Prejudice And Discrimination In Social Care

Prejudice And unlikeness In tender C atomic number 18As human beings, we lovingly categorise community as members of mixer conferences quite an than as soulfulnesss. The reason why we do so is because it provides useful data that potbelly non immediately be perceived and it allows us to ignore unnecessary education (Bruner 1957 cited in Smith and Mackie 145).The danger of this social categorisation is that it views a host seem more similar to each other than they would be if they were not categorised. (McGarty et al cited in Smith E and Mackie D 165)The process of see ones self as a member of a congregation or self categorisation bath give up positive effects for individuals at heart a sort disclose. Tajfel (1972) argues that people seek to derive positive self-esteem from their group memberships. (Smith E and Mackie D 189)As social c atomic number 18 practitioners, we drop dead with different social groups such as people with disabilities, the travelling soci ety, unsalted offenders, children in c atomic number 18, the elderly and many others social groups. These groups have been socially categorised and bottom often be considered as outgroups by orderliness. They atomic number 18 often considered by society to be vulnerable groups and are often pushed to the margins of society and excluded from the mainstream. (Thompson 2003)The commentary of social care is the provision of care, protection, backup man, welfare and advocacy for vulnerable or dependant clients, individually or in groups (Joint Committee on friendly Care Professionals cited in Share P and Lalor L 5)Each individual who is in need of social care can socially signalise themselves as part of a group. Tajfels Social Identity possibility suggests that members of a group gain a self-concept and self-esteem as a allow of their group membership. Seeing oneself as a group member fashion that the groups typical characteristics become norms and standards for ones own behav iour. (Turner et al cited in Smith and Mackie 195). This, thus dissolving agents in members of the group playing in group typical ways.This theory can help us to understand the behaviours of various groups we are working(a) with as social care practitioners. For face, a group of young adults who are engaging in criminal activity may be doing so as this behaviour is a norm inwardly their group.It also enables us to see why these groups are considered as outgroups in society and can help us to understand why these groups are seen as oppressed by mainstream society.Tajfel s theory also tells us that often the individuals who make up the group are seen as uniform and their diversity is underestimated.This is sure common with people who have intellectual disabilities. The ingroup, which in this case is the group who does not have intellectual disabilities, often views the outgroup, or the people with disabilities as all being the same. The individuals who have disabilities are ca tegorised because of their disablement earlier than their individualistic characteristics and are therefore assortd due to their disability.Stereotypes can be described as over generalised sets of beliefs about members of a cross social group. (Schultz and Oskamp 63) They are the views we form about groups as a result of social categorisation and reduce the complexity of the world into a a few(prenominal) simple guidelines that suggest how members of certain groups should be treated (Schultz 63)They act as generalisations about a group of people in which identical characteristics are assigned to virtually all members of the group, count onless of actual variation among members. (Aronson et al 2004466)These stereotypes can lead to both positive and negative evaluations being do about the members of the group. They can also lead to the target group acting in stereotypical ways, for example, one of the reasons why a group of young offenders may be engaging in criminal activity c ould be a result of stereotype threat. This refers to being at risk of acting in a manner consistent with a negative stereotype about ones group. (Schultz 69) The group of offenders are seen as an out-group and may feel their anger behaviour is justified because they have been oppressed, but their treatment must be disproportionately severe (Harrower J, 20014)Prejudices, hostile or negative attitudes towards a decided group of people, based solely on the membership in that group.(Aronson et al 2004467) can have extremely adverse effects on the individuals at heart these categorised social groups.Any group that shares a socially meaningful common characteristic can be a target for detriment (Smith and Mackie 143)Prejudices against people in marginalised and vulnerable groups are prevalent in the society in which we live. By virtue of their role and the social groups they engage with, social care practitioners witness the impact of inequality on the everyday lived invite of peopl e affected(Share and Lalor 110)Ethnic groups such as the travelling community are constantly subjected to prejudices. Much research has been carried out in recent eld in relation to this. One survey found that 42 pct of the population held negative attitudes towards the travelling community (Behaviour and Attitudes in Ireland 2000) and another revealed that 72 percent of the settled community did not want the travelling community to live amongst them. (Lansdowne Market research 2001).People with disabilities are another group in society which are subject to prejudices. Often society has the supposition that disability is a form of illness (Oliver 1990 cited in Thompson 128)People with disabilities have also been viewed as not fully human, or even subhuman (Brandon 4). Despite the fact that societys attitude towards people with disabilities has improved over clipping as a result of moving away from the medical fabric to the social model of disability which involves the integratio n of people with disabilities into our communities, people with disabilities are still not regarded as complete human beings of an equal spot to the remainder of society. (Share and Lalor 334)Research suggests that prejudice is learned from the groups in which we belong. Racial and social identity is a major focal point for prejudiced attitudes. (Aronson 457)Discrimination can be defined as unequal or unfair behaviour toward an individual based on his or her membership in a particular group (Schultz 63) and is comm only seen in the area of Social Care at many levels.Thompson (2003) outlines many processes closely linked with dissimilarity. He refers to Invisibilzation, a type of dissimilitude whereby dominant groups are constantly presented to us, for example through the media, and are strongly associated with power, status, prestige and influence, while other groups are rarely, if ever seen in this light(Thompson 2003.13) This is true of many social groups in social care. Peo ple with disabilities are rarely seen in the media.Infantilisation, which Thompson refers to as ascribing a child-like land to an adult (Share and Lalor 2009278) is also common in social care. Society tends to regard people who are elderly or who have a disability as child-like and dependant, unable to interact in their own right. (Thompson 88)Thompson also argues that discrimination occurs in other forms such as marginalisation, welfarism, medicalization, dehumanization and trivialization.The Experience of discrimination in Ireland (2004), a piece of research carried out by the comparability Authority, found that people with disabilities reported one of the highest pass judgment high rates of incidents of discrimination both while accessing services and at work.Various theories in the area of social psychology focus on the ways to minimise prejudice and discrimination within society.Allports theory known as the clear up Hypothesis, suggests that intergroup contact can lead to reducing prejudice but only under a number of suitable conditions. These conditions are that (a) the groups in the incident have equal status, (b) are not competitive and (c) have support from the relevant authorities for the contact and (d) have common goals.As social care practitioners, we can promote Allports theory through the work we do with the various vulnerable groups we are involved with. This can be make by promoting social inclusion within the community.Although attitudes towards groups such as people with disabilities have changed over recent years, there is much work necessitate in order to ensure that this group has equal status within our society. The same can be said for the other vulnerable groups we work with as social care practitioners.The subject of prejudice and discrimination is exceedingly relevant to the area of social care and with the help of research carried out in this particular area of social psychology, we can have a clearer understanding of the r easons why, as human-beings, we larn and utilise these actions and behaviours. By having this understanding, we can develop skills and mechanisms to help reduce prejudice and discrimination, and combat the damaging effects that they can have on vulnerable groups in society.