Benign Bigotry: The Psychology of Subtle Prejudice [Paperback]

Kristin J. Anderson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 25, 2010

While overt prejudice is now much less prevalent than in decades past, subtle prejudice - prejudice that is inconspicuous, indirect, and often unconscious - continues to pervade our society. Laws do not protect against subtle prejudice and, because of its covert nature, it is difficult to observe and frequently goes undetected by both perpetrator and victim. Benign Bigotry uses a fresh, original format to examine subtle prejudice by addressing six commonly held cultural myths based on assumptions that appear harmless but actually foster discrimination: 'those people all look alike'; 'they must be guilty of something'; 'feminists are man-haters'; 'gays flaunt their sexuality'; 'I'm not a racist, I'm color-blind' and 'affirmative action is reverse racism'. Kristin J. Anderson skillfully relates each of these myths to real world events, emphasizes how errors in individual thinking can affect society at large, and suggests strategies for reducing prejudice in daily life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Kristin Anderson frames serious social problems of prejudice and discrimination in a compelling, engaging manner through the systematic use of cutting-edge scientific research. Not only does she diagnose the problems, she also offers some possible cures leaving the reader with the optimism that things can continue to improve in our society. This book is a brilliant piece of scholarship that deserves to reach a wide audience."
--Campbell Leaper, Professor of Psychology, University of California Santa Cruz


"...Benign Bigotry does a great job of describing research in an engaging way and opening readers' eyes to the many ways in which prejudice and discrimination affect their targets as well as their sources. It is an easy and interesting read, yet it describes research more accurately and understandably than do many similar types of books. It is a relatively complete picture of the social psychological reasons behind some of our more "misguided" social beliefs about others and a resource offering clear prescriptions for change... Anderson places social psychological research on prejudice in plain sight."
--Helen C. Harton and Thomas Dirth, PsycCRITIQUES


"...Anderson (Univ. of Houston, Downtown) illuminates the subtle ways in which individuals act, intentionally or unintentionally, out of prejudice in contemporary society. Her writing is engaging, even when she presents empirical data to make her case for six "commonly held cultural myths" having to do with otherness, criminalization, feminism, homosexuality, race, and "reverse racism."... Anderson is the first to present the scholarship an accessible, compelling way... Highly recommended..."
M. Bonner. Hawaii Pacific University, CHOICE


"....Anderson's writing style is nontechnical and she clearly explains potentially problematic aspects of conducting research and interpreting its results for readers who may be unfamiliar with the research process. These characteristics also make the book useful as a textbook for an undergraduate seminar on contemporary prejudice...."
Bernard E. Whitley, Jr., Ball State University, Sex Roles

Book Description

In a fresh format Benign Bigotry addresses commonly held cultural myths as the basis for examining subtle forms of racial, sexual, gender and religious bias. Kristin J. Anderson skilfully relates each myth to real world events, emphasizing how errors in individual thinking can affect society as a whole.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 364 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1 edition (January 25, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521702593
• ISBN-13: 978-0521702591
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #343,240 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kristin J. Anderson is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Houston-Downtown. She earned a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Anderson's research explores "benign" bigotry--subtle forms of prejudice and discrimination. Her teaching responsibilities include Psychology and the Law, Psychology of Prejudice, Psychology of Women, and Social Psychology. Anderson's scholarship has appeared in journals such as Sex Roles, Psychology of Women Quarterly, Journal of Language and Social Psychology and the Journal of Latinos and Education. She blogs for Psychology Today and Cambridge University Press.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Benign Bigotry: The Psychology of Subtle Prejudice, June 4, 2010

By 

Corinne Grosenick (Eugene, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Benign Bigotry: The Psychology of Subtle Prejudice (Paperback)

Our women's group read "Benign Bigotry: The Psychology of Subtle Prejudice" by Dr. Kristin J. Anderson. We discussed the many groups often stereotyped by others. Following the author's chapter headings "Those people all look alike," "They must be guilty of something," "Feminists are man-haters, and "Gays flaunt their sexuality", for example, we did some deep soul-searching and found ourselves guilty. These myths are not so subtle and never benign. Dr. Anderson is positive in her approach, identifying the myths and encouraging everyone to exercise empathy toward stigmatized groups. This book could be used in a college course or by any person or group interested in exploring discrimination and prejudice in today's society.

Tags: Sociology/Psychology