I'm stuck! how does prejudices come from fear?

Question

I'm doing an essay in summer school and i need some help! the prompt in "write how prejdices comes from fear?"

Answer 1

I met a man once who was against black men marrying white women.   I asked if it was ok for a white man to marry a black woman, he said, "yes".  I asked if it was ok for a white woman to marry a Chinese man - he said, "yes".  I asked if it was ok for a white woman to marry an Indian, Native American, Eskimo.... - he said "yes".

So, I said to him, the only thing you don't like is black men marrying white women." Which to me stated he was somehow afraid he was inferior to a black man (most likely that he wasn't 'as endowed' as a black man).  When I mentioned this to him, he said, "you're right, I'll have to think on that some more."

This same man had a fear of homosexuals.  After a bit of talking, he was more problematic with g*y men than g*y women.  It boiled down to the fact that he wasn't having a problem with g**s, instead, he was having problems with the fact that men might like him and therefore he was vulnerable to 'rape'.  This is the same problem women have with 'any man'  there is a fear of rape that men don't really have except in the context of g*y men doing it to them.  Now, just because someone is g*y doesn't mean they are a rapist, but that doesn't matter the fear itself is what led to the prejudice.

If one is able to openly discuss the boundaries and depth of their prejudices, you can most often come to a fear base - fear of change, fear of inferiority, fear of being overpowered or just plain fear of the unknown.

You are welcome to use my stories or refer to them in your paper, but please note that they are someone else's story and give me credit by noting "As told by: P. Wright" in the footnotes/endnotes/bibliography.

Answer 2

You have prejudice against anything that is unfamiliar - not like you - something that you don't know - that causes fear!