Benign Bigotry: The Psychology of Subtle Prejudice

Benign Bigotry delves into the multifaceted landscape of prejudice, spanning academic and scientific research, popular culture, and contemporary politics. At its core lies the concept of subtle prejudice-a pervasive, often unconscious bias in race, gender, and sexuality. Through meticulous analysis and the author’s own experience serving eight years on the Police Oversight Board, this book exposes seven seemingly harmless cultural myths that perpetuate inequality. It also confronts prejudices against women and LGBTQ+ individuals, offering concrete strategies to dismantle entrenched beliefs. Designed as a textbook for undergraduate and graduate classes, yet accessible to the educated lay reader, each chapter caters to those interested in psychology, sociology, business, and education. With a valuable new chapter on systemic inequality, updated real-life examples, and engaging with the exploration of empirical research on discrimination and prejudice emerging since 2009, this second edition is not to be missed.