Stereotypes and Prejudice

Exporting anti-Zionism: The delegitimization of Israel in the Iranian Press

by Rusi Jaspal

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Jaspal, R. (under review). Exporting anti-Zionism: The delegitimization of Israel in the Iranian Press. Submitted to Israel Studies.

Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Anti-Zionism has remained an important ideological building-block of the Islamic... more Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Anti-Zionism has remained an important ideological building-block of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This paper examines the manifestation of anti-Zionism in the English-language Iranian Press in order to elucidate how this ideology is ‘exported’ to an international readership. The paper presents the results of an empirical study of two leading English-language Iranian newspapers: The Tehran Times and Press TV. The study uses critical discourse analysis and draws upon tenets of Social Representations Theory and the notion of Delegitimization from social psychology. The following themes are outlined: (i) “Problematizing Israel’s right to exist”; (ii) “Unveiling the global Zionist conspiracy”; and (iii) “Leading the global anti-Zionism – the declining ‘Zionist regime’”. Both anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic representations are observable in the corpus. The paper identifies three key components of the delegitimization process in textual representations of Israel, and discusses possible implications of outgroup delegitimization for identity, emotion and action.

Keywords: media representations; Iran; Israel; anti-Zionism; prejudice; social representations theory; critical discourse analysis; qualitative; social psychology

Navigating the Academy with an Accent by Amanda Pumphrey

by Feminism and Religion

Originally published on Feminism and Religion project

“Where are you from?” I wish I had a dollar for every time someone has asked me that question since moving to... more “Where are you from?” I wish I had a dollar for every time someone has asked me that question since moving to California. I would be able to make a substantial payment towards my student loan debt by now. No one knows I’m “different” here in SoCal until I open my mouth. My thick Southern accent happens to be my signifier.

Before I moved to Claremont to begin graduate school, I never considered my accent a problem. Despite the fact that when I moved outside of my hometown to college only two hours away, some of my friends teased me about my accent. Since I grew up in the very southwestern corner of Georgia, I lived right along the Alabama border. Some of my college friends from other regions of Georgia thought I sounded more Alabamian. Still, mostly everyone I went to college with had some form of a Southern accent and that was okay. It was safe. It was normative.

Willful stereotype control: The impact of internal motivation to respond without prejudice on the regulation of activated stereotypes

by Kai Sassenberg

Fehr, J., Sassenberg, K., & Jonas, K. J. (in press). Willful stereotype control: The impact of internal motivation to respond without prejudice on the regulation of activated stereotypes. Zeitschrift für Psychologie / Journal of Psychology.

Internal motivation to behave nonprejudiced leads to heightened control of stereotype activation. However, it is not... more Internal motivation to behave nonprejudiced leads to heightened control of stereotype activation. However, it is not clear whether internal motivation to behave nonprejudiced only reduces stereotype activation or whether individuals high internally motivated to behave nonprejudiced are also more successful in intentionally controlling already activated stereotypes. Two studies show that internal motivation to behave nonprejudiced when measured as well as when manipulated leads to more efficient control of activated stereotypes. This underlines the powerful potential of internal motivation to behave nonprejudiced to support the intentional control of previously activated stereotypes.

No role for lightness in the perception of black and white? Simultaneous contrast affects perceived skin tone, but not perceived race

by Kevin Brooks

Brooks, K. R. & Gwinn, S. O. (2010). No role for lightness in the perception of black and white? Simultaneous contrast affects perceived skin tone, but not perceived race. Perception, 39, 1142-1145.

Faces of individuals with African and European heritage (henceforth referred to as Black and White respectively)... more Faces of individuals with African and European heritage (henceforth referred to as Black and White respectively) feature two major differences: those of skin tone and morphological characteristics. Although considerations of perceived race are important to various psychological subdisciplines, to date the relative influence of morphological versus photometric characteristics has not been investigated. We attempted to influence the perceived racial typicality of a central target face by manipulating perceived skin tone using the well-known lightness contrast illusion. As expected, ratings of skin tone were influenced by surround faces, yet ratings of perceived racial typicality were not, suggesting a dissociation between the two judgments. Surprisingly, skin tone contributes little to perceived race, leaving facial morphology as the dominant cue. These results may shed light on failures to find effects of racial typicality in studies of prejudice where judgments were based on photographs with altered skin tone alone.

GENDER-MOTIVATED BIAS CRIMES: EXAMINING WHY SITUATIONAL VARIABLES ARE IMPORTANT IN THE LABELING OF HATE CRIMES

by H. Colleen Sinclair

Representing the 'Zionist Regime': Mass Communication of anti-Zionism in the English-language Iranian Press

by Rusi Jaspal

**FOR A PDF OF FULL PAPER, E-MAIL ME**

Jaspal, R. (under review). Representing the 'Zionist Regime': Mass Communication of anti-Zionism in the English-language Iranian Press. Submitted to Mass Communication and Society.

Anti-Zionism constitutes an important ideological building-block of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI). This paper... more Anti-Zionism constitutes an important ideological building-block of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI). This paper provides insight into the mass communication of anti-Zionism in the English-language Iranian Press in order to examine how this ideology is ‘exported’ to an international readership. The paper presents the results of an empirical study of two leading English-language Iranian newspapers: The Tehran Times and Press TV. The study uses critical discourse analysis and draws upon tenets of Social Representations Theory from social psychology. The following discourses are discussed: (i) Resisting social representations of Israeli statehood; (ii) Constructing threat: The Zionist regime as a terrorist entity; and (iii) Responding to threat: Anti-Zionism as a religious duty for the Muslim Ummah. As a ‘mouth-piece’ of the IRI, these outlets adopt and encourage a fervently anti-Zionist stance by refusing to recognise the statehood and civilian population of Israel and by constructing the ‘Zionist regime’ as a terrorist threat which should be mitigated collectively by the Islamic Ummah. Implications are discussed.

Keywords: media representations; Iran; Israel; anti-Zionism; prejudice; social representations theory; critical discourse analysis; qualitative; social psychology

Exposure to Scientific Theories Affects Women's Math Performance

by Ilan Dar-Nimrod

Dar-Nimrod, I., & Heine, S. J. (2006). Exposure to scientific theories affects women’s math performance. Science, 314, 435.

On Erich Fromm: why he left the Frankfurt school

by Caroline Kamau

Kamau, C. (2012).

Chapter synopsis: 'On Erich Fromm: Why he left the Frankfurt School':

-Biography: Erich Fromm
-Erich... more Chapter synopsis: 'On Erich Fromm: Why he left the Frankfurt School':

-Biography: Erich Fromm
-Erich Fromm was very critical of Freudian psychoanalysis. The Frankfurt School disapproved of that.
-Tension arose between Fromm and Horkheimer/Adorno/Marcuse and other pro-Freudian contemporaries
-Erich Fromm had reservations about the Frankfurt School's desire to merge psychoanalysis with Marxist theory
-Controversy arose over the Frankfurt School's decision not to publish a manuscript that Fromm wrote, with Weiss. This was a report of their landmark authoritarian personality study of 1931. The topic and methodology shaped the Frankfurt School's later research into authoritarianism (e.g. Adorno et al.'s famous studies).

This chapter also discusses Erich Fromm's work post-Frankfurt School:
--Fromm on social neurosis
--Fromm on thoughts as a form of self-presentation or impression management
--Fromm's theoretical focus on self identity, rather than instincts
--Fromm's theory about personality traits
--Fromm on empiricism and psychology versus psychoanalysis

Framing gender differences: Linguistic normativity affects perceptions of power and gender stereotypes

by Peter Hegarty

Published as Bruckmüller S, Hegarty P, Abele AE. (2012). Framing gender differences: Linguistic normativity affects perceptions of power and gender stereotypes. European Journal of Social Psychology, 42, 210-218.

When unknown groups and equal status groups are compared by contrasting one group (“the effect to be explained”)... more When unknown groups and equal status groups are compared by contrasting one group (“the effect to be explained”) against another (“the linguistic norm”), the group positioned as the norm is sometimes perceived as more powerful, more agentic, and as less communal. Such perceptions may contribute to status-linked stereotypes, as group differences are spontaneously described by positioning higher-status groups as the linguistic norm. Here, 103 participants considered gender differences in status to be larger and more legitimate and applied gender stereotypes more readily upon reading about gender differences in leadership that were framed around a male rather than a female linguistic norm. These effects did not generalize to 113 participants who read about gender differences in leisure time preferences framed around either norm. Jointly, these results suggest that the effects of linguistic framing on perceived group status and power and on group stereotypes generalize to domains where there are real differences in status, and contexts in which higher-status groups are the default standard for comparison.

From Jezebel to Ho- An Analysis of Creative and Imaginative Shared Representations of African-American Women

by Journal of Research on Women and Gender

Mia Moody, Baylor University

Critical race theory has affirmed that popular culture represents African-American women in narrowly defined... more Critical race theory has affirmed that popular culture represents African-American women in narrowly defined stereotypical roles that are long lasting, dichotomous and degrading. However, not as common are studies that look at creative and imaginative shared portrayals of the group. This essay applies symbolic convergence theory (SCT) with its critical method, fantasy theme analysis (FTA), to explore Don Imus and his co-hosts’ use of stereotypes in their depiction of members of the Rutgers basketball team. While Imus began the characterization of members of the mostly black team as “rough girls” and “nappy-headed hos,” his co-hosts contributed to his fantasy, resorting to stereotypes deeply entrenched in cultural narratives of black women. The Imus faux pas occurred several years ago; however, many of the same stereotypes continue to resurface in media portrayals of African-American women, particularly in social media outlets. For instance, dozens of Facebook hate groups target Michelle Obama, using both racist and sexist language that questions her personality, femininity and beauty. While media have made inroads in improving representations of women and people of color, historical stereotypes of black women are still a prominent part of cultural narratives. Scholars must constantly challenge such portrayals and advocate for alternative, meaningful and consistent depictions.

"'An entirely different culture and an alien race:' Scandinavian Ukrainian encounters on the Canadian Prairies 1910-1940, Scandinavian-Canadian Studies/Études scandinaves au Canada 20 (2011): 26-51.

by Per Anders Rudling

Media Representations of Young Black Men and Boys: Report of the REACH Media Monitoring Project

by Kerry Moore

Grant Holders: Kerry Moore, Dr Stephen Cushion, Dr John Jewell

Researchers: Dr Lucy Bennett, Liezel Longboan, Dr Max Pettigrew and Dr Darren Kelsey

Funder: Race, Cohesion and Faiths Research Unit, Department for Communities and Local Government

Project Duration: 2008 to 2010 (The research findings published 2011)

This project explores contemporary representations of black boys and young men in UK national media. It focuses... more This project explores contemporary representations of black boys and young men in UK national media. It focuses particularly upon measuring the extent of negative stereotyping of these groups in news narratives across mainstream print and broadcast news, current affairs and factual programmes as well as in BME news media. It explores, in depth, the patterns and key characteristics of this coverage across these media forms. While systematic media analyses provide a robust evidential base for understanding the manner and extent to which young black men and boys are portrayed in the news media, a production study involving interviews with journalists also contributes to a better understanding of how and why those portrayals are constructed.

Individual differences and intergroup bias: Divergent dynamics associated with prejudice and stereotyping

by Anna Newheiser

Newheiser & Dovidio, 2012, Personality and Individual Differences

Although the study of intergroup bias has attracted substantial empirical interest within personality and social... more Although the study of intergroup bias has attracted substantial empirical interest within personality and social psychology, distinctions among types of bias, primarily prejudice and stereotyping, are often not fully considered. However, stereotyping and prejudice are conceptually and empirically distinct phenomena. We investigated how individual-difference variables distinctively predict stereotyping and prejudice, and examined the differential antecedents, dynamics, and consequences of these forms of intergroup bias. Personal Need for Structure predicted stereotyping, and Right-Wing Authoritarianism and intergroup contact predicted prejudice. In addition, stereotyping and prejudice had divergent dynamics with perceptions of out-groups’ entitativity (i.e., out-groups’ perceived unity, coherence, and internal organization). Specifically, entitativity mediated the relationship between Personal Need for Structure and stereotyping. In contrast, prejudice mediated the relationships of both Right-Wing Authoritarianism and intergroup contact with entitativity. Implications for theory and research on the predictors and dynamics of intergroup bias are discussed.

Bijleveld, E., Scheepers, D., & Ellemers, N. (in press). The cortisol response to anticipated intergroup interactions predicts self-reported prejudice. PLoS ONE.

by Erik Bijleveld

Objectives. While prejudice has often been shown to be rooted in experiences of threat, the biological underpinnings... more Objectives. While prejudice has often been shown to be rooted in experiences of threat, the biological underpinnings of this threat-prejudice association have received less research attention. The present experiment aims to test whether activations of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, due to anticipated interactions with outgroup members, predict self-reported prejudice. Moreover, we explore potential moderators of this relationship (i.e., interpersonal similarity; subtle vs. blatant prejudice).

Methodology/Principal findings. Participants anticipated an interaction with an out-group member who was similar or dissimilar to the self. To index HPA activation, cortisol responses to this event were measured. Then, subtle and blatant prejudice were measured via questionnaires. Findings indicated that only when people anticipated an interaction with an out group member who was dissimilar to the self, their cortisol response to this event significantly predicted subtle (r = .50) and blatant (r = .53) prejudice.

Conclusions. These findings indicate that prejudicial attitudes are linked to HPA-axis activity. Furthermore, when intergroup interactions are interpreted to be about individuals (and not so much about groups), experienced threat (or its biological substrate) is less likely to relate to prejudice.

Separating the “sinner” from the “sin”: Religious orientation and prejudiced behavior toward sexual orientation and promiscuous sex

by Jo-Ann Tsang

The relationship between religious orientation, right-wing authoritarianism, and implicit attitudes toward lesbians and gay men.

by Jo-Ann Tsang

Arvanitis, A. (2012). When in Greece. Project Syndicate.

by Alexios Arvanitis

Article about essentialist remarks. Online commentary at Project Syndicate.

Social Tolerance in Slovenia and Europe: A Comparative and Longitudinal Analysis [Netolerantnost v Sloveniji in Evropi: Primerjalna in longitudinalna analiza].

by Andrej Kirbis

Co-authored with Flere, S., & Tavčar Krajnc, M. (2012). Accepted for publication in Druzboslovne razprave.

Our study draws upon postmodernization theory to examine and compare social tolerance of Slovenes and Europeans toward... more Our study draws upon postmodernization theory to examine and compare social tolerance of Slovenes and Europeans toward nine minority groups. We analyzed 44 representative national samples in European Values Study (2008) and Slovenian Public Opinion data. In 2008 Slovenes were most intolerant toward drug addicts, heavy drinkers, and Romas, who remain the least desired ethnoreligious group in Slovenia and Europe. Multilevel regression model showed that at the cross-country level higher intolerance was predicted only by lower levels of socioeconomic development, but not by other macrovariables. Significant predictors at the individual level proved to be education, household income, age and religiosity. In Slovenia during the 1992–2008 period levels of intolerance toward lifestyle minorities have remained at the similar level, while xenophobia has decreased.

Representing the ‘Other’: A Discursive Analysis of Prejudice and Moral Exclusion in Talk about Romanies

by Cristian Tileaga

Ideologies of moral exclusion: a critical discursive reframing of depersonalization, delegitimization and dehumanization

by Cristian Tileaga