Psychology 322: Seminar in Stereotyping, Prejudice and Discrimination

In this seminar we will examine contemporary issues in stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination, both from the perceiver’s and the target’s perspective. We will cover the phenomena and processes associated with one’s beliefs about members of social groups (stereotypes), attitudes and evaluative responses toward group members (prejudice), and behaviors toward members of a social group based on their group membership (discrimination). We will also study how these issues shape the experiences of social group members, especially when they are members of low-status and/or minority groups. In order to explore these topics, we will primarily focus on large societal groups that differ on cultural dimensions of identity, with a focus on race and gender. The goal of the course is to provide an overview of social psychological frameworks used to study stereotyping and prejudice, and to stimulate creative thinking and research on this topic. We will accomplish this through a combination of readings, student presentations, group discussions, and written assignments.