Synopses & Reviews
Where do our prejudices come from? Why are some people more biased than others? Is it possible for individuals, and society as a whole, to truly defeat prejudice?
Scientists have explored these questions for years, and Are We Born Racist? brings their discoveries to a general audience for the first time, as leading scientists, psychologists, educators, and many others discuss why and how our brains form prejudices, how racism hurts our health, steps we can take to mitigate prejudiced instincts, and what a post-prejudice society might actually look like. Writers in Are We Born Racist? illustrate the deep psychological roots of prejudice, detectable even in our brain activitywhile also proving that we can change our responses to these biases.
With its groundbreaking scientific basis and multidisciplinary approach, Are We Born Racist? will appeal to positive psychology enthusiasts, educators, readers of books on race and antiracism, parents, medical professionals, students in a wide range of disciplines, and many others who seek practical, research-based tools for overcoming prejudice.
Synopsis
Where do our prejudices come from? Why are some people more biased than others? Is it possible for individuals, and society as a whole, to truly defeat prejudice? In these pages, leading scientists, psychologists, educators, activists, and many others offer answers, drawing from new scientific discoveries that shed light on why and how our brains form prejudices, how racism hurts our health, steps we can take to mitigate prejudiced instincts, and what a post-prejudice society might actually look like.
Bringing a diverse range of disciplines into conversation for the first time, Are We Born Racist? offers a straightforward overview of the new science of prejudice, and showcases the abundant practical, research-based steps that can be taken in all areas of our lives to overcome prejudice.
About the Author
Jason Marsh is editor-in-chief of Greater Good magazine and coeditor, with Jeremy Adam Smith and Dacher Keltner, of The Compassionate Instinct: The Science of Human Goodness. Smith is also the author of The Daddy Shift and the editor of Sharable.net. Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton holds a PhD from Columbia University and is associate professor of psychology at the University of California-Berkeley.
Table of Contents
Part I The New Psychology of RacismIntroduction • The Editors
Are We Born Racist? • Susan T. Fiske
Prejudice versus Positive Thinking • Kareem Johnson
Framed! Understanding Achievement Gaps • Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton
When Racism Makes Us Sick • Eve Ekman and Jeremy Adam Smith
The Unhealthy Racist • Elizabeth Page-Gould
The Egalitarian Brain • David Amodio
Part II Overcoming Prejudice
Introduction • The Editors
How to Talk with Kids about Race • Allison Briscoe-Smith
Promoting Tolerance and Equality in Schools • Jennifer Holladay
The Perils of Color Blindness • Dottie Blais
Overcoming Prejudice in the Workplace • Jennifer A. Chatman
Policing Bias • Alex Dixon
“People Understand Each Other by Talking” • Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton
Part III Strengthening Our Multiracial Society
Introduction • The Editors
Success Strategies for Interracial Couples • Anita Foeman and Terry Nance
The Bicultural Advantage • Ross D. Parke, Scott Coltrane, and Thomas Schofield
“How Can You Do That to Your Children?” • Meredith Maran
Me and My Nose • Rona Fernandez
Double Blood • Rebecca Walker
Truth + Reconciliation • Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Acknowledgments
Resources
Contributors