Question

Why and how prejudice creates social distance?

Answer 1

• Prejudice creates social distance because it leads people to see others as different, inferior, or even dangerous. When people hold unfair and negative attitudes toward a group, they avoid mixing with them and want to keep them separate.
• For example, if someone believes that people of another religion or caste are “unclean” or “untrustworthy,” they may refuse to eat with them, marry into their families, or even live in the same neighbourhood. This creates physical and emotional separation between groups.
• Prejudice leads to fear, suspicion, and lack of trust. People think that those who are different cannot be friends or equals. As a result, they don’t want close relationships or cooperation. They keep their distance in schools, workplaces, and communities.
• This social distance also becomes part of social rules and customs. For example, untouchability in India is an extreme form of social distance based on caste prejudice, where people are barred from sharing water, food, or temples.