I have been very interested, in light of recent articles, how cultural and racial biases are formed. IMO I think it has to be ignorance. To generalize an entire group of people seems ludicris.
I racked my brain trying to think of a whole group I am prejudiced against and I could not think of one. I would like to think I am not the minority in this. I am more hopeful in humanity to think that this the norm.
I know in every group of people there are unfavorable members, but should we take that to mean that they are "that way" due to their race, culture or religion? If we base our beliefs on the extremist, how can we not expect others to veiw us the same as our own cultures extremists.
As a Caucasian Christian Female. I am not a Skin head, KKK member, Nazi or a supporter of "ethnic cleansing." Yet in my cultural backround there have been Caucasian Christian "extremist groups" that support these causes. Does being a Caucasian Christian put me in the same group as these people? After all, the KKK bases it's beliefs on the Christian Bible. Solbodan Milosevic based his idea of ethnic cleansing on the premise that Christians were a superior race.
I have been taught that skin color is irrelevent to who a person really is. I see though that society does not always view this as truth. I see this every day in the prejudiced and racist comments people make. Even when you correct people, trying to educate them, it often falls on deaf ears. I have come to believe it must be easier for people to discriminate than to educate themselves on a culture, religion or race they do not understand.
What do you think people base thier biases on? Is this justified? Is it easier to judge than to try and understand?