Chasing Utopia - Prejudice


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	Prejudice This episode presents perceptions of prejudice. Those interviewed describe prejudice, offer opinions about its causes, and suggest remedies for overcoming it. As you think about prejudice, you are challenged to do what you can to lessen its negative impact. A - Prejudice The Concise Macquarie Dictionary defines prejudice as "an unfavourable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason". The conversations in this episode show that there are many aspects of prejudice. There was a time when it was thought that if you were black you would necessarily be stupid. I try hard not to judge people. It’s too easy to do. It’s very hard as a corrective officer, not to get burned out and see everyone you are dealing with as unsalvageable. Gillespie mentioned financial and intellectual prejudice as being as real as racial prejudice. How would you explain what these are? What other kinds of prejudice have you observed besides those mentioned in this episode? Would you agree that people prejudge others mainly through lack of information? B - Causes of the Downward Self-esteem Spiral There is a set of inner psychological factors that appear to cause people to place themselves at risk and invite prejudice. I think these kids make up a lot of prejudice themselves. People get into prison usually because they have taken risks they shouldn’t have taken. This was the first time that many of these people could prove to themselves that they could do it, that they really were worth something. Clearly many people have trouble feeling and developing self-worth. What kinds of experiences could bring about this situation? Why do you think many people take risks they should not take, and end up in some situation of personal disadvantage that invites prejudice? Can you see any big or underlying factor in society causing prejudice, or is it a group of causes somehow working together? C - The Human Contribution to Prejudice Besides the psychological causes, there are numerous comments in the episode that show that environmental factors such as negative human responses to children and adults at risk often push them further into a downward spiral. It stems right back to people saying "this is how you have to be". We say "you are a lower class, you are this or you are that". We don’t treat them with dignity. People think they can sum you up in half a look. I have a problem with people who don’t like me for no reason. Why do you think people are so ready to prejudge others? How much truth do you see in the idea that we can sum people up very quickly? What connections do you make between individualism, selfishness and prejudice? D - Acceptance Ironically when peoples’ behaviour invites prejudice from others, they need acceptance to help their recovery, yet this acceptance seems hard to come by. Here’s a picture that’s done as a heart. That says something to me about what’s inside there if somehow we can get to it. My mother is a great person — she’s very accepting. I do this job because in the end somebody’s got to be there for them. Do you think there is a continuum of prejudice between ignoring somebody and rejecting that person? Above all else, humans need to be loved and accepted. How do you think adult love and acceptance work in building self-esteem in children and adolescents? How do you see people rising above their prejudices to offer acceptance and help to those they are inclined to reject? Is this a virtual impossibility? E - Belonging Members of the singing group Paperhalo reflected on the advantages of belonging to groups, and offered their views on how group relationships offer personal energy and power that develop people. Now that I’ve been working with as a team with the other three guys, it’s more about making a song. Being part of a group gives you power. I think that if you can be part of many different groups of people, then you have greater understanding of those people. In what ways do you think the power of the group can cause prejudice? What do you see as being the essence of a good group relationship that can change behaviour positively? How do you think your belonging to a group gives you personal power? Do you think there is any merit in the idea that we should belong to many different kinds of groups to be well adjusted socially? F - Other Solutions In the episode suggestions for turning around at risk behaviour included offering programmes in community service, building educational opportunity, choosing to see rejection as temporary, and belonging to a group of some kind. I think that rejection is only a temporary thing. If I get rejected, I like to use it and turn it around and use it as inspiration to work harder. I like looking after these kids, but it takes a lot of energy out of you. Education is power in some ways. Somehow we’ve got to get beyond "what’s in it for me" to "what’s in it for society as a whole? Do you think peoples’ inclination to show acceptance and help others is somehow religious or moral, or is it natural? If education at home and school is one key to beating prejudice, how do you think we can get parents and children to see its importance? From your experience what suggestions would you add to the views in this episode on how to overcome prejudice?

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