Dr Katherine Reynolds is an Australian Research Fellow/Associate Professor at ANU's Department of Psychology. She says racial prejudice is something that we may all experience at times, consciously or subconsciously. Read on to find why.
INSIGHT: Are we all a bit racist?
Q: Is racial prejudice something that we can all be prone to?
A. The ability to categorise oneself as a member of an 'in-group' and others as a member of an 'out-group' is a basic way in which the mind functions. Because humans can see themselves as individuals as well as being group members (Australia, Brumbies supporter, Christian) we have an ability to see the world from the perspective of the group. Although categorising people into 'ingroups' and 'outgroups' is something we all can do, the meaning of these groups and what defines the category boundaries does not necessarily have to happen in terms of ethnicity.
Q: Could you please explain how the 'group approach' works?
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A: Often it has been claimed that the reason why we have racism is because we judge others as group members rather than as individuals. As more research on this is carried out though, it is emerging that group-based thinking is both the basis for racism but also the path through which it can be overcome. Seeing others as 'in-group' rather than 'out-group' by forming overarching, more inclusive categories has been shown to work in reducing discrimination. Also when we see others as 'us' we are more likely to experience a sense of trust, liking, and empathy, and are more likely to co-operate, help and support others.
Q. Are we often biased towards other races as a trait [inherited] from our ancestors, when judging whether a stranger from another tribe was a friend or an enemy could determine a person's survival?
A. Humans use categorisation as a basic tool to make sense of their world. Categorisation is also used to make sense of who is similar to us and who is different. So it depends on which categories we use. Our judgments of similarity and difference can vary so that we can see a person from a different religion or ethnicity as an 'out-group'. But we can see them as being similar to us if we think of them as being Australian, for example.
Q. What other approaches are used in psychology to explain racism?
A. Some academics argue that prejudice is a function of our personalities and temperament and early socialisation as a child. This explanation has been found to have flaws because there is evidence that discrimination can increase and decrease in a uniform way among groups of people over reasonably short periods of time. Second, there is limited analysis of how parents and others who can influence individuals' personalities acquire their own beliefs, values, and ideologies.
Another view is that racism should be thought of as an outcome of social change dynamics. As certain subordinate groups become more threatening to an existing dominant group because of social change, this can create a threat and lead to racism or discrimination as a response.
Q. Sometimes even migrants, after a few years of living in Australia, can become racist towards their own or other ethnic groups. Why is that?
A. It is possible that members of ethnic groups are no longer identifying as members of such groups but as "old-timers" or as "Australians". Therefore what could be driving people's responses would be this psychological 'in-group', rather than their ethnic psychological 'in-group'.
Q. What could be done to weaken the 'Aussie-Anglo group' concept? Do you think that this is critical to eradicate racism?
A. To overcome racism in Australia it is important to not focus on the ethnic character of the group one feels to belong to, but rather on the values that define what it means to be Australian. If people feel that Australian values of equality, a fair-go, mateship are not threatened by changes in the composition of the ethnic make-up of the wider group, then this will go a long way in reducing a sense of threat and associated racism.
Q. Do you think that having ads, TV-shows and films reflecting a more ethnically diverse Australia could make a big difference?
A. It may help encourage people to see being Australian as a more diversified category, so that ethnic differences do not trigger a sense that others are not really part of "who we are" as a nation.
