Applied stereotypes, social networks, and self-fulfilling prophecies: how stereotypes reinforce social inequalities

Introduction

Social inequalities are reinforced within the education system. Stereotypes may have a major role in this, since they may lead to differential treatment of minority students, resulting in self-fulfilling prophecies that hinder their academic outcomes.

Role of Peers

Beyond the obvious role of teachers, that of peers is also crucial, as they are important parts of students’ socialization. How they are perceived by peers could affect their motivation, interests, achievements, and relationships. However, it is not clear how much students apply stereotypes to their peers, given the wealth of individuating information they have about them.

Concept of Applied Stereotypes

This project introduces the new concept of applied stereotypes: this expresses how an individual perceives another along stereotype-related dimensions, such as warmth and competence. I propose that applied stereotypes develop jointly with peer networks of school communities.

Mitigating Factors

For example, the application of stereotypes could be mitigated by friendships (judging one’s friends more positively) or by accepting the established personal reputation of specific peers as warm or competent instead of judging them based on stereotypes. Such peer-based processes of stereotype application, combined with the effect of applied stereotypes on outcomes, are crucial to understand, as students’ educational trajectories emerge gradually in school, surrounded by peers.

Research Focus

The project investigates social mechanisms that explain the dynamic interplay between stereotypes, applied stereotypes, and outcomes. As there is no established way to measure applied stereotypes, I develop a novel dyadic measure that captures who perceives whom in what way and collect detailed data in ten English secondary schools.

Methodology

I conduct empirical analyses by using and extending cutting-edge methods of social network analysis. By taking a so-far neglected level of applied stereotypes into account, this project has the potential for a ground-breaking impact on the study of social inequalities.