Culture Vocab

Human Behavior

RacismA belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits.

Ex: Racial Profiling

PrejudicePreconceived judgment or opinion

Everyone has prejudices, sometimes they are positive

Hate CrimesCrimes committed because of the hatred of others

In the United States one hate crime is committed every hour

White SupremacyIdeology which holds that the white race is superior to other races

Ku-Klux-KlanUnderground terrorist group against civil rights.

StereotypeA standardized mental picture that is held in common by members of a group and that represents an oversimplified opinion or prejudiced attitude

Anti-SemitismBeing racist against the Jewish culture

Self-fulfilling prophecyA prediction that causes itself to come true due to the simple fact that the prediction was made.

Examples of Self-Fulfilling Prophecy -You think a certain race dislikes your race so you treat them poorly, therefore they treat you as though they dislike you-You expect your new roommate to be shy so you don’t speak much to him after he moves in, and he therefore does seem shy -A coach expects his freshmen to be uncoordinated and unskilled so he does not play them often, and when he does they are rusty and do not perform well -Your teacher expects you to do well and she spends extra time with you preparing for the exam, so you get an A

ValuesThings that are important to us