Final answer:
Choosing not to be friends with someone because they bring a different kind of lunch is an example of prejudice, a negative attitude based on group membership. Education and positive interactions with diverse cultures can reduce this prejudice. Identifying and challenging our own biases is key to overcoming prejudice and promoting inclusion.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Bias and Prejudice
When a person decides not to be friends with someone because of the type of lunch they bring to school, it reflects a form of prejudice. Prejudice involves a negative attitude and feeling towards an individual based solely on one's membership in a particular social group (Allport, 1954; Brown, 2010). This scenario suggests there's a prejudiced belief against someone because of their food choice, which can be associated with their cultural or socio-economic background.
Examples of Prejudice and Discrimination
Historical instances of prejudice include the signage "No Entrance for Poles!" and an African-American male having to drink from a designated "colored" water fountain in 1939. These were blatant examples of discrimination, a behavioral manifestation of prejudice. Contemporary examples might include biases based on nationality, such as a negative attitude towards people who were not born in the United States.
Encountering someone with a different lunch could provide an opportunity for curiosity and learning, but instead, choosing to end a friendship over it is an irrational bias grounded in discomfort with difference. To combat these tendencies, education and interactions with diverse cultures are fundamental. Building relationships and positive imagery associated with different cultural groups can reduce prejudice.
Prejudices are not always based on negative stereotypes. They can also result from a postive bias towards people who are similar to ourselves, such as those who share the same gender, race, or interests. Yet, both positive and negative prejudices can lead to biased treatment and social exclusion.
Social learning and conformity to prolonged social norms often reinforce prejudices and discriminations. Identifying and challenging our own biases opens the door to viewing and treating others as equals, despite differences in appearance or lifestyle.
Understanding and addressing our own biases and the biases of society are vital steps towards a more inclusive community. Recognizing prejudice as a negative and unfair attitude based on group membership allows us to approach differences with respect rather than judgment.