Honors Seminar on
The Social Psychology of Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination
Fall, 2003
Course 12:090:283:01.
Professor Lee Jussim
MTh 3 in Lucy Stone B205 (Livingston
Campus)
COURSE OVERVIEW
This course will provide a general introduction to classic and current social
psychological theory and research regarding stereotypes, prejudice, and
discrimination, while occasionally drawing on other social sciences and
the
humanities. What are the similarities and differences between stereotypes,
prejudice, and discrimination? Are stereotypes necessarily inaccurate,
and
unjustified? Do stereotypes cause or reflect prejudice and discrimination?
Do
stereotypes and prejudice lead to biases when judging other people?
When?
How? What are the links between these three phenomena? Do only
prejudiced
people stereotype? Do only stereotypers discriminate? What are
the
psychological and interpersonal processes that underlie stereotyping, prejudice,
and discrimination? The course will address most of the following
phenomena:
outgroup homogeneity ("they all look alike to me"), ingroup bias ("we rule!"),
expectancy-confirmation ("I know what you people are like, and nothing you
do
can convince me otherwise"), self-fulfilling prophecies ("even if I start
out wrong
about you, I will change your behavior so that it conforms to my beliefs
about
you"), stigma, the contact hypothesis ("to know them is to love them"),
subtle and
implicit forms of racism ("I am not a racist; I just happen to live in an
all-White
neighborhood and oppose affirmative action in principle and believe that
people get what they deserve and...") and sexism ("I love women, but my
boss
really is a bitch..."). How much do these phenomena contribute to
social inequalities and injustices? Basic, theoretical, experimental
research will be
included; as will research on real, applied social problems, such as school
desegregation, minority academic underachievement, underrepresentation
of
minorities and women in managerial and professional jobs; and to the
ultimate forms of discrimination: mass murder, ethnic cleansing, and genocide.
Readings will include, but not be restricted to, selections from:
Allport's classic text The Nature of Prejudice;
Ashmore, Jussim, & Wilder's edited book: Social Identity, Conflict,
and Conflict Resolution;
Lee, Jussim, & McCauley's edited book: Stereotype Accuracy;
Jussim's in progress book on interpersonal expectancies;
Classic and current articles and chapters in social psychology
and related fields.
Although Dr. Jussim will occasionally lecture, put on a demo, or show
a movie, the class format will overwhelmingly be a spirited discussion
of the week's readings. Requirements will include
brief (1/4 page) papers summarizing each reading,
an in-class mid-term, and a take home final essay/paper.
Dr. Jussim is Professor and Graduate Vice Chair of Psychology. After
dropping in and out of college for years, he eventually completed not
only a B.A. (UMass/Boston, 1981) but even a Ph.D. (Michigan, 1987).
In some social psychological circles, Dr. Jussim
has a bad reputation. This is because he
regularly and relentlessly points out -- in classes, professional
talks, and research publications -- that:
1) many social psychological claims about the
inaccuracy of social beliefs in general, and of stereotypes in particular,
are not justified by the body of data that social psychologists have themselves
collected;
and
2) if social psychologists aspire to be empirical scientists, rather than
political ideologues, it behooves their conclusions to be at least
partially influenced by their data.
Despite annoying some of his colleagues (or perhaps because of it),
Dr. Jussim has managed to receive a number of
prestigious awards for his scientific research on
social perception, stereotypes, and prejudice. He
enthusiastically looks forward to teaching this class.
More information about his professional biography can be found at:
http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~jussim/life.html