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Published on: September 28, 2018
Prejudice in context departs from attitudes toward groups.
Alice H Eagly1, Amanda B Diekman
1Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60201, USA. eagly@northwestern.edu
The Behavioral and Brain Sciences
|November 21, 2012
Summary
Prejudice arises from context-specific attitudes, not general group views. Social change requires challenging role expectations and altering group stereotypes for effective societal shifts.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Sociology
- Attitude Research
Background:
- Prejudice is often analyzed through general group attitudes.
- Attitudes can be specific to particular social roles and contexts.
- Existing analyses may overlook context-dependent attitude formation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critique existing analyses of prejudice by Dixon et al.
- To highlight the role of context in shaping attitudes driving prejudice.
- To propose effective strategies for social change based on attitude theory.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of existing social psychology research.
- Examination of attitude formation in specific social contexts.
- Theoretical critique of generalized attitude models.
Main Results:
- Attitudes driving prejudice are contextually constructed.
- Attitudes toward specific roles (e.g., men in childcare) differ from general group attitudes.
- Generalized analyses of prejudice may be incomplete.
Conclusions:
- Social change is more effectively achieved by challenging role requirements.
- Altering group stereotypes is a crucial component of social transformation.
- Context-specific attitude analysis is vital for understanding and combating prejudice.
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