The Nature of Prejudice

by Gordon W. Allport, Thomas Pettigrew (Foreword), Kenneth Clark (Introduction)

With profound insight into the complexities of the human experience, Harvard psychologist Gordon Allport organized a mass of research to produce a landmark study on the roots and nature of prejudice. First published in 1954, The Nature of Prejudice remains the standard work on discrimination. Now this classic study is offered in a special unabridged edition with a new introduction by Kenneth Clark of Columbia University and a new preface by Thomas Pettigrew of Harvard University.Allport's comprehensive and penetrating work examines all aspects of this age-old problem: its roots in individual and social psychology, its varieties of expression, its impact on the individuals and communities. He explores all kinds of prejudice-racial, religious, ethnic, economic and sexual-and offers suggestions for reducing the devastating effects of discrimination.The additional material by Clark and Pettigrew updates the social-psychological research in prejudice and attests to the enduring values of Allport's original theories and insights.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Sociology, Race, Politics, Philosophy, Social Science

576 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1954

About the author

Gordon Willard Allport was an American psychologist. Allport was one of the first psychologists to focus on the study of the personality, and is often referred to as one of the founding figures of personality psychology. He contributed to the formation of Values Scales and rejected both a psychoanalytic approach to personality, which he thought often went too deep, and a behavioral approach, which he thought often did not go deep enough. He emphasized the uniqueness of each individual, and the importance of the present context, as opposed to past history, for understanding the personality.

Allport had a profound and lasting influence on the field of psychology, even though his work is cited much less often than other well known figures. Part of his influence stemmed from his knack for attacking and broadly conceptualizing important and interesting topics (e.g. rumor, prejudice, religion, traits). Part of his influence was a result of the deep and lasting impression he made on his students during his long teaching career, many of whom went on to have important psychological careers. Among his many students were Jerome S. Bruner, Anthony Greenwald, Stanley Milgram, Leo Postman, Thomas Pettigrew, and M. Brewster Smith.

Reviews

[Rex Chen · Rating 4 out of 5]

We are just a bundle of prejudices ... The book starts by revealing this simple truth.
As a Chinese who has spent years in Middle East and UK, and who has observed the many absurd human conflicts resulting from our 'differences', I can relate strongly to this book even though it was written more than 50 years ago.

A very systematic, insightful and deep analysis about every aspect of human prejudice, this book provides the best way to truly understand and hence to fight again prejudices.
But for non-researcher readers, the later chapters are a bit too heavy and dry because they are too analytical. I skipped such parts and still got a good feeling about what the author tried to tell us ...

A must read for all educated people (especially for those who don't have a 'liberal' education background like myself :)

[Juan Pablo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a life changer. I have heard & read the a number of civil rights leaders felt that it was a book that was necessary to have in one's personal library if you wanted to understand what it was they were fighting. Having read this book it is very clear to me why. In addition to gaining a better understanding of the world & people around me, I also learned a lot about myself. This book will force you to look at how society, your family via your upbringing & how aspects of your personality influence the way you hold views about people & the groups they belong to. This book made me think about how we view people in regards to gender, class, sexuality & any other way we discriminate against our fellow humans in addition to racism. All of the chapters have a way of challenging you & making you think but chapter 9, which is a chapter on how the reactions of the oppressed to their oppression are varied is something everyone should read even if they haven't been exposed to the book. It helps clear up some of the victim-blaming too often directed at the oppressed. The book is very straight-forward but it reveals that prejudice is complicated & comes about in various ways which makes eradicating it complicated as well.

There are a lot of books that are good, great even, but one that truly changes your life, your outlook & helps you improve your actions, I think, is a rare gem. That's what this book is for me. I'm confident we have made numerous strides in Psychology since the this book was written, which was in the height of the Civil Rights Era I believe but this is a great foundation to get to in addition to any works written since that time. If you want to understand the many prejudices we see in the world today as well as illuminate ones you may not realize you hold yourself, this is the book to start with.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a quote on the back from a critic that says, "As a source of study, it is a library in itself." This is exactly how I feel. It was amazingly insightful, and written with such simplicity that I never felt like I would fall asleep from boredom, nor did I ever have to re-read the same line over and over before understanding its meaning.

I learned so much about myself and those around me while reading this book, and I greatly encourage others to dive into these 518 (!!) pages of enlightenment.

My only complaint is that it's written using language that wouldn't seem to be "politically correct" (for lack of a better term) in modern light, but seeing as it was published in 1954 and Allport is no longer alive to write a revision, this will have to do.

[Robert Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful book that people only read as a text book. Prejudice is a fascinating subject because everyone suffers from it at one time or another and most people deny that they hold any prejudice in their heart. If one thinks themselves innocent of prejudice they only fool themselves! Prejudice is infectious and if left untreated will spread throughout a people and society.

[Kirtida Gautam · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is one of the most important work of social psychology I have read in recent years.

[Bradlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for anyone in the fields of prejudice or intergroup relations. Written less than a decade after World War II, the book's heavy emphasis on anti-Semitism is noticeably dated. The lessons we can take away from Allport's comprehensive discussion of prejudice are still very relevant, though. Replace the book's focus on anti-Semitism with prejudice against Muslims or the LGBT community and almost all of the same conclusions will follow regarding the origins, facilitators, and combatants of prejudice towards these groups. Not to mention that his "contact hypothesis" set the groundwork for a large body of psychological research into prejudice reduction that has continued up to the present day.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found Allport's work of great value. Allport's examples and explination of prejudice, specifically racial prejudice, is outstanding. The book is dated (copyrighted 1979) but the theories and constructs can still be applied today. Think of any form of prejudice in our society (ie. immigrantion, gay rights, religion, etc.) and you can see how these "dated" ideas still apply today.

[Kasey Rackowitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was published in the early 1950s and it definitely shows signs of its age, especially in regards to terminology, but much of what Allport discusses still stand today. I found what he had to say about McCarthyism and World War II really interesting when comparing it to what is going on with the US and Trump. Interesting historical read.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

look up the other meaning of “autism” from the 50s or you’ll be in for a shock

was thinking how crazy it was that such an enlightened and progressive perspective on prejudice was around in the 1950s… before i got to the bit where he says paranoia is repressed homosexuality

even the guy who literally wrote the book on prejudice is not immune

[Uğur · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enormous Allport book that contains both individual and social analyses on prejudice and enriches these analyses with psychological analyses.

Our author has investigated the prejudices acquired by examining identity, gender, racial and religious differences with his studies on social groups and going to the root of these differences. In particular, it is tremendous that he has explained scientifically by proving that the existence of one segment is based on the totality of common personal reactions acquired against another segment. In this sense, the book has a very special point.

Especially when examining prejudice, which can spread rapidly through mass media in today's societies, he also gives us advice by questioning the source of information and information.

In particular, the example of two photo frames shown to one subject was quite tragic. While an unarmed African is shown in one frame, an armed white is shown in the other, and the subject who answers the question of which of them is dangerous as an african thinks that the African has the weapon is an experiment that can be considered the summary of the book both from the point of view of the situation and from the point of view of the result. Of course, prejudice is not only caused by skin color. Colleagues who cannot tolerate a successful business woman, those who react based on sect and identity, those who impose prejudice based on their economic status in a class sense, and those who distinguish between men and women also constitute other variations of prejudice.

Our author has presented solutions as well as diagnoses with a social-psychological analysis about the prejudice that affects a person's thinking and thinking, leading him to the wrong place. The book is among those that are extremely up-to-date and essential to read. Be sure to read.

[Rita Lei Chen 雷晨 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some people sometimes adopt aggressive methods to deal with frustration. They hold an attitude of external punishment and attribute the responsibility for frustration to external conditions; while some people ignore the real cause of frustration and mistake it. Put it above other objects, especially external groups that can be used as scapegoats. This process is common, but it does not happen to everyone. Whether a person will adopt this way of coping with frustration depends on their inner temperament, the habits established in coping with frustration, and the prevailing coping styles. People can oppose certain evil qualities—but they can only do so with peace of mind if they believe that these qualities are in others rather than themselves. Direct projection is a means of resolving conflicts by attributing emotions, motivations, and behaviors to another person (or group), and these elements belong to themselves, not to blame. Moralism is just formal conformity; it cannot improve internal conflicts. Moralistic life is full of tension, compulsion and projection, not true morality

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book I've read as part of a self-induced project to read one book from each shelf of the nonfiction section of my local public library.

While not necessarily something I would have likely picked up otherwise, this turned out to be an interesting book that makes some fascinating points--and I did feel I learned something reading it, though other portions seem like common sense. Yes, certainly, it is clear the book was written in the relatively immediate post-WWII period, and I'm sure someone with an academic background in the field would be able to tell me all the ways in which Allport's work and the studies that inform it are now dated. Even as a layman, I can easily see that the prevailing language has changed in the over half-century since this book's initial publication.

Personally, I do think it was a worthwhile read. I don't have the expertise to say anything of great importance on it, but it was interesting and informative.

[Jack Orlleans · Rating 5 out of 5]

A systematic analysis about prevalent American prejudices he was acquainted with, it provides both light and heavier analysis of the prejudices. He has the occasional anecdote and uses them further his ideas.
The latter half of the book is more analytical, individuals without some relations to psychology might find it more dull than the earlier sections. While it's a compelling read it's not fun or entertaining, it's more a long set of revelations.

I think it's also useful for understanding the thought process of psychologists Not to stereotype psychologists but this work has been so formative to many aspiring psychologists that it helped imprint the career's prevailing attitude toward prejudice.
Reading the statistics he provides I came to radically different conclusions than he did.
Reading it reveals your individual thoughts, what you consider the most important among averages, outliers, and standard deviations.
I think the book compliments The Bell Curve quite well.

[Stuart Macalpine · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I have read: an encyclopaedic account of the way prejudice and discrimination are formed, sustained and lessened or intensified heavily illustrated with research that is powerful but accessible. Everything that something like 'lord of the flies' depicts or the holocaust shows Allport systematically unpicks and illuminates.

[Clyde Yang · Rating 5 out of 5]

a brilliant book on the topic of prejudice, i guess this would be a book that would never get outdated. prejudice would be something we are always going to live with. plenty of the ideas mentioned in the book i feel so applicable to myself and to what i observed.

[Patrick Cowsill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best book I've ever seen on the topic. The scale, with the five steps, is intriguing.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good book on what prejudice is and is not, how it evolves, and what we can do about it. If you have one book to read on this topic, this should be the one you choose

[Thomas Baughman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic piece of analysis.

[Laura Aranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite possibly one of the best books I have EVER read. An in-depth look into how and why prejudice and discrimination exist. This needs to be included in every child's curriculum.

[JimZ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned as much about psychology from this one book as from anything that I've read. A giant.

[Aurélien Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came to this book after reading Demagoguery and Democracy. I must say, I am absolutely stunned that this isn't more well-known, let alone that I had never heard of it before! When it comes to the nature of prejudice indeed, it's not only easy to read and well-thought/ researched but, also, still highly relevant nowadays despite it having been first published 70 years ago. What about it?

Gordon W. Allport sees prejudice as errors in thinking. It's not about being stupid or irrational. It's merely about adhering to various cognitive processes which are flawed, hence that can only lead to flawed conclusions. He outlines, for instance, some of its key features and how they can be reinforced by whose holding them (e.g. generalization fallacy; categorisation; monolithic thinking; selection and confirmation bias etc.). As such, then, he clearly demonstrates that prejudice is about psychology or, more precisely, personality. But that's not it.

More than outlining what makes what he calls a 'prejudiced personality', he also compares it to what makes its opposite, that is, the 'tolerant personality'. He refers to it as being 'tolerant', not because such personalities cannot be victims of prejudicial attitudes too (on the contrary!) but because, when they are, their way of thinking make it easier for them to see their errors and so to correct their own biases. Tolerant personalities, in other words, emphasise individualities over group membership; they don't categorise; they are open minded and so don't feel threaten when challenged in their assumptions; and, most importantly, they are warry of and reject generalisations. Does it matter?

Gordon W. Allport shows more than the various mechanisms adopted by prejudiced people when challenged, and so preventing them to change their mindset. Anyone who has debated somebody making swift generalisations about a group and to paint say group as being threatening and/ or a problem will reckon, here, the attitudes (e.g. self-righteousness, selection bias, bifurcation etc.). As it turns out, they are textbook indeed. What he does, too, is to show how dangerous such prejudicial thinking, its key features in reasoning, and its adopted defence mechanisms when challenged can be when being validated by society as a whole. Writing post-WWII and in the 1950s, his examples are mainly centred around racism and antisemitism. Nevertheless, they are striking for demonstrating how prejudice operates on a spectrum, ranging from what he calls antilocution (language used to negatively define, mock and/ or dehumanise a group); avoidance (when manufactured fear and distrust have become so divisive that they have alienated groups against each other); and discrimination (which is self-explanatory e.g. racial segregation; Nuremberg's laws etc.). When exploited to its full conclusion, it can also lead to physical attacks and, even, extermination.

The Nature of Prejudice, then, makes for a deep and highly enlightening read. It's mostly about psychology and what make a prejudiced personality, but not only. By showing how flawed reasoning and fallacies can be exploited at higher levels (e.g. mediatic, political, institutional) it also shows how dangerous, divisive, and alienating prejudiced ideologies can be, threatening thus communities and the very fabric of our societies, besides causing considerable damages among the targeted demographics. The author, in fact, goes quite far on that score, arguing that prejudicial attitudes being tolerated and let loose are nothing but anti-democratic at the core, hence a poison to be reckon with. He proposes, here, some solutions to prevent individuals to falls into prejudicial claptraps; the biggest one being, of course, education when it comes to fallacies.

All in all, here's a book which should be read by anyone concerned about critical thinking, democracy, and the building of a truly compassionate, inclusive society, away from the categorical, monolithical and rigid thinking of demagogues (e.g. "they/ us", "'they' endanger 'us'", and other divisive claptraps). I highly, highly recommend it!

[Becky_read · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a misconception that people become prejudiced because they feel insecure or frustrated with their own lives. For example, some residents blame minorities for housing crisis or stagnant wages.

It doesn't explain why a rioter with European ancestry would attack a homeless Indigenous elder with anti-immigration slogans.
It doesn't explain why teens shove a Muslim mother and her baby into traffic.
Those victims are not threatening.
They are attacked precisely because they are vulnerable and easy targets who are unlikely to seek revenge.

The attackers, from a privileged group, know they can get away with it. They aren't acting out of fear; they are acting out of a violent desire to feel powerful.

Prejudice ignores all evidence. For a prejudiced person, the truth doesn't matter. They just need an excuse to justify their hatred and violence.

Our society is systematically designed to encourages and celebrates aggressive, immoral behaviour by giving bigots power, status, and influence. At the same time, it actively works to remove the need for empathy, which is the essential foundation for true tolerance. Humanity has never developed a comprehensive program to genuinely teach and reward empathy.

[RJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The examples are (obviously) dated or things that have been examined in great detail at this point, but the underlying mechanisms and constructs remain the same and ever-important when it comes to prejudice. It may be a little too granular for people who are familiar with stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination, but the first few chapters are still worthwhile. For laypeople who are interested in trying to understand the complexities of prejudice and discrimination, I highly, highly recommend this book.

[Karla Kitalong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this book was initially published in 1954 and updated in the 1970s, sadly, not that much has changed in 70 years with regard to bigotry and prejudice. We have some laws on the books, and our language has evolved to reflect more egalitarian and supportive attitudes, yet we are not, as a culture, behaving in a way that embraces, celebrates, or even fully tolerates difference. Sigh.

[James Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very well put together and thorough book on the subject of prejudice. Although long and extremely detailed, it is useful in understanding concepts and learning strategies. It appears as though all angles of the subject are covered and examined.

[Calico · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting, albeit dry work on the subject of prejudice. In spite of the outdated terminology used due to the time of original publishing, it holds interesting theories and ideas. A very good foundational work, but a bit of a slog even for a psychology student at times.

[Patty Bates-Ballard · Rating 5 out of 5]

The seminal work on prejudice. A must-read.

[Quratulain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

[Emma Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a long school book, 5 stars. Such good insight that still feels so relevant.

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

the only reason to read this book is because of how influential it was in race and prejudice scholarship in previous decades. it is so out-of-date that it is only interesting as an intellectual relic. Allport makes statements that to contemporary readers would sound (and, i would argue, are) racist. like many other transitional writers, he has conflicting moments of progressiveness and traditional racism (like Mill in "subjection of women").
however, serious students of race are required to read the foundational texts, and this is one.