Social Categorization and Stereotyping In vivo: The VUCA Challenge

Abstract

A substantial literature has examined the nature of social categorization, a fundamental process having important implications for a wide variety of social phenomena. The great majority of this research has focused on the role of particular, clearly identified social categories (e.g. race, nationality, etc.) while ignoring or holding constant other identity dimensions. This approach has afforded considerable leverage for understanding how salient social identities influence perception, judgment, and behavior. However, it leaves unaddressed many questions about how particular social identities become salient and how (and whether) identities might be inferred when category membership is ambiguous or unknown. Everyday social perception often occurs under conditions of volatility (dynamic contexts), uncertainty (missing information), complexity (multiple bases for categorization), and ambiguity (unclear meaning of available cues). As a consequence, research must address how these factors might qualify basic processes of social categorization. Available evidence is reviewed, and directions for future research are discussed.

The Social Treatment of Ex-Dropouts Reenrolled in Secondary School in South Africa

“…In the end, the outcome was provocation. Thus, in terms of out-group reactions to in-group bias, the above findings complement previous research into the intergroup confrontation process (e.g., Dasgupta et al 2009;Bodenhausen & Peery, 2009). Dasgupta et al (2009) argue that intergroup aggression is a by-product of in-group bias whereby challenges and threats to out-group beliefs/values provoke aggression towards the in-group.…”

“…Previous research on social identity asserts that categorisation is an act of, and a precursor to, discrimination (Bodenhausen & Peery, 2009) and is intended to separate. Thus, one outcome of categorisation is the formation of in-groups and out-groups (Tajfel, 1970).…”

“…The social categorisation of those acknowledged as "re-enrolled dropouts", and those that fall outside that boundary, by implication stereotyped the returnee dropouts. This is because social categorisation goes hand in hand with the stereotyping process (Bodenhausen & Peery, 2009). A stereotype is "...a fixed, over generalised belief about a particular group or class of people" (McLeod, 2008, p. 1).…”

Continuous dynamics in the real-time perception of race

“…Although recent work suggests that people effortlessly slot racially-ambiguous faces into monoracial categories (Bodenhausen & Peery, 2009;Peery & Bodenhausen, 2008), an increasingly heterogeneous racial landscape is leading to the recognition of more multiracial identities at both an individual and institutional level (Jones & Syments Smith, 2001;Lee & Bean, 2004;Renn, 2009;Rockquemore, Brusma, & Delgado, 2009). The present research provides a promising look at the future of race categorization in this heterogeneous landscape.…”

Diversity in the person, diversity in the group: Challenges of identity complexity for social perception and social interaction

“…However, in this situation the various facets of the individual may actually not function as organizing categories any longer, but instead may serve merely as a set of personal attributes. In this sense, the multiple category problem is transformed into a matter of multiattribute evaluation (see, e.g., Bodenhausen and Peery, 2009).…”