Group Position Theory

The study of prejudice is a cornerstone of social psychological and sociological research. Traditionally, prejudice has been defined as negative attitudes toward a person due to his or her membership in a social group. Race prejudice, then, is a form of prejudice directed toward people on the basis of their perceived racial group. Group position theory is a sociological analysis of race prejudice which posits that its source lies in the structural relationship of racial groups in a given society. Fundamentally, it suggests that the features that make up prejudice are derived from the relationships between racial groups and a group's preferred position in a racialized social order, rather than in the individual feelings and experiences of group members. This entry discusses the historical foundations ...