What discrepancies does the author bring forth regarding racial behaviours and attitudes? Give examples

What discrepancies does the author bring forth regarding racial behaviours and attitudes? Give examples

The author acknowledges that attitudes may not necessarily be reflected in a person’s behaviour in real-life contexts. The LaPiere study used by the author gives an account of his travel across the United States in the company of a Chinese couple, at a time when there was alleged intolerance towards people of Asian decency. Even so, he notes the courteous receptions they were accorded when they visited motels, restaurants and hotels. Questions were raised on the possibility of his presence influencing the behaviour of the staff attending to the couple. Replications of his technique in different scenarios, however, yielded similar results. The author, however, highlights settings where attitudes are directly depicted on social conduct. One being a judicial context where the jury arrives on decisions based on the thoughts of the public and, the other being legislators basing decisions to vote for or against issues on perceptions of changed attitudes.

The concept of white privilege is often invisible to the whites enjoying it. What factors does the author cite in support of this argument?

Being white has been associated with advantages commonly referred to as white privilege. While the author notes that white people do not regard themselves as privileged in the same measure Latinos and African Americans view themselves as disadvantaged, the privilege carries advantages. They include assumptions of race not working against one when seeking legal assistance or medical attention, adequate representation on the media and confidence on one’s financial reliability when transacting by cash, checks or credit cards.

Prejudice and discrimination are interrelated concepts defined differently. What are the distinctions between the two?

While prejudice is defined by the author as beliefs, thoughts and attitudes negative towards a category of persons, discrimination involves behaviours that segregate individuals from rightful opportunities and privileges for arbitrary reasons. Denial of opportunities for specific racial groups for preconceived ideas rather than those of merit makes for discrimination. Prejudice, on the other hand, is voiced through ethnic slurs or derisive nicknames.

Blaming the vulnerable is a mechanism of evading responsibility. In what ways does the author elaborate this using the scapegoating theory?

The author uses the concept of transferring blame to a vulnerable group to evade personal shortcomings cited in the theory of scapegoating to elaborate failure to address societal issues. The term is derived from the biblical scenario of the Hebrews. The author cites the example of Adolf Hitler blaming Jews for socio-economic ills of Germans and therefore passing laws to restrict Jewish life in the 1930s. The same is replicated in America’s modern history, whereby immigrants are blamed for issues such as joblessness.

Women form a significant part of the American demography, yet very few hold significant societal positions. What are the reasons for this form of oppression?

The society considers women weak, emotional, irresponsible or inferior and thought of trying to outmuscle met with their feminine movements. The author sites biological differences having contributed to sexism which considers the female gender subordinate. The author sites an elementary school study whereby boys achieved high status based on traits such as athletic abilities and toughness. In contrast, girls gained theirs from physical appearance and academic success. The cause of this is that humans are conditioned to assume specific roles right from childhood, which explains why few women take up significant roles in society.

Women may hold high positions of responsibility but may not be accorded the same respect as men. Why is it so?

Sexual labelling compounded by social structures that set behavioural expectations in various cultural settings. While many similarities exist between males and females, long-established cultural beliefs emphasize bringing up children in ways that separate their gender and roles. The author sites social structures as being the impediments of social boundaries, where traditionally men were accorded more respect. These structures, therefore, impede those willing to stretch boundaries from according the same respect to women.

The suffrage movement faced tremendous opposition. What were the insecurities of groups challenging these reforms?

The push for American women to be allowed to vote took years of struggle to achieve. The author attributes the delay of the nineteenth amendment to various parties. While Liquor brewers believed that if allowed to vote, women would assist in passing laws restricting the sale of their products, the south was afraid that more blacks, (women) would have more influence, considering their role in the abolitionist movement.

The women’s liberation movement of the 1960s impacted men positively. In what ways did it do so?

Like the feminine stereotyping, the masculine mystique socialized to think they should be invulnerable, decisive, fearless and even emotionless in other situations. The movement, however, gave way for the reexamination of the social roles of men, whereby failure to take up roles traditionally classified as masculine would not render one a lesser man.