Social psychology of prejudice

Course instructor: Marina Kotova

The course is aimed to introduce to students basic findings and new directions in the area of prejudice research. Specific topics addressed are: 1) on the nature of prejudice: “old” prejudice and modern racism; 2) prejudice formation: easy to get in touch, hard to get rid of; 3) group identity, scapegoating, and stereotype threat “assistance” in prejudice formation and enhancing; 4) prejudice reducing techniques: strengths and weaknesses; 5) the scope of prejudice: different target groups of prejudice performance and discrimination practices.

The main objectives of the course are:

· To acquaint students with basic theories and investigations in the area of prejudice and discrimination research.

· To develop students’ abilities to analyze and compare different research approaches; to identify prejudice reducing techniques strengths and weaknesses.

· To develop students' abilities to present their ideas, analyze research design and results, and to organize the scientific discussion.

Methodical novelty of the course:

· Combination of lecture sessions (which are aimed to provide theoretical and methodological basics) with discussions, analysis of video fragments, and group work (which develop students’ abilities to analyze and compare different approaches, justify their ideas, and participate in the scientific discussion) makes the course diverse and interesting for students.

· Concentrated approach to course material and studying process. Each meeting is devoted to a specific topic and includes both a lecture and a seminar session. This type of classes’ organization leads to several consequences. Foremost, students come at lecture having a background knowledge that provides in turn a base for lecture information learning. Further, there is no a time gap between lecture and seminar, that reduces time for introduction part of seminar and allows to study more in depth.

· Tasks, which increase student’s responsibility for the education process. For instance, students chose a particular topic, form a work group, read additional literature about this topic, and are responsible for discussion at seminar devoted to this topic.

· Tasks that are aimed to set a connection between course materials and students’ research projects. This gives students an opportunity to see an alternative to their research plan, compare and evaluate its strength and weaknesses.

Course prerequisites:

The course is designed for first year master students and is based on the previously learned courses (“Social psychology”, “Advanced social psychology”, “Qualitative and quantitative methods in psychology”). Working language of the course is English (teaching and all communications). Duration of the course is 2 modules (152 academic hours, 4 credits).

Topics:

· Introduction. Acquaintance and expectations.

· On the nature of prejudice: differences in prejudice definitions and research methodology. “Old” prejudice and modern racism.

· Prejudice formation: easy to get in touch, hard to get rid of.

· Group identity and prejudice formation and enhancing.

· Intergroup perception and scapegoating.

· Stereotype threat and its consequences for intergroup relations.

· Prejudice reducing: o Cross-categorization and its effects. o Prejudice reducing techniques: strengths and weaknesses. o Particular prejudice reducing practice analysis.

· The scope of prejudice. Different target groups of prejudice performance and discrimination practices.

· Working groups’ research presentations and discussion.

· Conclusion. Course mind-maps.

Core reading:

Aboud, F.E., Mendelson, M.J., & Purdy, K.T. (2003). Cross-race peer relations and friendship quality. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 27, 165–173.

Akrami, N., Ekehammar, B., Claesson, M., & Sonnander, K. (2006). Classical and morden prejudice: Attitudes toward peole with intellectual disabilities. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 27, 605-617, doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2005.07.003

Allport, G.W. (1958). The Nature of Prejudice. N.Y. (selected chapters).

Bianchi, M., Mummendey, A., Steffens, M.C., & Yzerbyt, V.Y. (2010). What Do You Mean by ''European''? Evidence of Spontaneous Ingroup Projection // Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 36, 960-974.

Bigler, R.S. & Liben, L.S. (2007). Developmental Intergroup Theory: Explaining and Reducing Children’s Social Stereotyping and Prejudice. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 16, 162-166.

Bodenhausen, G.V. & Richeson, J.A. (2010) Prejudice, Stereotyping and Discrimination. In R.F.Baumeister, E.J.Finkel (Eds.), Advanced Social Psychology: The State of the Science (pp. 341-383). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Brewer, M.B. (2010). Intergroup Relations. In R.F.Baumeister & E.J.Finkel (Eds.), Advanced Social Psychology: The State of the Science (pp. 535-571). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Brown, R. (2004). Prejudice. Its Social Psychology. Malden: Blackwell Publishers (selected chapters).

Buhl, T. (1999). Positive-Negative Asymmetry in Social Discrimination: Meta-Analytical Evidence. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 2(1), 51-58.

Bunzl, M. (2005). Between anti-Semitism and Islamophobia: Some thoughts on the new Europe. American Ethnologist, 32, 499-508, doi: 10.1525/ae.2005.32.4.499

Devine, P.G., Forscher, P.S., Austin, A.J., & Cox, W.T.L. (2012). Long-term reduction in implicit race bias: A prejudice habit-breaking intervention. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 48, 1267-1278, doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2012.06.003

Glick, P. (2005). Choice of Scapegoats. In J.F. Dovidio, P. Glick, & L.A. Rudman (Eds.), On the nature of prejudice: fifty years after Allport (pp. 244-261). Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.

Glick, P., Fiske, S.T., & Abrams, D. (2006). Anti-American Sentiment and America's Perceived Intent to Dominate: An 11-Nation Study. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 28, 363-373, doi: 10.1207/s15324834basp2804_10

Hart, J., Hung, J.A., Glick, P., & Dinero, R.E. (2012). He Loves Her, He Loves Her Not: Attachment Style As a Personality Antecedent to Men’s Ambivalent Sexism. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 38, 1495–1505, doi: 10.1177/0146167212454177

On the Nature of Prejudice: Fifty Years after Allport (2005). Ed. by J.F. Dovidio, P. Glick, & L.A. Rudman. Oxford (selected chapters).

Park, J.H., Faulkner, J., & Schaller, M. (2003). Evolved Disease-Avoidance Processes and Contemporary Anti-Social Behavior: Prejudicial Attitudes and Avoidance of People with Physical Disabilities. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 27, 65-87.

Pehrson, S., Vignoles, V.L., & Brown, R. (2009). National identification and anti-immigrant prejudice: Individual and contextual effects of national definitions. Social Psychology Quarterly, 72, 24-38.

Pettigrew, T.P. & Tropp, L.R. (2006). A Meta-Analytic Test of Intergroup Contact Theory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 90(5), 751–783.

Plant, E.A., & Devine, P.G. (2009). The active control of prejudice: Unpacking the intentions guiding control efforts. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96, 640-652. doi: 10.1037/a0012960

Romeyn, E. (2014). Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia: spectropolitics and immigration. Theory, Culture, and Society, 31, 77-101, doi: 10.1177/0263276413519482

Rudman, L.A., & Glick, P. (1999). Feminized management and backlash toward agentic women: The hidden costs to women of a kinder, gentler image of middle managers. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77, 1004-1010. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.77.5.1004

Sinclair, S, Dunn, E., & Lowery B.S. (2005). The relationship between parental racial attitudes and children’s implicit prejudice. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 41, 283–289. Staub, E. (2000). Genocide and mass killing: Origins, prevention, healing, and reconciliation. Political Psychology, 21, 367-382. doi: 10.1111/0162-895X.00193

Stephan, W.G., & Stephan, C.W. (2013). Designing intercultural education and training programs: An evidence-based approach. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 37, 277-286, doi:10.1016/j.ijintrel.2012.05.001

Stephan, C.W., Hertz-Lazarowitz, R., Zelniker, T., & Stephan W.G. (2004). Introduction to Improving Arab-Jewish Relations in Israel: Theory and Practice in Coexistence Educational Programs. Journal of Social Issues, 60, 237-252. doi: 10.1111/j.0022-4537.2004.00109.x

Stephan, W.G., & Stephan, C.W. (1996). Intergroup Relations. Madison: Wpublishets (selected chapters).