(No) Space for Prejudice! Varied Forms of Negative Outgroup Attitudes and Ethnic Discrimination and How They Develop or Can Be Prevented in the Classroom

Abstract

In our chapter, we review the various explicit and implicit forms of prejudice that manifest in the classroom. We describe how prejudice can present in the form of easily recognizable acts, such as verbal bullying (name-calling) and intergroup exclusion, as well as in less salient or seemingly innocuous acts, such as structural inequality and segregation, microaggressions, and stereotype threat. After identifying the various forms of prejudice in the classroom, we discuss the myriad of consequences (psychological, social, physical, behavioral, and academic) of experiencing or even simply perceiving prejudice. Finally, we review the contextual variables, such as school climate, teacher beliefs, intergroup relationships, and demographic composition of the school, that exacerbate or prevent prejudice in the classroom and discuss the implications of these issues for practice.