Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination

CHAPTER 5

Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination

HANDOUT 5.1a

Read the paragraph and answer the question at the end:

On January 4, 2003, Madeline Sands, 28, of Duluth, Minnesota, reported to the local police that she had seen a Bigfoot-like creature. She told Sgt. Alex Fender that she had been walking home from a neighbor's house during a snowstorm in the early evening, when suddenly she heard a loud sound coming from the clump of woods that borders on the side of her property. She looked in that direction and again there was a rushing sound, and she caught a glimpse of something moving swiftly between the trees. It looked like a very tall man with fur. And then she heard "it" whine. "Its voice was not like any human voices I've ever heard. I'm sure there was something out there  I know it!" She told Sgt. Fender. Because the snow had covered up any possible tracks, investigation by the police, so far, has failed to turn up evidence.

Which do you think is most likely?

Madeline Sands ______may have seen a Bigfoot-like creature

______probably saw some unusual natural phenomenon but not "Bigfoot"

______probably imagined or fantasized the experience

______probably made it up, to get some attention or notoriety

HANDOUT 5.1b

Read the paragraph and answer the question at the end:

On January 4, 2003, Madeline Sands, 73, of Duluth, Minnesota, reported to the local police that she had seen a Bigfoot-like creature. She told Sgt. Alex Fender that she had been walking home from a neighbor's house during a snowstorm in the early evening, when suddenly she heard a loud sound coming from the clump of woods that borders on the side of her property. She looked in that direction and again there was a rushing sound, and she caught a glimpse of something moving swiftly between the trees. It looked like a very tall man with fur. And then she heard "it" whine. "Its voice was not like any human voices I've ever heard. I'm sure there was something out there  I know it!" She told Sgt. Fender. Because the snow had covered up any possible tracks, investigation by the police, so far, has failed to turn up evidence.

Which do you think is most likely?

Madeline Sands ______may have seen a Bigfoot-like creature

______probably saw some unusual natural phenomenon but not "Bigfoot"

______probably imagined or fantasized the experience

______probably made it up, to get some attention or notoriety

HANDOUT 5.1c

Read the paragraph and answer the question at the end:

On January 4, 2003, Madeline Sands, of Duluth, Minnesota, reported to the local police that she had seen a Bigfoot-like creature. She told Sgt. Alex Fender that she had been sitting on her back porch in her wheelchair, about 2 hours after sunset, when suddenly she heard a loud sound coming from the clump of woods that borders on the side of her property. She looked in that direction and again there was a rushing sound, and she caught a glimpse of something moving swiftly between the trees. It looked like a very tall man with fur. And then she heard "it" whine. "Its voice was not like any human voices I've ever heard. I'm sure there was something out there  I know it!" She told Sgt. Fender. Because the snow had covered up any possible tracks, investigation by the police, so far, has failed to turn up evidence.

Which do you think is most likely?

Madeline Sands ______may have seen a Bigfoot-like creature

______probably saw some unusual natural phenomenon but not "Bigfoot"

______probably imagined or fantasized the experience

______probably made it up, to get some attention or notoriety

HANDOUT 5.2 Feelings About Your Social Groups

We are all members of different social groups or social categories. Some of such social groups or categories pertain to gender, race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, and socioeconomic class. We would like you to consider your membership in those particular groups or categories, and respond to the following statements on the basis of how you feel about those groups and your membership in them. There are no right or wrong answers to any of these statements; we are interested in your honest reactions and opinions. Rate how much you agree with each statement using the following scale[1]:

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
strongly disagree / strongly agree
1. / ______/ I am a worthy member of the social groups I belong to.
2. / ______/ I often regret that I belong to some of the social groups I do.
3. / ______/ Overall, my social groups are considered good by others.
4. / ______/ Overall, my group memberships have very little to do with how I feel about myself.
5. / ______/ I feel I don’t have much to offer to the social groups I belong to.
6. / ______/ In general, I’m glad to be a member of the social groups I belong to.
7. / ______/ Most people consider my social groups, on the average, to be more ineffective than other social groups.
8. / ______/ The social groups I belong to are an important reflection of who I am.
9. / ______/ I am a cooperative participant in the social groups I belong to.
10. / ______/ Overall, I often feel that the social groups of which I am a member are not worthwhile.
11. / ______/ In general, others respect the social groups that I am a member of.
12. / ______/ The social groups I belong to are unimportant to my sense of what kind of person I am.
13. / ______/ I often feel I’m a useless member of my social groups.
14. / ______/ I feel good about the social groups I belong to.
15. / ______/ In general, others think that the social groups I am a member of are unworthy.
16. / ______/ In general, belonging to social groups is an important part of my self-image.

HANDOUT 5.4 TV Commercial Coding Sheet

Name of Product / Date and Time

1.Central figure:

Male
Female

Do not use a commercial that has more than two central figures. The narrator counts as one. Score below for each figure.[2]

Central figure is:
narrator
product user
authority
Central figure’s role is:
spouse
parent
homemaker
boyfriend or girlfriend
interviewer or narrator
worker
celebrity
professional

2.Location of the scene:

home
office
store
other

3.Type of arguments given by each central figure:

scientific (facts)
nonscientific (opinions and testimonials)
none

4.Type of product:

home
food
body
other