Part I : Identifying Homophobia

Defining Prejudice

In 1954 Gordon Allport published what has come to be considered a classic study called The Nature of Prejudice. The book deals with the basic definition of prejudice in human society, its origins and manifestations. Allport defines prejudice in this context as :

. . .an antipathy based upon a faulty and inflexible generalization. It may be felt or expressed. It may be directed toward a group as a whole, or toward an individual because he is a member of that group.

So, prejudice is a negative attitude or feeling toward people based on a misleading generalization about a group to which they belong.

Throughout history and in contemporary society, here in the United States, we have been living with a variety of prejudices. Racism, sexism, anti-semitism, ablism, and homophobia to name a few. These prejudices are ingrained in the culture of the United States. They are built into our social institutions. We can find evidence of prejudice in religious practices, in local, state and federal law, in electoral politics, in the media and in education. (For more information on cultural diversity and the various “-isms,” go to the Online Resources page.)

We have all grown up being conditioned by messages from these institutions about how to see each other, how to relate to one another, and how to see ourselves -- based on race, gender, ethnic or religious culture, disability and sexual orientation.

Discussion

Think of an example of prejudice that is commonly communicated to us through our social environment.

• How do you know the idea is an example of prejudice?
• What is negative about it?
• How is it a generalization?
• From what kind of source is this particular idea usually communicated? (News media? Neighborhood attitudes? Local laws? Other ways?)