A Divisive Answer

Prejudice. Discrimination. Motivational Perspective.

Miss North Carolina, Kristen Dalton is the Miss USA 2009 Crown. So why are we still talking about the pageant? Recent controversy has been stirred up by the bold remarks of runner-up Miss California, Carrie Prejean. When asked her opinion on legalizing gay marriage by openly gay celebrity blogger Perez Hilton during the pageant, Prejean expressed her beliefs in that marriage is only meant to be between a man and a woman.

Now that the competition is over, the fire over Prejean’s controversial answer has yet to die down. She claims that her reply to Hilton cost her the Miss USA crown but is proud nonetheless of offering her honest opinion. Hilton, however, claims that what cost her the crown was the divisive manner in which she separated herself from others based on her politics and her religion. Though Prejean stands by what she replied in the televised event, her display of the motivational perspective in viewing intergroup relations ultimately was not what the judges saw fit as Miss USA.

The motivational perspective is when intergroup develops because of the mere fact that another group exists. Ingroups are preferred by the mere inclusion of the self. We engage in prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination in order to feel good about ourselves and by extension, our group. The key distinction between ingroups and outgroups is self-involvement.

One aspect of the motivational perspective is to view the nature of reality through the eyes of one’s own culture. Thus, one might say "Our values are seen as the correct values. Our manner of dress is the appropriate manner, and our cosmology is the correct cosmology."

When Prejean gave her reply, she displayed this motivational perspective. Unfortunately for her, it was not received in a positive manner by the judges. In answering the question posed by Perez Hilton, she only sought to create a division between her views and other more liberal ones. She was not chosen for the crown because the judges failed to see her fit as representative of all Americans. Her prejudices and discrimination were not viewed favorably. 

Let’s move on, America.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30322005/