2.1 Introduction: Perception of inequality
Prejudice and inequality stems from the innate human tendency of viewing others as unequal, also known as the perception of inequality. Milner (as cited in Duckitt, 1994, p. 10) summarizes this phenomenon by differentiating prejudice from stereotyping:
“Prejudiced attitudes . . . are irrational, unjust, or intolerant dispositions towards other groups.
They are often accompanied by stereotyping. This is the attribution of supposed characteristics of the whole group to all its individual members.”
Stereotyping and prejudice are still relevant today as demonstrated by the film Crash, directed by Paul Haggis in 2004. Throughout this film numerous instances of stereotyping and prejudice occur. Within this discussion on the modern relevance of prejudice and stereotyping from a theoretical point of view, observations from the film Crash (2004) will be integrated in order to illuminate various points.
The reason the film Crash (2004) is used throughout this essay is because in 2006 the movie …show more content…
183). An example of gender stereotypes is the ‘traditional gender roles’, namely that woman are submissive and obedient and that men are the protectors. Haggis (2004) demonstrates the presence of these traditional roles through Cameron and his wife. Cameron (a black film director) and his wife were pulled over by a racist police officer named John Ryan. Cameron's wife began antagonizing the officer and refused to comply (which in this scenario is expected because she is a woman who must obey her husband). Later Cameron’s wife apologizes for her behaviour, admitting that she was out of place. This is a typical example of how society has certain beliefs concerning the characteristics of men and