Reference no: EM131815037
Attitudes, Behaviors and Ideas
The authors of the Multicultural Law Enforcement textbook offer definitions for the following list of attitudes, behaviors, and ideas. One should recognize that definitions may vary from one source to another.
You may also find that the definitions are often similar or interchangeable. Please familiarize yourself with the following list of textbook definitions and then answer the discussion questions below.
1. PREJUDICE - A judgment or opinion formed before facts are known, usually involving negative or unfavorable thoughts about groups of people.
Example: A feeling of dislike towards a shaved head Hispanic male believing that he is a gang member.
2. BIAS - A preformed negative opinion or attitude toward a group of persons based on their race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity. Negative or positive bias can also surface towards members of a specific group of people.
Example: Media stations are often accused of reporting stories that are positively or negatively bias to a particular political party.
3. STEREOTYPE - To believe or feel that people confirm to a pattern or manner with all other individuals members of that group, lacking any individuality.
People who are prone to stereotyping often categorize the behavior of an entire group based on limited experience with a very small number of people in that group.
Negative stereotyping classifies many people in a group by the use of slurs, innuendoes, names, or slang expressions that depreciate the group as a whole as well as individuals in it.
Examples:
Asians are good at mathematics.
Blacks are good at athletics and dancing.
All Muslims are terrorists.
4. SCAPEGOATING - To blame one's failures and shortcomings on innocent people or those only partly responsible.
Example: It is the illegal aliens fault that we do not have a sufficient number of jobs.
One can argue that as human beings we all possess some form of these attitudes, behaviors, and ideas.
Please address the following questions in the discussion page:
How do we acquire them? Are they ever useful? If so, when? Can an individual ever eliminate them from his or her mind?
How might they effect a law enforcement officers job? (answer the questions please)