Social prejudices as regulators of specific interpersonal relationships

Abstract

The article examines social prejudice as a concept referring to the characterization of intergroup relations; is relevant to a particular social group, as well as to the individual subject to its identification with the group. Being an intergroup phenomenon, prejudic­ es manifest in interpersonal relations. Prejudice extends to other contexts. For example, the bias against advertising, products of national or foreign production, tabloids, Brazil­ ian soap operas. The paper also describes the content of «discrimination» which is close in meaning to the concept of bias (negative attitude to anything and anyone); depending on the display area there are singled out some prejudices such as racial, ethnic, gender, religious, age bias, prejudice against sexual minorities, alcoholics, drug addicts, crimi­ nals, thick or thin, etc. They shall serve as justification indiscretions of person or group and rationalization of their negative feelings. The following theoretical approaches to prejudice consideration are presented: socio-biological approach, psychoanalytic ap­ proach, neobehaviourist approach, stigmatization approach, approach of intergroup conflicts, cognitive approach, activity approach, the approach of social influence, dis­ cursive approach. Stigmatizators feel hostility and antipathy to their potential victim. Among the characteristics causing hostility and antipathy, various authors also selected: similarity to a frustrator, difference from the majority, provocative behavior, irritability, increased uneasiness, aspiration to show the superiority, luck, boastfulness, rejection of social norms, neglecting general rules, indiscipline, aggression, expression of dis­ satisfaction with the group and a position in it, morbidity and weakness, sense of guilt, low level of self-esteem, uncommunicativeness and also existence of some physical defect, a mental disorder.Represented diversity of theoretical approaches shows, first of all, the complexity of the phenomenon of prejudice and its many aspects, the depth of penetration into the consciousness of people and their inculcation in memory.All these prejudices act as rigid attitudes of bias. The development person’s critical thinking and reflexive culture can lead to decreasing in his bias. Overcoming of a reproduction, me­ chanicalness, unilateral, prejudiced vision of a situation, an exit out of limits of thinking existing schemes and models of activity is prerequisites of success of decrease in bias.