Question

In 2006, the Sigma Chi fraternity at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore put on a weekend "Halloween in the Hood" party. One of the decorations was a skeleton hanging from a rope noose. On the invitation, which was posted on Facebook, Baltimore was referred to as an "HIV pit" and suggested that party-goers should wear rap style clothing and bling-bling. An image of an internationally prominent African-American appeared in the posting. The Black Student Union members protested to university administration, saying that Sigma Chi was being racially insensitive. A student protest emerged urging the banning of the fraternity. Individual African-American students were deeply disturbed by the noose imagery. The fraternity said it did not mean to offend anyone, and it was only a regular Halloween party. Hostility grew between student groups. The university administration suspended the fraternity, worried about its already tension-filled relations with the surrounding community and other manifestations of intolerance in the student body. Analyze the facts of this scenario critically using the following approach: a. explicitly use three (3) concepts in your analysis; b. identify and very briefly describe each concept you use and link it to specific evidence from the scenario; c. within your group of three concepts include at least one (1) concept from (Group Influences) and at least one (1) concept (Prejudice: Disliking Others) in your analysis.

Answer 1

The incidents happened at Sigma Chi fraternity in Baltimore and the scenario at that time analyzed by using following concepts:

1. Group influences: If the individual perception and behavior influenced by group's way of perceiving and acting, then it is called as de-individuation or group influence. Here, the group dynamics play role in making decisions and acting out in way which is highly acceptable in the particular group. Even though single member of group does not have intentions about such acts, the group influence makes the member of group to obey the approved norms of group. Let us consider the Sigma Chi fraternity incident. Here, one group or fraternity had particular notion about another particular group and group decision with regard to party code influenced by such notion inadvertently. Individually, the members of fraternity may not have such notions or idea, but as a group and affiliation of one group make member to act like that.

2. Stereotyping: Stereotype is a belief about certain group of people. An individual may have certain stereotype about particular group. It is kind of generalization. Here, there is no group affiliation needed for having such stereotype about certain people. In the above case, the individuals of fraternity may have developed stereotyped conception about particular group of people and further decisions based on those stereotyped conceptions took place.

3. Prejudice: This can be defined as feeling about individual based on affinity or membership of particular group. Here, one individual may judge about another by considering affiliation, ethnicity, etc. In the above case, this prejudice may have caused such incident where people of particular group are considered to have such code and such incident took place.