europe's (torn?) identity - Projects - AEGEE Europe

The use of value judgment can be either positive or negative depending on the
category one belongs to.
A feature of the stereotype is exaggeration, meaning the non-realistic transfer
of the qualities, which are supposed to characterize a group and by extension
each of its members. Often these unsubstantiated assertions are presented as
empirical certainties, which are not acquired through an experiential approach
of the study of the behavior and personality of the other, but have been inherited
and reproduced through education, the media and the general social environment.
MAIN THEORIES THAT TRY TO EXPLAIN THE
RISE OF STEREOTYPES, PREJUDICE AND RACISM
The answer to what gives rise to prejudice and stereotyping goes back to the old
question whether this is part of human nature or there are specific social conditions
that create these behaviors and attitudes. Let us consider some social-psychological
theories that try to explain inter-group hatred, prejudices and stereotyping.
Realistic group conflict theory (optimistic view?)
This theory informs us that hatred and prejudices arise because of bad conditions:
social inequalities, asymmetric economic development, competition over
scare resources, like territory, and domination. These theorists proposed the
concept of super ordinate goal as a means to reducing inter-group prejudices
and hostility. By changing the conditions we can eliminate many of these hostile
behavior. In other words, real conflicts over scarce resources result in perceptions
of threat, which in turn causes attribution to negative characteristics
to the threatening group in order to explain the experienced threat. (Sherif, 1961
and Bar-Tal, 1990).
Thus the intervention here concerns the institutional policy makers and changes
in the socio-political system. Thus satisfaction of political, economic, socio/cultural
needs, cooperation, the experiences of shared values and issues of security
and mutual support can according to this theory enhance conflict reduction
and changes in the partisan perceptions and negative stereotyping. The role of
education and the media is also stressed here.
Social identity theory (pessimistic view?)
This theory as developed by Tajfel and his associates (1978) contends that a
central part of our identity is made up of our group affiliations (such as our ethnic
group, our professional association, our nation, our state etc.) and we tend
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