Stereotype Inoculation
Primary Article Review
Nilanjana Daspgupta's stereotype inoculation ideal coalesces vital hypothesis on individuality, belonging, and accomplishment to propose that in-group associates could also be a communal inoculation from the destructive nature of stereotypes. The stereotypes inoculation concept summarizes numerous theories from past researches while also reflecting on the impact stereotypes have on immediate achievements, social life, effectiveness, pretension emotions, and environmental fits (Dasgupta, 2011). These impacts are estimated to be primary in social psychological fields. The most relevant issue relies on personal free will. For instance, people think that they have a choice to pick between two career choices, however, in an actual sense, they are constrained and limited to their surroundings and have to gravitate toward certain social norms.
In this particular article, the author tries to ascertain that free choice is termed to be so because of the choices one has at his or her disposal. However, the choices are shaped based on societal norms such as the environment. The environment contains success and other signals which can tell if one has succeeded or failed on any endeavor he or she intends to undertake. The more one interacts with a certain subject matter, the greater his or her chances to constrain his or her free will based on certain societal norms (Dasgupta, 2011). Most people constrain their expectations due to norms set up through society. Therefore, people are most likely to be associated with domains that are deemed successful. At the end of the day, people align themselves to in-group stereotypes. Also, the demographic arrangement of attainment is usually situational and it is meant to trigger in-group stereotypes such as the definition of scarce and plenty. The chance of coming to terms with more than one way of tackling life relies on solid and reliable facts that one decided to deem as possible and reachable. For the sake of avoiding deviant behavior. It is vital to take note that one's interests and perceptions are shaped and influence by stereotypical cues, only a few people might be aware of this fact. However, even if people are not aware of the underlying factors shaping their ambitions stereotypes are meant to impact an individual’s self-concept. Coming to terms with self-concept is one of the most profound issues that was discussed in the article as it makes the researches more visible and relevant to the main subject matter under discussion (Dasgupta, 2011). Hence, the author was forced to take into consideration elements that might take away the constraints and improve personal liberty while pursuing academic and specialized career paths that are contradicted in stereotypical societies. The confrontation between liberty and the constraints placed by stereotypical cues depends on how a person addresses the question at a personal level. For instance one of the most primary issues which enhance stereotypical cues is the sense of belonging one must feel whenever they are in certain social groups. It is innate for humans to feel like they belonging. The sense of belonging is where stereotypes build up and take precedence over the life of people. Whenever people feel that they are different or belong to a lesser social group, then they might find it weird hence initiating a set of steps that might make them belong to a certain group of individuals. In this particular context, people tend to lean toward the majority because the majority dictates the rate of success for the entire society.
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Issues Raised In the Commentary
One of the main issues raised in the commentary is the applause or strengths of the stereotype inoculation. In societal psychology, the stereotype is fixed and interpreted as a general belief. The general belief is often tied to a specific group of people. Through stereotypical views, a group of people will have similar traits hence generalized into one group. In terms of the applause issues, the authors of the commentary do not dispute on stereotype inoculation arguments made. In simpler terms, they agree that preferences are influenced through societal, identity, a sense of belonging (Aronson, & McGlone, 2011). Besides, subtle cues are an alternative form of deliberate discrimination as a way of hindering women and other minorities into vital social circles. Dasgupta focused on identifying the illusion preference present. People might think that they are at liberty to choose but the choices at their disposal are restrained to stereotypical definitions. For instance, the perception that one career path is better than another might not seem so because of the stereotypical cues formed around one career path over another. Of environmental cues regularly and conclusively influence personal choices, then, the authority to choose is not in the hands of an individual. For the sake of coming to terms with aspects the society has to offer to individuals, people have to make a choice based on preferable societal norms and stereotypes. Once one has more than one choice, he or she has to make decisions according to conditions dictated in the surrounding.
In situations where there are numerous disparities, it is commonplace for people to deny that there is discrimination. However, research reveals that the low number of women in the male-dominated profession is not a result of bias but due to environmental cues that discourage women from pursuing difficult mathematics and engineering subject matter (Aronson, & McGlone, 2011). Thus, most people are unaware of the underlying situational aspects which impact their decision-making process hence choices cannot be reliable in the evaluation of certain psychological factors. Things that people perceive as liberty turn out to be an illusion due to the societal cues which tie people to the final decision. The rationality and illusion of choice are driven by stereotypical cues tied to the issue at hand. For example, people usually want to associate with the majority so that they can gain a sense of belonging from the rest of society. More so, the social context under which people make their decisions goes a long way to dictate the final choice one makes (Aronson, & McGlone, 2011). Hence, the rationality and intentionality of choices are mere constructions and do not have an impact on personal choices. Besides, the authors claim that social psychology needs to refine the concept of stereotype inoculation due to its connection to more than one social setting. In situations where men are more than women, some women might choose to continue with their education while others pursue a field known for their feminine nature. All in all, none of the two groups will fully have access to the underlying factors which influence their decision-making process.
Another issue highlighted in the commentary is the inoculation metaphor which states that the use of inoculation metaphor as applied by the author is incorrect. This is because the usage of inoculation creates predictive situations. For the sake of coming to terms with the author’s sentiments, in the medical context, inoculation includes the introduction of a weak virus into the human body (Aronson, & McGlone, 2011). In the process, the body learns to fight off the virus hence strengthening the entire immune system. In terms of social psychology, the inoculation ideology is normally applied to systematic psychological functionalities. How people illustrate how people adapt to their immediate surroundings. The vaccine or inoculation is likened to beliefs which one changes as he or she comes into contact with another society or group of people.
In terms of modifying the points from the original article, these points bring to light that stereotypical inoculation is the norm in society and people have to try and develop more free will than they tend to show or adhere to. Human beings tend to gravitate towards more favorable. Most humans are not on good terms with their respective peers but they are still tied to the issues that drive their actions and standard of living.
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Stereotype inoculation is dependent on people’s believes. The beliefs of many tend to change the beliefs of a few people. Once a person belongs to a certain group of people then he or she has to conform to the social cues of that particular group of people. Some people tend to bring out the best in them because they agree with the immediate norms of that particular group of people (Kidd, 2016). This is the sole reason behind having a role model. Social psychologists claim that having a role model is key in shaping the thoughts and actions of a person. Role modeling is a good indication of taking a stereotype and depending on it for purpose and identity. Most people ignore will gravitate toward certain role models because they shape how they perceive the world and the society around them. In simpler terms, people are willing to follow a role model because he or she has all the attainable qualities. One of the fundamental functions of stereotype inoculation is to assist people to connect social experiments to conclusive outcomes. To evaluate stereotype inoculation one can be able to compare two or more extremities and while at it, convince people to lean on one side. Thus, stereotype inoculation defines acceptable and unacceptable practices this defining wrong from the right while at the same time defining the changing times of the specific issues that one has to pursue. One's self-actualization and self-concept affect the general perception of actions and ensuing choices. Individual's actions and choices are impacted by their need to belong among peers and the community in general. In cases where diversity is frowned upon, the sense of belonging is higher and necessarily incorporated in everything one does. The need to belong especially among diverse groups tends to be higher because they need to protect themselves from scarce situations and also cover their weaknesses.
The consistencies created through stereotype facilitates the entire formation of the need for belonging. Stereotype creates a group of people with similar characteristics and achievements hence sharpening the difference between members and nonmembers of the said stereotypical group. One needs the wits to come up with more than one aspect of containing the external pressure from outside. Most people make their choice based on certain basic proposed by society (Kidd, 2016). One has to have more than one choice for him or her to be considered to have free will to do as he or she wants. If the final decision contracts the primary options or expected outcomes, stereotypical inoculation shapes the entire motions. If some people are forced to come to terms with societal norms and the underlying intention of driving the main agenda. Issues concerning how people interpret stereotypical inoculation entirely depend on how people perceive the ones around them and the benefits they are deriving from them. Issues of life are to be contained or looked at from a neutral point of view so that no one can be biased against stereotypes placed on them (Dasgupta, 2011). People emulate other people close to them. Most of the role models are stereotypes and help to inoculate other people into society. For the sake of initiating one into the larger society, avoiding deviant behavior is important as it creates more opportunities for one to be accepted into the entire community.
In summary, stereotype inoculation defines the underlying decision-making process of choosing one specific choice over another. Whenever people are presented with more than one preference, environmental fits, and social cues will play a major role in shaping the final decision. The environmental fits constrain human choices into stereotypical norms that are followed and adhered to despite personal preferences. At the end of the day, most people will be attracted to certain domains that seem to be known for their high economic status in society. Stereotypes create a sense of belonging and filter out people with deviant characteristics hence people struggle to belong to these stereotypical in-groups.
References
Aronson, J., & McGlone, M. S. (2011). Inoculations old and new. Psychological Inquiry, 22(4), 252-254.
Dasgupta, N. (2011). Ingroup experts and peers as social vaccines who inoculate the self-concept: The stereotype inoculation model. Psychological Inquiry, 22(4), 231-246.
Kidd, M. A. (2016). Archetypes, stereotypes and media representation in a multi-cultural society. Procedia—Social and Behavioral Sciences, 236, 25-28.
