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1. Theory of Perception
In this study, perception is the way of Pecola sees herself as a girl who comes from the black race. This theory helps the researcher to analyze how she
looks at herself and how she can survive with her own perception in her suffering life.
Altman, Valenzi, and Hodgetts 1985 define perception as the way of how stimuli are selected and grouped by person so that they can be meaningfully
interpreted. Moreover the way we perceive the stimuli that bring information depends on several factors. It includes the contributions and familiarity of the
stimuli, our physical characteristics, our needs and values, knowledge, feeling, and also our past experience. Thus
, someone’s perception can be influenced by four important factors. They are selection of stimuli, organization of stimuli, the
situation, and the person self concept pp. 85-86.
a. Selection of stimuli
There are many stimuli in our surrounding, but we must focus on the small number only. This process is called as selection. In the process of selection,
people will select and filter some specific stimuli. The result of this process will be different from one another. That is why people will perceive things differently
based on their process of selecting the specific stimuli. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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b. Organization of stimuli
The stimuli that have been selected must be arranged into a screening process so they become meaningful. The perceptual organization of information
helps us categorize sensory inputs and reduces all information into simpler categories. By that the arrangement of the stimuli can affect the perception.
c. The situation
The situation or past experience will affect what the person perceives about certain things. Moreover, the accurateness of perceiving situations are
related to the way how well a person adapts hisher behavior to the situation.
d. Self-concept
Self concept is the way people see and perceive themselves. These ways also affect their perception on things in the world around them. In the other words,
the way we see ourselves affect our perception of our own world.
2. Theory of Discrimination
According to Parrillo 1985, discrimination is an actual behavior, the practice of differential and unequal treatment of other groups of people, usually
along racial, religious, or ethnic lines. He states that there are five levels of discrimination. The first level is verbal expression, a statement of dislike or to
insult something. The next level is avoidance, in which the prejudiced person takes steps to avoid any social interaction with that group. At the third level,
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exclusion from certain jobs, housing, education, or social organization would occur. The fourth level of discrimination is physical abuse, the beatings and
attacks upon members of the disliked group, as was frequently done against Blacks and Chinese in the late nineteenth century. The last level is extermination,
when massacres, genocide, or programs are conducted against people p. 78. Another dimension of discrimination according to Parrillo is social
discrimination or the creation of a social distance between groups. In their main relationships, people tend to associate with those of a similar ethnic background
and socioeconomic level. In the other words, the dominant group members thus usually exclude or limit the interaction of minority-group members from close
relation with them p. 80. As Hubert Blalock believes that the dominant group will not hesitate to
employ unfair actions if it thinks that this will be an effective means of undercutting the minority group as a social rival. The dominant group will also
aggressively discriminate if it interprets minority variation from cultural norms as a form of social deviance threateni
ng society’s sacred traditions Parrillo, 1985, pp. 80-81.
Here the researcher also provides two theories that are related to discrimination. The first is theory of acceptance, and the second is theory of a
negative self-image. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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