Outgroup

With the landmark figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and cases such as Brown vs. Board of Education, Americans tend to consider segregation as a relic of a past and shameful age. In reality, the passage of the Civil Rights Act simply halted de jure discrimination (segregation imposed by the government), but de facto segregation (segregation without a legal requirement) still exists. American views of race and religion have systemically disenfranchised minorities. Look no further than the…

Whenever a shocking and seemingly senseless crime occurs, pundits are quick to connect the perpetrator’s actions to their consumption of violent entertainment. No medium, from the literary to the musical and visual, is above condemnation. At the same time, artists and creators insist that their products could not possibly influence anyone’s behaviour to such an extreme degree. Psychological researchers then have the task of finding the truth between these two polarized perspectives.…

Discrimination, Prejudice, and Stereotyping Discrimination and prejudice are a very prevalent issue in America. There are many different forms of discrimnation such as racism, sexism, heightism, ageism, and so forth. These ways of thinking are very destructive and should be eradicated. These issues are especially prevelant in the area where I live, which is South Carolina. With the shooting in Charleston, where a white man shot several Black church members, the Rebel flag was finally pulled…

My cousin Vinny is a film about two best friends, Bill Gambini and Stanley Rothenstein, whom have just being awarded scholarships to UCLA. Before the semester starts the boys decide that they want to drive through the south, once they arrived in Alabama they decide to stop at a convenience store to pick up some snacks. Not soon after they check out and leave the store they are pulled over and arrested for what they believe is shoplifting, however; eventually when they are at the police station…

As more of the world becomes accessible, intercultural communication is becoming an evolving field of study that combines the interactions between individuals and groups from different cultural backgrounds. It has taken a considerable amount of time to get to the diverse point that the world’s society is at now, with more acknowledgment, acceptance and discussion around diversity. However, one can question is what ascribes and defines this identity that we acknowledge as being diversity. It can…

Why Did I Get Married? Crismabelle Garcia Ivy Tech Community College PSYC 253 Dawn Harvey  Why Did I Get Married is a movie about four couples, who are also best friends and each year they go on a retreat/vacation to work out their issues and ask the question “Why did I get married?”. This time they go to a nice house in the mountains of Colorado for a week-long and even though they all agreed to come to this trip, some of them are not all the way there emotionally and all four…

Also, racism is also a falsehood because it is partly due to religious differences. Scientific studies have shown specific examples, “The targets of outgroup prejudice vary from culture to culture and over time - Sidanius refers to them as “arbitrary set” prejudices. In Sri Lanka, it may be Tamils; in Northern Ireland, Catholics or Protestants; in India, the Untouchables” (Culotta 10). Moreover, everyone…

A sociology issue that I have picked is bullying. Bullying is defined is a person, adult, or child, who hurts or intimidates others weaker than himself or herself. (Cowan, 2004)The newspaper stories I will review cover three types of bullying. The reason why I picked this topic is because I have a personal connection with bullying issues and I am an advocate for our society to stand up to this sociology problem. A lot of bullying is to deal with power and influence on others. The three news…

On November 1, 1986, eighteen-year old Rhonda Morrison was found dead on the floor of her parent’s shop. Little evidence is found at the scene, leaving the police with no leads or suspects to convict. Months march on, and pressure from the people of the town builds, with many losing their faith in the police department and outwardly speaking about it. At the same time, the police learn about Walter McMillian, an African-American man who was known to be dating a white woman. Despite no leads and…

Festinger developed a cognitive dissonance theory that exclaimed people feel uncomfortable with inconsistency in their actions and morals and will work to either alter their actions or their opinions to reconcile this dissatisfaction. Avoiding scenarios that exacerbate these feelings is a tactic used to reduce dissonance. Many factors influence how much power this dissonance has over someone. I will be addressing cognitive dissonance and critical thinking issues related to racism and police…