Sociology 3701: Groups--Stratification and Prejudice on Campus

1. Think about the kinds of cliques that characterized your junior high or high school? Is there anything comparable at UMD? If so, how would you describe it? If not, why not? What is the difference between high school and college in that regard?

2. Prejudice was defined by Aronson as "a hostile or negative attitude toward a disntinguishable group based on generalizations derived from faulty of incomplete information." Based on that definition, identity any groups or categories on campus that you believe are the object of prejudice. Give examples of the ways, whether subtle or blatant, in which that prejudice is expressed.

3. It is sometimes argued that in American society, we all grow up with certain prejudices, so that it is naive, for example, to claim that you are not a racist. Do you agree? What does this imply for creating a campus atmosphere that welcomes diversity?

4. Have you ever experienced programs that were designed to reduce prejudice that either didn't work or were counter-productive? What made such programs ineffective?

5. What if you had the authority and resources to put a prejudice-reduction program in place at UMD? What would be your priorities, and how do those priorities relate to any of our theories about prejudice?