Understanding And Application Of Knowledge In The Area Of SOCIAL

Understanding And Application Of Knowledge In The Area Of SOCIAL Understanding And Application Of Knowledge In The Area Of SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY â€" Essay Example > Understanding and Application of Knowledge in the area of Social PsychologySocial psychology is considered to be a field of knowledge created by the overlapping fields of sociology and psychology. Professionals within both sociology and psychology tend to adopt different approaches to social psychology. Psychologists hold the view that the individual influences society, while sociologists take the opposing view, that society influences the individual. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that, apart from being a controversial area of study, knowledge in the area of social psychology can contribute towards the solving of social problems in the real world, provided it is properly understood and applied. One example which demonstrates the effective use of social psychology is the concept of stereotypes. Stereotypes are simplified evaluations of social groups and their members, based on (usually externally visible) characteristics such as gender, age, nationality and so on. The se characterizations are either of a positive or negative nature and they tend to be widely shared, especially by members of a particular social, political, economic or ethnic group (Myers, 2008). According to the author, “Stereotypes are often based on observable characteristics such as appearance, personality traits, typical interests and aspirations, and preferred activities and occupations. ” Some stereotypes are factual, some stereotypes are exaggerations of fact, while other stereotypes are complete fabrications. The risk of using stereotypes is that they are simplifications of reality and generalizations about the assumed characteristics of groups. Therefore, stereotypes do not necessarily predict the actual characteristics or behaviour of any member of stereotyped groups. However, it is important to note that many stereotypes are adopted early in life, before a child has independent knowledge and/or experience of the groups they refer to. Unfortunately, stereotypes are usually more hostile in the presence of social tensions and conflict between groups, and they are often a cause and/or effect of prejudice and discrimination. In a nutshell, Moghaddam (1998) states that stereotyping happens when any member of a social group is presumed to have the same characteristics as other members of the group, despite any actual differences between members of that social group. According to this author, stereotyping is not inherently wrong, as it is not always an intentional act of abuse. Nevertheless, the author acknowledges that stereotypes held about groups which are minorities or considered to be subordinate are commonly negative. .Some stereotypes are acquired through personal experience with members of the stereotyped group, but such stereotypes are vulnerable to bias due to differences in perception between members of different groups. It is not uncommon for the behaviour of one member of a group at a particular time to be interpreted as the standard b ehaviour of all other group members all the time. Other stereotypes exist as the result of an individual’s interactions with family, friends and the media. These interactions operate to fortify stereotypes, because individuals are constantly bombarded with simplified generalizations about other groups, and so stereotypes become strongly implanted into social norms. In addition, the media contributes towards the reinforcement of prevalent stereotypes, as media practitioners also believe in many stereotypes.