Psychology

Prejudice and stereotypes
15% of total grade
I work as a substance abuse counselor if all possible this paper needs to be
geared toward
that needs cites from Strobe and Stephan Harkins
Raising awareness
20% of total grade

Recommendations
18% of total grade

Alignment with readings
15% of total grade
Benefit or hindrance to organizational culture

ANSWER

Prejudice and Stereotypes

A stereotype is a non-scientific generalization about a certain social group. Stereotypes can be negative or positive conscious and unconscious inferences about the social group. Prejudice is unjustifiable and a negative attitude towards certain social groups based on stereotypes about the group. Stereotypes in dealing with drug abuse counselling often lead to stigma, which leads to people failing to seek help when dealing with substance abuse problems. According to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (2016), stereotypes are dangerous and can influence public policy in terms of restricting the rights of people with behavioural disorders. According to the study, the stereotypes that exist among people with substance use disorders is that they are weak-willed and do not adhere to their treatment, but in reality, people with substance abuse disorders are more likely to adhere to their treatments compared to patients with chronic health conditions such as hypertension and diabetes.

The prevailing stereotype on addiction is that people suffering from substance use disorders are poor, cannot hold their families together and cannot pay their bills. However, in reality, most people with addiction are hardworking and are still holding their families together. Sometimes it is hard to tell a person is dealing with addiction by looking at them. In most cases, the turmoil of addiction is hidden (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine., 2016). This stereotype often affects the functioning addicts as they might fail to seek help as, in their view, they are not addicts. Addiction is perceived as something that affects the homeless. However, it is important to educate the public that some people are addicted and successfully paying their bills and, thus, the importance of encouraging people to seek help without making them feel like they are failures. There is also the stereotype that people dealing with addiction are violent. There is a link between addiction and violence, but that does not mean that addiction creates violence, and most addicted people are not more violent than the average person.

Prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination go hand in hand, but it is possible that one can happen without the other. Stereotypes such as black people having intellectual limitations lead to black children being denied basic education, which is viewed as a waste of resources. Stereotyping and prejudice go across the board. There are stereotypes against older adults in organizations where older adults are viewed as fragile and like they do not bring anything valuable to the organization. When dealing with substance abuse patients, there are many stereotypes against them and the stigma surrounding seeking help. Most people seeking help for substance abuse do so because they are willing to make the changes. However, stereotyping them and categorizing them and accusing them of not beings strong creates stigma against seeking help which leads to them hiding their problem, which can be fatal. It can also lead to unfair treatment of employees in organizations losing their jobs or promotions.

According to Rubegni et al. (2022), stereotyping and prejudice can end if children are taught differently. Stereotypes develop as a result of a certain narrative being passed across generations. This means that these stereotypes can be controlled by teaching children differently. They can be taught to believe in proven scientific facts. This will help them create a better society that is more accommodating, and this will reduce the prejudice and discrimination that comes with the stereotypes.

References

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2016). Ending discrimination against people with mental and substance use disorders: The evidence for stigma change. National Academies Press.

Rubegni, E., Landoni, M., Malinverni, L., & Jaccheri, L. (2022). Raising Awareness of Stereotyping Through Collaborative Digital Storytelling: Design for Change with and for Children. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 157, 102727.