The fact that white culture is dominant in America may explain why people of color often do not show a strong bias favoring their own ethnic group. How do we perpetuate bias?īias is perpetuated by conformity with in-group attitudes and socialization by the culture at large. The statement 'Some of my best friends are _' captures this tendency to allow some exceptions without changing our bias. People will embrace anecdotes that reinforce their biases, but disregard experience that contradicts them. Once learned, stereotypes and prejudices resist change, even when evidence fails to support them or points to the contrary. Early in life, most children acquire a full set of biases that can be observed in verbal slurs, ethnic jokes and acts of discrimination. Soon, they begin to form attachments to their own group and develop negative attitudes about other racial or ethnic groups, or the 'out-group'.
Many studies have shown that as early as age 3, children pick up terms of racial prejudice without really understanding their significance. Social scientists believe children begin to acquire prejudices and stereotypes as toddlers.
