Causes of Prejudice

¶ … organizational resources are by definition scarce, it is important for sociologists conducting research on the issues of racism and prejudice to employ research techniques with proven efficacy. This paper provides a review of the relevant literature concerning optimal methods for sociological research into the areas of racism and prejudice.

A discussion concerning the types of research method that would be the most appropriate for such studies on racism and prejudice, including qualitative or quantitative research, the use interviews, surveys, field research, case study, secondary analysis, or participant observation is followed by an examination concerning how sociologists explain the causes of prejudice. Finally, a summary of the research and important findings concerning these issues are presented in the paper's conclusion.

Review and Discussion To date, sociologists have used a wide range of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies to study racism and prejudice (Dion, 2002). For instance, according to one sociologist, "We have used methods ranging from controlled experiments in the psychological laboratory to correlational and survey studies assessing the correlates of perceived discrimination in the community and society outside the laboratory" (Dion, 2002, p. 2).

The majority of the studies concerning racism and prejudice have analyzed the reasons and timing of majority- or dominant-group members becoming prejudiced toward minority or subordinate group members (Dion, 2002). Most of these studies, though, have not taken into account the impact that racism and prejudice can have on its victims (Dion, 2002). The determination of an optimal research approach for studying racism and prejudice would therefore depend on the types of research questions that were involved and what outcomes were desired.

If sociologists want to know how many people are involved in racist or discriminatory practices, they would likely employ quantitative research methods such as surveys; conversely, if sociologists were more interested in the lived experiences of people that have been the victims of racism and/or prejudice, they would likely employ some type of qualitative approach such as interviews or case studies (Grinnell & Unrau, 2005). The analysis of secondary data is a fundamental part of most research projects today (Neuman, 2003).

In addition, some sociologists employ field research and participant observational techniques which can provide robust findings and valuable empirical observations; however, these approaches can be highly time-consuming and expensive (Neuman, 2003). By contrast, survey research is a highly cost-effective approach that can provide sociologists with large amounts of data in a relatively short timeframe (Neuman, 2003). Case studies also provide a useful framework in which an issue of interest can be investigated in depth and with greater attention to details (Leedy, 1997).

Furthermore, case study research can help identify gaps in the literature and directions for future studies (Neuman, 2003). Irrespective of the research methodology employed, though, sociologists generally explain the causes of prejudice in terms of personality types that are predisposed towards prejudicial thinking (Farley, 2005). People that hold prejudicial views about others and practice discrimination against one group of people typically have negative views about other groups as well (Farley, 2005).

Conclusion The review of the literature showed that sociologists can use a broad array of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, including surveys, interviews, case studies, participant observation, field research and secondary analysis. Each of these research methodologies has its respective strengths and weaknesses compared.