Unit 2: Prejudice
Essay Questions
1. What is the difference between prejudice and discrimination and how do these
concepts relate to each other as noted by Robert Merton and others? (pp. 44-46)
2. Explain and distinguish between the psychological and sociological explanations of
prejudice. What is the difference between the psychological and sociological approaches
to this subject? (pp. 46-50)
3. What are the leading suggestions for reducing prejudice? What are the strengths and
weakness of each of the suggested approaches? (pp. 63-68)
4. How do subordinate groups come into existence? Discuss migration, annexation, and
colonialism, including world systems theory and illustrate with references to at least three
different subordinate groups. (pp. 22-24)
Unit 2: Prejudice
True or False
1. A truly pluralistic society would lack unfavorable distinctions made through
prejudicial attitudes among racial and ethnic groups.
FALSE
TRUE
2. The Hate Crimes Statistics Act became law in 1990 and directed the Department of
Justice to gather data on hate or bias crimes motivated by the offender's bias against a
race, religion, ethnic/national origin group, sexual orientation group, or physical or
mental disability.
FALSE
TRUE
3. Calling a Jewish individual a "kike," or calling a Black individual a "nigger" would be
an example of a scapegoat.
TRUE
FALSE
4. According to Merton's typology, a prejudiced discriminator is called an all-weather
bigot.
FALSE
TRUE
5. The caste approach is closely related to the authoritarian personality theory.
FALSE
TRUE
6. Bruno Bettleheim and Morris Janowitz are responsible for developing the
scapegoating theory of prejudice.
TRUE
FALSE
7. According to the Bogardus social distance scale, permitting a member of a different
ethnic or racial group to live on your street or in your neighborhood is the strongest
indication of total acceptance of that group.
FALSE
TRUE
8. The application of the Bogardus social distance scale on a nationwide level in 1926,
1966, and 1991 indicated that "Americans (U.S. White)" scored highest in all three
studies.
FALSE
TRUE
9. Research has consistently indicated that minority group members suffer from
debilitatingly low self-esteem.
TRUE
FALSE
10. Arabs are an ethnic group, and Muslims are a religious group. Many Arabs are not
Muslims, and most Muslims are not Arabs.
FALSE
TRUE