University of Georgia

Terry College of Business
 
 

Reducing prejudices needs to be more than an organizational goal; it needs to be a personal goal for each of us. The following list contains things we can do as individuals to help reduce prejudices within ourselves and those around us.
 

1. Acknowledge that you have learned prejudicial information about other peoples. Without this acknowledgment nothing can change.
 

Only through an acknowledgment of the prejudicial leanings can the misinformation be openly discussed and dealt with in a way which is likely to bring about change. It is clear that if we can't talk about it, we surely can't change it.
 

2. Confront the stereotypes that you have learned without guilt or blame.
 

Guilt for having learned information is not really appropriate. It would have been difficult or nearly impossible to avoid learning. You most likely learned it before you were able to think about the information critically.
 

To focus on either blame or guilt distracts one from the need for change. It also focuses ones attention from the present into the past and leaves one feeling helpless or powerless to make any changes.
 

3. Enter a supportive group or a supportive relationship for making the needed changes.
 

We tend to change our interpersonal behaviors and beliefs most effectively in an interpersonal context. Another person or other people can help us to test new leanings, gain new information, hold us to our insights and our commitments. They can do all this while providing us with support as we try new ideas, behaviors and beliefs.
 

4. Make a commitment to change and make a commitment to a process of change.
 

The commitment which is made to others is a stronger commitment than the one which is made alone or to ones self. The commitment needs to be to a commitment to a working process toward change. Simply making a commitment to change is not nearly as likely to result in the modification of a behavior as a commitment to change that includes a commitment to a process. It is most effective to make an agreement to meet regularly with someone to discuss how you are both changing. That is to say that mutual commitments are most powerful and healthy. In this way people are approaching the process as equals and more likely to adhere to the process of changing.
 

Keeping these commitments in a log along with notes on the actions that one has taken is a helpful way of sharing and supporting each other in a process of mutual prejudice reduction.
 

5. Become aware of your own "self-talk" about other groups of people.
 

Becoming aware of ones own "self-talk" is critical in the process of changing the early stereotyped beliefs that one was given. Talk about where those messages came from and the messages limiting effect while talking with a person who will be accepting and nonjudgmental. Knowing what those messages are is critical to changing them and replacing them with positive messages.
 

6. Challenge the irrationality of the prejudicial thoughts or "self-talk" statements.
 

Get information to disprove each prejudicial thought. Most general statements about a population of people is untrue. One only needs to look more closely to see that most any statement about "them" will fall apart under examination. Take the time to examine and challenge the thoughts that limit or devalue other peoples.
 

8. Increase your exposure or contact to those who belong to the group or groups toward which you have learned some prejudicial stereotypes.
 

Misconceptions remain effective only when you avoid contact with those you have the misconceptions about. So it is always helpful to increase your exposure to people that belong to the group about which you have stereotyped thoughts. When you are doing this be sure that you are not making contact in a way which will only affirm your stereotyped beliefs. Give it a chance. In finding people who are representative of this group you might ask yourself, "Is this method the method I would want someone to use who wanted to learn about people of my nationality, race, age, religious belief, or culture." As you enter this process keep in mind the tremendous diversity within any group.
 

9. Thought stopping is a valuable process for changing ones "self-talk" about others.
 

It is often helpful to have an enjoyable image that you can focus upon and then to have an abrupt method for interrupting your thoughts whenever you discover that you have started to think the stereotypical thoughts about member of another group. If you plan what to focus upon and shift to that focus very suddenly each time you think of the stereotyped image it weakens the stereotyped thoughts. Your replacement image might be an image of something strongly positive about this group of people or an image about the absolute absurdity of the stereotype you learned. In building these images it might be helpful try making generalized statements about all the people who might be seen as "like you" in some aspect. Experience the difficulty in this process.
 

10. Premack Principle, a small rule that has power for change
 

Making something one does often, or something one likes to do contingent upon doing ones positive practice is one of the most effective ways of being sure it gets done. For example, one might agree to meet with or report to ones partner each week before taking out the trash or filling the car with gas or some other task. Tying the two tasks together in an agreement is an effective way of making and keeping a commitment.
 

One might also use this principle in changing ones "self talk". To do, this one might agree to say an affirming statement about a group of people every time he or she sees a member of that group.
 

11. Learn how other groups see your own identity group.

Learn from those in other groups how your own group is seen. This may take time. One needs to develop a trusting relationship. When their stereotypes about your own group are shared don't defend or deny them but hear them as being likely as valid as your own stereotypes about the other groups. Let yourself understand and accept how this view might be shared and believed by those who don't have your experience.
 

12. Feeling good about ourselves is important in being able to accept people who are different from us.
 

We need to develop a strong sense of security. People need to feel secure enough to be self critical and to accept and learn from critical feedback by others. Those who are unable to accept critical feedback often project blame onto those who are different from themselves.
 

13. Accepting indecision is an important learning style.
 

We need to develop an acceptance within ourselves for indecision. To be undecided is not only acceptable, but often desirable over having fast answers before all the needed information is available. To be in a position of not knowing and not reaching a conclusion is a valid position. This often takes a sense of self acceptance and personal security. Needing to have a correct answer quickly and not accepting the uncertainty of not knowing is strongly associated with being prejudiced.
 

13. Develop empathy skills is an effective way of increasing our acceptance of others.
 

The ability to empathize with others is a teachable skill and is highly related to tolerance. There is no other skill that has been so clearly shown as being related to acceptance of others. The work of Gerard Egan, George Gazda, Norman Kagan and others is important here. Some of the peoples books are very usable.
 

14. Develop listening skills so that we can really hear other peoples.
 

We need to develop listening skills and an appreciation for listening to other people.

15. Develop an appreciation for the complexities of the universe. Knowing that one truth does not preclude another is an important concept.
 

We need to develop and nurture our own appreciation for the complexities of the universe. Our ability to accept contradictory truths is related to our tolerance for others. For example, "I am like all other humans" while, at the same time, "I am like no other human."
 

16. Developing our own ability to experience caring about other people is not only important for them but gets us in contact with our own connectedness and gives meaning to our lives.
 

We need to show caring even for those who are unable to return the caring at this time. The world is simply too small for us not to care anymore, because our lives are all so interconnected.
 

17. Learning about other groups is an important way to develop understandings
 

We need to learn about those groups we might feel prejudice toward. It's not only helpful to read about these groups in books that members of the groups have written, but it's also helpful to go out of our way to visit with members of these groups.
 

18. Valuing diversity in human appearance and in nature is important. It's the reality of nature and it is the strength of an species.
 

We need to behave in ways which value and learn from diversity. This is not only in the area of racial diversity, but also in diverse ways of thinking, problem solving and all of the many other ways in which people differ that affects human interactions. We cannot expect ourselves or others to value one type of diversity and reject others.
 

19. Seeking self-understanding increases ones ability to accept ones self and others.
 

We need to personally value and seek self-understanding. Those who are selfaware and self-critical are less likely to blame others. They know their own shortcomings and capabilities and have the self- esteem to accept the responsibility for their behaviors.
 

20. Responding to prejudicial jokes is critical if we are to stand for something and identify ourselves.
 

Initially we need to respond to prejudicial jokes in a way that clearly communicates two things. 1) That we do not believe the person intended to harm others. 2) That we personally find meanings in the joke that is harmful.
 

It is nearly impossible to make general statements about prejudice jokes but it is helpful to speak up and it is helpful to not read intention into the situation where it may not exist. A response is needed when the joke is at the expense of any group. It's this type of humor which is harmful. Initially it is most effective to use a "minimal non-response." That means that we make it clear that we do not appreciate the humor but don't alienate the person and lose our position for future influence by overreacting. If the other person's prejudicial joke telling continues it is appropriate to continue to protest the jokes and to make the protest stronger.
 

21. Responding to hearing negative terms about groups of people helps to know what we stand for and helps others to know us as well.
 

We need to respond to static terms or names for other groups of people in ways which show that we feel that the use of these terms is inappropriate. (This needs to be the response when the term is at the expense of any group. It's the process which is harmful.) It is most effective to use a "minimal nonresponse." We are of little value in helping another person to reduce their prejudice if we reject them as a worthless bigot, or define the other person as a bigot.
 

22. Check your investments so that you are only investing in firms with strong policies of affirmative action and respect for human rights.
 

Many of us may have our saving in tax shelters which may not be socially responsible. I discovered that, while one state university had mission statements about both education and health, it invested much of the employees' retirement funds in the tobacco industry. I would suggest that you check all investments in The Better World Investment Guide.
 

References
 

Alport, Gordon (1954), The Nature of Prejudice Addison Wesley Publishing Company
 

Alperson, Myra (1991), The Better World Investment Guide Council on Economic Priorities, Prentice Hall Press
 

Combs, Arthur (1971), Helping Relationships: Basic Concepts for the Helping Professions Allyn and Bacon, Inc.
 

Egan, Gerard (1977), You and Me: The Skills of Communicating and Relating to Others,

Wadsworth Publishing Co.
 

Gazda, George (1973), Human Relations Development: A manual for Educators, Allyn and Bacon, Inc.
 

Rosenthal, Robert (1968), Pygmalion in The Classroom, Holt Rinehart and Winston, Inc.
 

Copyright ~) 1993 Jim Cole (509) 925-5226 Permission to copy on recycled paper is granted.