Psychology of Prejudice and Discrimination

by Bernard E. Whitley Jr.

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

Genres: Psychology, Politics, Textbooks, Nonfiction

744 pages, Paperback

First published July 27, 2005

Reviews

[Trude Tanke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid textbook with a lot of food for thought. It was a bit dry at times, and was almost only focusing on american prejudice and discrimination. But a lot of interesting elements, and understandable writing.

[Sierra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a solid textbook. Very useful information.

[becca sporky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for people who want to learn more about prejudice and discrimination... why it happens, how it happens, in what circumstances it can happen, the most likely places, times, etc, that it could happen, how it effects minorities and the majority, relations between all different types of people, and helpful tips and hope for reducing and eliminating prejudice in the future.

This is also an excellent book for anyone looking to understand why these types of things happen. It can provide great closure and meaning for anyone who has been through prejudice, stereotypes, or discrimination of any kind, or those who have friends and loved ones that have. You'd have to live in a bubble to not have experienced even a tiny bit of one of these three things at some point in your life, so I would have a hard time imagining that there isn't one person who might learn something valuable from reading this book.

[Megan Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my books from undergrad. I purchased it for a class called Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination in the Modern World at the University of Kansas. It was one of the most interesting classes I've ever taken, and I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to understand more about some of the reasons why our minds stereotype, judge, and discriminate. It's not as simple as being an ignorant person, it's much more complex, and interesting (for those who love social psychology like I do).

[Julia S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the textbook for a Psychology of Racism class. It served the purpose; very informative. Feels strange to look at our life experiences from an analytic, scientific point of view. However, it explained a lot on one aspect of racism - many white people don't think they are, because there are so many things about us that they really don't know. I don't excuse them for it, but I see how sometimes you have to play it differently.