Group Description
African Americans are one of the minority groups in the U.S. that are subjected to racism. The group consists of individuals who live in the U.S. but with partial or total origin from any of the black racial groups of Africa (Peters, 1985).
Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination
Negative
One of the major stereotypes of African Americans is the “Black brute”. The latter is a stereotype for Black men who are portrayed as being highly prone to violent and inhuman behaviors (Pettigrew, 1998). Therefore, black men are more likely to be falsely accused of crimes than their white counterparts. A common prejudice against the group is the belief that they are poor and can only do well in low-paying manual jobs.
Positive
The group has also been subjected to positive attitudes, which include portrayal in the mainstream media as the hardest-working human race. Social inequality is the main causal mechanism for the stereotype, prejudice, and discrimination against African Americans (Feenstra, 2020). For instance, few Black people occupy powerful political seats in the U.S., limiting their ability to formulate policies that favor them. Social inequality has made it difficult for African Americans to access equal economic opportunities.
Situational and Social Factors Influencing Attitudes
Situational and social actors can influence attitudes towards African Americans. One of the situational factors is the historical events of colonialization that increased negative attitudes toward the group. Meanwhile, social factors include peer influence to seek social acceptance and conformity (Feenstra, 2020a).
Application of Theoretical Perspectives
The theory of cognitive dissonance can be used to explain positive attitudes among some whites toward African Americans. Individuals can often feel uncomfortable when their behaviors, including racism, do not align with their values or beliefs (Feenstra, 2020). The representativeness heuristic can be used to wrongly judge African Americans under uncertainty (Tversky & Kahneman, 1974). For instance, many innocent African Americans have been wrongly accused of crimes such as theft because of their skin color.
Suggestions for Eliminating Bias in a Professional Setting
Promotion of awareness, diversity, and inclusion training can help eliminate negative attitudes towards African Americans in a professional setting. Improved awareness allows other people to view the group as any other that deserves to be treated with dignity and respect (Cooper Brathwaite et al., 2022). Moreover, diversity and inclusion in training can aid in understanding the problems associated with negative attitudes towards minority ethnic groups (Feenstra, 2020b). Consequently, it is easier for individuals to embrace other cultures that are not their own.
References
Cooper Brathwaite, A., Versailles, D., Juüdi‐Hope, D., Coppin, M., Jefferies, K., Bradley, R., Campbell, R., Garraway, C., Obewu, O., LaRonde‐Ogilvie, C., Sinclair, D., Groom, B., & Grinspun, D. (2022). Tackling discrimination and systemic racism in academic and workplace settings. Nursing Inquiry, 29(4). Web.
Feenstra, J. (2020). Making judgements. In Social Psychology.
Feenstra, J. (2020a). Attitudes, attribution, and behavior. In Social Psychology.
Feenstra, J. (2020b). Prejudice. In Social Psychology.
Peters, W. (Director). (1985). A class divided [Video]. Frontline.
Pettigrew, T. F. (1998). Intergroup contact theory. Annual Review of Psychology, 49, 65–85. ProQuest.
Tversky, A., & Kahneman, D. (1974). Judgment under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases. Science, 185(4157), 1124–1131.