Prejudice is in-born or acquired?

Question

People are often put into a box. Assumptions are made based on appearance and actions. For Americans, in your opinion, do you think the prejudice for Indians (not native americans)comes from mostly an "in-born" prejudice for other groups, or is prejudice simply acquired? If, it's "in-born" or "acquired" then why?

Answer 1

I think it's mostly an acquired trait that kids learn from their parents, friends, or media. I don't know about Indians, I didn't think there was a strong prejudice against them here in America. If there is then it's probably because people assume they are taking jobs away rather than remembering that it is American companies who are outsourcing jobs to that area.

I don't think it is inborn because if you place young kids of different races in the same room, they don't prejudge their playmates based on the differences. At most they will ask questions like, why is your skin darker/lighter. Prejudice is based off of preconceived stereotypes of an entire group, it takes knowledge of those stereotypes in order to pre judge someone based on race, nationality, religion etc.

Why people are prone to accepting stereotypes may be an inborn survival trait. If you are told a certain type of people are bad/harmful and have no reason to believe otherwise, it is in your best interest to stay away from that sort of person. For instance, gang members...the stereotype surrounding them is that they are thieves and murders. I'm sure there are some gang members who are neither, yet it is in my best interest to stay away from anyone that looks like a gang member just in case they may be one who wants to steal from or murder me. That person may just look like a gang member, perhaps he's wearing a lot of red or blue, and actually not be one, but I wouldn't want to take any chances on a dark street simply because I didn't want to prejudge someone.

So, it's acquired (I couldn't know what a gang member looked like unless I was told what they wear), but why we accept prejudice is more of a survival instinct. Of coarse, I'm not defending most prejudices because those based on race etc are often wrong when looked at objectively. But, we can look at specific groups (gangs, people holding guns in the street, even things like lions and bears) to see how in some cases prejudice is helpful to survival.

Answer 2

Prejudice is geneitc as much as nature is abnormal... prejudice is a state of being judgemental without facts... we are influenced by our environment and our peers.... the fact that people,mostly young children, when they are put in the same room together from different nationalities and given the same love and concern, they all will generally grow to enjoy each others differences without the tendency to hate. the selfish spirit of this world teaches hate..nations split apart unknowingly encourage the idea of I am better than you.....( in sports, the flag, cultural differences) this country was founded on prejudice. The question really should be, how do you feel about another skin color?

Answer 3

The tendancy for it is instinctive - you distrust people you don't
know - people who are not from your tribe. Clearly if someone
is not the same color as you, then they probably don't come
from the same gene pool so they are competing with your
tribe's resources...

Indeed, babies start out distinguishing between "mama" and
everybody else. Over time, their "acceptable" list of people
will include the rest of the family, the neighbors, the people
they meet at school, etc. Its an ever broadening circle.

HOWEVER...

People can encourage or discourage prejudice in the young.
They have a tendency towards it - but you can help them
fight it, or you can make it worse.

Answer 4

Prejudice is an irrational decision unsupported by applying reason and that i agree that it's not something we are born with. the priority is that prejudice can contain a good emotional element. reason isn't very effectual in loosening innovations rooted rooted in emotion so even however you are able to comprehend your prejudice isn't continually justified, that is not common to enable go of it. it would be unfair to equate sensible warning with prejudice so perchance you are able to no longer beat your self up too plenty over your emotions. In life, we go however reviews that mark us. we will not 'un-comprehend' what all of us comprehend however our perspective might substitute over the years. If it issues you, possibly some variety of scientific care (neuro linguistic programming or cognitive behavioural scientific care) might help. Failing that, i assume we in basic terms could place self belief in our rational minds to intrude while we come across ourselves being pushed by applying a prejudice. good success.

Answer 5

some of each (unpopular but it is true). I have seen children who were brought up only around white people be scared by the appearance of other races even when they have not seen or heard anything about other races before hand -- simply a fear of difference (a primal survival instinct). But it is fairly easily countered by modeling coexistence. True prejudice has to be observed and learned.

Answer 6

I believe it is acquired. People's prejudices are a product of their environment. Their friends, family and own experiences shape their opinions of other cultures and groups.

Answer 7

It is acquired. I believe there are no "racist genes". It is culture and family upbringing that promote prejudice. If ur dad tells u all ur life that -for instance- indians are stupid, wouldnt u start believing it until you meet someone to break the stereotype?

Answer 8

I think It's acquired. Like with my family, I was raised to "stay with my own kind" I was taught to never associate with anyone "below" me.
I've ignored that because I don't think it's right by no means.
I think everyone no matter who or what you are have something to teach all of us, bring something to the table, know what I mean?
I think it's sad and I try to teach my kids to be fair to all no matter color, ethnicity, or otherwise.

Answer 9

Well Indians, Hindus, are prejudice with their out castes. They understand prejudice better than us and live with it as being a fact, (concerning the out castes in their country.) They know how to put others in a box, and its "in-born" to them.

Answer 10

i say it's acquired. A child sees that their parent doesn't like one race, that child will think that is the right thing to do and will start not liking that particular race.