The Phenomenology of Prejudice

The definition of prejudice provided by Gordon Allport 60 years ago is still used as an authoritative definition of the term prejudice: aversive or hostile attitude toward a person who belongs to a group, simply because he belongs to that group, and is therefore presumed to have the objectionable qualities ascribed to that group. Unfortunately, prejudice is not simply an attitude that remains internal to its owner; it impacts behavior. When negative attitudes on the basis of differences translate into behavior, we have as a result, discrimination and the social inequality it produces. Therefore, efforts to reduce prejudice are well advised to take the social context into consideration when focusing on the individuals attitudes. This book will help you to understand how anti-Romany prejudices lead to established inequality in Europe. It appears that much progress has been made in the development of strategies for reducing ethnic conflicts worldwide. Two big problems still loom before us however: the problem of involving sufficient numbers of people in these efforts, and the problem of translating changes in individual attitudes to changes in group ethos.