
states of the United Nations drafted 30 articles that refer to the rights and freedom of every individual in the
document called the UDHR. This documentbecame a catalyst for improving the protection of some marginalized
groups like the indigenous, disabled, and women.

One essential rights highlighted in the UDHR is the recognition that “all human beings are born free and equal
in dignity and rights” (United Nations, n.d.). It implies that regardless of race, status, gender, and color, everyone
is equal in dignity. This is a very significant article as it helps promote equality in a highly divided world. As stated
in its preamble, everyone has “inherent dignity and inalienable rights” implying that no authority has the right to
deprive others of their rights. As a result, the UDHR became the international bill of rights that were adopted by
various states in the world as part of their national laws.

In the Philippines, Article III, Sec. 1 upholds the protection of the rights of every individual andthat equality is
promoted. Because no one is above the law, everyone is expected to uphold freedom and equality. In order to
protect the minorities and the marginalized, the constitution guaranteed equal protection of the law. From the
indigenous communities to the disabled people, or from the women to the LGBTQ+ community, laws are
promulgated to protect these groups who are mostly subjected to discrimination.

In this world divided by race, ethnicity, language, culture, religion, and sex, accepting each other’s diversity
and appreciating each other’s uniqueness is key to having a safer and more
Gender and Society Lecture Notes No. 1

inclusive place for everyone. Respecting each other’s beliefs and culture will help promote equality. With
understanding, people will become tolerant with one another, and it will result toa better world for everyone.

References

Jhangiani, R. & Tarry, H. (2012). Chapter 12 – Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination(Principles of

Social Psychology – 1st International Ed.) Retrieved from
https://opentextbc.ca/socialpsychology/front-matter/preface/.
Journeys in Film (2018, December 15) What are Prejudice, Stereotyping, and Discrimination?

[Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtu.be/X3-V21E7yZE.

McLeod, S. A. (2008). Prejudice and discrimination. Retrieved from
https://www.simplypyscohology.org/prejudice.html.
Peralta, E. P. , Botor, N. J. , & Laude, T. M. (2019). Gender and Society: A Human Ecological Approach. Manila,
Philippines: Rex Bookstore, Inc.
Rodriguez, A. M. & Rodriguez, A. M. L. (2019). Gender and Society: The Whys of Women, Their Oppressions, and
Paths to Liberation. Quezon City, Philippines: C & E Publishing, Inc.
United Nations. (n.d.). Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/en/universal-
declaration-human-rights/.