Prejudiced Communication: A Social Psychological Perspective - Hardcover

Ruscher, Janet B.

9781572306387: Prejudiced Communication: A Social Psychological Perspective

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1572306386 ISBN 13: 9781572306387

Publisher: Guilford Press, 2001

This volume offers a social psychological perspective on many different forms of prejudiced communication, including derogatory group labels, condescending verbal and nonverbal behavior, hostile humor, and skewed portrayals of outgroup members in the news and entertainment media. The author illuminates the functions that these behaviors serve for individuals, groups, and entire cultures, and examines how they contribute to the perpetuation of stereotypes, discrimination, and status differences. Also discussed are the strengths and limitations of various approaches to reducing prejudiced communication in its subtle and not-so-subtle forms. The book is filled with thought-provoking examples drawn from everyday life.

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Review:

"This book is a 'must have' for researchers and students who are interested in contemporary theories of prejudice. The book contains a massive amount of useful information about the social transmission and cultural impact of prejudice. It is well organized and filled with engaging examples of how we (explicitly and implicitly) share our prejudices with others. In addition to being a good read, this is a scholarly and complete reference work--an outstanding source of information about such topics as sexist humor, media stereotypes, and hateful speech. For almost any reader, this book is likely to add to their understanding of this important topic and to provide inspiration for their work." --Charles Stangor, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland

"This is a timely, thorough, and very interesting book. The breadth of coverage is impressive, ranging from the expressions that people share in informal conversation to the choices that media managers make in television news coverage. All of these actions are artfully shown to contribute to a culture of prejudice. These various processes and their outcomes are explained extremely well, and they are illuminated by an abundance of examples that continually remind one just how prevalent and important these processes are in our everyday lives. Readers will learn a lot not only about interpersonal communication processes, but also about the underlying cognitive processes that influence communication. This book will be a terrifically useful reference for psychologists, as well as scholars in communication, media studies, and sociology. I can't think of a better sourcebook on this domain of scholarly research. It will also serve as an ideal primary text for any graduate or advanced undergraduate psychology course on communication and prejudice, and a great supplemental text for a range of other courses." --Mark Schaller, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia

"This is an engaging overview of the way prejudice is communicated from person to person, as well as from the mass media to the public. Ruscher reviews research from several disciplines (including experimental social psychology and communication sciences) to examine such questions as how stereotypes come to be shared and how prejudice is communicated by nonverbal as well as verbal behavior. The volume will be useful to those who research prejudice, stereotyping, and mass communication in outlining the next useful set of questions for our fields. I can't wait to use this book in my next undergraduate seminar in stereotyping or prejudice." --Felicia Pratto, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut

"Although books abound on the topic of stereotyping and intergroup relations, this is the first to focus on the crucial communication dynamics involved. The book offers cross-disciplinary coverage of a plethora of intergroup contexts. It engages interpersonal interactions as well as advertising, news media, film, and more. As such, it is an essential, absorbing critique of prejudice for communication students and scholars alike." --Howard Giles, DSc, Department of Communication, University of California, Santa Barbara

About the Author:

Janet B. Ruscher, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Tulane University. She earned both an MS degree and a PhD in social psychology at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, where she also received the student publication award from Division 8 of the American Psychological Association. Her work at the University of Massachusetts, with Susan Fiske, initially focused on the relation between stereotyping and competitive interdependence, while later work focused on stigma and decisions about discontinuing interdependence. Her current research interests lie primarily with stereotyping and prejudice in everyday communication. Dr. Ruscher's recent empirical work has been published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, and the Journal of Language and Social Psychology. An integrative review of her research on prejudiced communication appeared in the 1998 volume of Advances in Experimental Social Psychology.

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