Police And Blacks Seeing Threat, Close Ranks By Amanda Taub: Article Analysis

Summary

The article written by Amanda Taub named, “A Social Reflex: Police and Blacks, Seeing Threat, Close Ranks” discusses the reason as to why the violence between the police and blacks have become exponentially talked about in the matter of months. She argues that it is because of group identity and how the violence committed strengthened the group identity of both the police and the blacks. She mentions in-groups and out-groups and how they each are related to one another, and how threats and violence can heighten “out-group hate” (Tuab). She also states that what contributes to group identity is the fact that “when people see others in their social group subjected to harm because of their membership in that group, they don't just sympathize

Many white people are said to view minorities through their stereotypes (Macionis). It is also said that stereotyping is particularly harmful to minorities in the workplace (Macionis). This can be related to the police force and how their workplace can use stereotypes to pursue blacks for crimes they did not commit. Taub quotes Professor Rios who states, “When identification with a group is coupled with perceptions of threat, that’s a particularly dangerous combination...that’s when you start to see a lot of biases, and a lot of negative feelings” (Taub). Generalizing that a whole group is threatening can lead to

Prejudice is unfair because it paints a whole group of people with one brush and state that they are the same with little to no evidence (Macionis). Taub states, “Even if facts show that there is no real danger, ‘it’s the perception of threat from an out-group, regardless of the actual presence of threat, that predicts prejudice” (Taub). If an entire group is thought to be violent, it would lead other groups treating that group as if it were violent and needed taming. Negative prejudice can be expressed from mild dislike to outright hostility (Macionis). Prejudice would in-turn lead to discrimination (Ridnor; Macionis