Prejudice and Intergroup Relations

Abstract

This chapter introduces prejudice and social discrimination together with explanations of their causes. After a brief discussion of prejudice at the level of the individual, the chapter focuses mainly on prejudice and social discrimination as intergroup phenomena. We present classic and contemporary intergroup explanations of intergroup conflict such as realistic conflict theory and social identity theory. Furthermore, we introduce basic psychological processes such a social categorization, identification with a social group, group evaluation and group-based emotions, and consider the intergroup motivations regulating intergroup behavior. The remainder of the chapter presents various approaches explaining when and how prejudice and intergroup conflict can be reduced. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved) (from the chapter)