‘What’s So Funny ‘Bout Peace, Love and Understanding?’ Further Reflections on the Limits of Prejudice Reduction as a Model of Social Change
Author(s) / Creator(s)
Dixon, John
Durrheim, Kevin
Kerr, Philippa
Thomae, Manuela
Abstract / Description
This paper aims to encourage greater reflexivity about the limits of prejudice reduction as a model of social change, particularly when applied to societies characterised by historically entrenched patterns of inequality. We begin by outlining some underlying values and assumptions of this model. We then elaborate how our research on political attitudes in post-apartheid South Africa has led us to question, qualify and sometimes reject those assumptions and move towards a ‘contextualist’ perspective on the efficacy of different models of social change. We agree that the project of getting us to like one another may be crucial for producing change in some contexts. In other contexts, however, it is an epiphenomenon that distracts psychologists from the main causes of, and solutions to, problems such as race, class, or gender discrimination. In still others, with an irony that is evidenced increasingly by research, prejudice reduction may actually contribute to the very problem it is designed to resolve. That is, it may diminish the extent to which social injustice is acknowledged, rejected and challenged.
Keyword(s)
prejudice prejudice reduction intergroup relations social changePersistent Identifier
Date of first publication
2013-12-16
Journal title
Journal of Social and Political Psychology
Volume
1
Issue
1
Page numbers
239–252
Publisher
PsychOpen GOLD
Publication status
publishedVersion
Review status
peerReviewed
Is version of
Citation
Dixon, J., Durrheim, K., Kerr, P., & Thomae, M. (2013). ‘What’s So Funny ‘Bout Peace, Love and Understanding?’ Further Reflections on the Limits of Prejudice Reduction as a Model of Social Change. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 1(1), 239–252. https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v1i1.234
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Dixon, John
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Durrheim, Kevin
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Kerr, Philippa
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Thomae, Manuela
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PsychArchives acquisition timestamp2018-11-26T12:45:41Z
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Made available on2018-11-26T12:45:41Z
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Date of first publication2013-12-16
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Abstract / DescriptionThis paper aims to encourage greater reflexivity about the limits of prejudice reduction as a model of social change, particularly when applied to societies characterised by historically entrenched patterns of inequality. We begin by outlining some underlying values and assumptions of this model. We then elaborate how our research on political attitudes in post-apartheid South Africa has led us to question, qualify and sometimes reject those assumptions and move towards a ‘contextualist’ perspective on the efficacy of different models of social change. We agree that the project of getting us to like one another may be crucial for producing change in some contexts. In other contexts, however, it is an epiphenomenon that distracts psychologists from the main causes of, and solutions to, problems such as race, class, or gender discrimination. In still others, with an irony that is evidenced increasingly by research, prejudice reduction may actually contribute to the very problem it is designed to resolve. That is, it may diminish the extent to which social injustice is acknowledged, rejected and challenged.en_US
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Publication statuspublishedVersion
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Review statuspeerReviewed
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CitationDixon, J., Durrheim, K., Kerr, P., & Thomae, M. (2013). ‘What’s So Funny ‘Bout Peace, Love and Understanding?’ Further Reflections on the Limits of Prejudice Reduction as a Model of Social Change. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 1(1), 239–252. https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v1i1.234en_US
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ISSN2195-3325
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Persistent Identifierhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/1311
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Persistent Identifierhttps://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.1820
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Language of contenteng
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PublisherPsychOpen GOLD
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Is version ofhttps://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v1i1.234
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Keyword(s)prejudiceen_US
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Keyword(s)prejudice reductionen_US
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Keyword(s)intergroup relationsen_US
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Keyword(s)social changeen_US
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Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)150
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Title‘What’s So Funny ‘Bout Peace, Love and Understanding?’ Further Reflections on the Limits of Prejudice Reduction as a Model of Social Changeen_US
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DRO typearticle
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Issue1
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Journal titleJournal of Social and Political Psychology
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Page numbers239–252
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Volume1
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Visible tag(s)Version of Record