A Class Divided: Intergroup Discrimination



A Class Divided: Intergroup Discrimination

Introduction

The measurement of racism and discrimination has been the focus of many debates over the decades. There is a lot of disagreement on the underlying causes behind the racist treatment. It is not easy to comprehend the reasons behind discriminatory behavior because the attitudes regarding race, gender and other features that usually serve as the grounds for discriminatory treatment cannot be easily evaluated. Thus, laboratory experiments have served well in the observation of discrimination in conditions where factors such as group uniqueness and experience can be restricted. The separation into different groups may depend on observed qualities such as eye color. The groups are random but the participants may be deceived into believing that division is based on the basis of some study. The objective of such manipulations is to identify the extent of differential treatment in simple exercises by people of high status.

Experiments can also be useful in classroom surroundings where a common knowledge ensures a more meaningful discussion of responsive issues. Some of the first racist experiments were done in a classroom surrounding. After the killing of Martin Luther king in 1968, Jane Elliot, a third grade teacher designed a simple classroom exercise so that the children can have a better understanding of discrimination after having being discriminated by others. The paper discusses the case further and explains the impact of discrimination on society.

Case study

A third grade teacher namely Jane Elliot separated her students into two groups of blue eyed and brown eyed students. She told the class that blue eyed people were better and advanced than brown eyed people. She maintained that blue eyed children would receive special treatment such as more recess time and less homework. It created a sense of superiority among the blue eyed children ...