What is Psychology of Prejudice and Discrimination about?
The Psychology of Prejudice and Discrimination provides a comprehensive and compelling overview of what psychological theory and research have to say about the nature, causes, and reduction of prejudice and discrimination. It balances a detailed discussion of theories and selected research with applied examples that ensure the material is relevant to students. Newly revised and updated, this edition addresses several interlocking themes, such as research methods, the development of prejudice in children, the relationship between prejudice and discrimination, and discrimination in the workplace, which are developed in greater detail than in other textbooks.
The first theme introduced is the nature of prejudice and discrimination, which is followed by a discussion of research methods. Next comes the psychological underpinnings of prejudice: the nature of stereotypes, the conditions under which stereotypes influence responses to other people, contemporary theories of prejudice, and how values and belief systems are related to prejudice. Explored next are the development of prejudice in children and the social context of prejudice. The theme of discrimination is developed via discussions of the nature of discrimination, the experience of discrimination, and specific forms of discrimination, including gender, sexual orientation, age, ability, and appearance. The concluding theme is the reduction of prejudice.
An ideal core text for junior and senior college students who have had a course in introductory psychology, it is written in a style that is accessible to students in other fields including education, social work, business, communication studies, ethnic studies, and other disciplines. In addition to courses on prejudice and discrimination, this book is also adapted for courses that cover topics in racism and diversity.
For additional resources, consult the website BreakingPrejudice.org, which focuses on pedagogical materials that can be used to address both cultural awareness and self-awareness of prejudice and to increase students’ multicultural competence. Specifically, the site includes:
- Original teaching activities (ready to use with minimal preparation, including discussion questions)
- An annotated list of podcasts (categorized by topic)
- An annotated list of videos (categorized by topic)
- A set of social justice songs (categorized by topic)
- Four original public service announcements
- 16 video diaries about people’s personal experience with prejudice
- Interviews with 13 social justice activists