The Psychology of Prejudice

This second edition of Lynne Jackson’s seminal text presents a significantly updated review of the psychological underpinnings of prejudicial attitudes and behaviors.

Given the weaponization of cultural and ideological differences in politics, education, and social media today, the need to understand and fight prejudice is urgent. Jackson synthesizes new research from various areas of psychology to analyze contemporary examples of prejudice, including anti-immigrant policies, police violence against minorities, anti-woman and LGBTQ backlash, and ageist cultural biases. She also explores frequently overlooked issues related to prejudice, such as environmental inequality and speciesism.
 
Drawing from literature in social, developmental, evolutionary, and personality psychology, Jackson explores the environmental and biological roots of prejudice, explaining how societal factors and human predispositions shape how people understand and respond to diversity. She draws connections between prejudice and other social justice issues showing how it is related to greater social problems like inequality and political polarization. She also offers readers a blueprint for overcoming these deeply embedded biases by improving intergroup attitudes and building communities to create progressive social change.

Lynne M. Jackson, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Psychology at King's University College at the University of Western Ontario. She has published widely on issues including gender discrimination, attitudes toward immigrants and immigration, and religious intergroup relations. Dr. Jackson's current research examines how people’s attitudes toward other groups, the environment, and non-human animals function collectively to challenge or sustain inequality and exploitation. She is also a reviewer for numerous social psychology journals. Lynne Jackson lives near London, Ontario, Canada.