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.

‘There is something terrifying about a villain that is unknown; masked and lurking in the shadows. In this important book, Anderson rips off the mask and pulls so-called benign bigotry into the light so that we might examine it. In doing so, she tears down myths to reveal the perniciousness of prejudice.’Fiona Barlow, Professor of Psychology, University of Queensland, Australia

‘Benign Bigotry offers an eye-opening look at subtle prejudices. Anderson skilfully makes cutting-edge developments in the science of prejudice accessible, debunking myths and reactions that sustain group-based inequities. Written in an engaging style, this book is a must-read for understanding how systemic forces operate through people’s thoughts and feelings!’Thierry Devos, Professor of Social Psychology, San Diego State University, USA

‘This easy-to-read book is a great inspiration for anyone who is interested in the development of equity in higher education and beyond. A highly recommended read for hiring committees, equity officers, and anyone committed to inclusion and belonging. Anderson addresses highly relevant contemporary issues in organizational development, such as subtle discrimination based on various dimensions of diversity, that influence administrative decisions.’Angela Ittel, President, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany

‘Anderson convincingly shows that US society falls short of the post-racial, post-feminist, queer-friendly ideals that progressives espouse. Alongside empirical findings from contemporary research, Anderson shares relatable examples and quotations from the news, media, and popular culture. The result is a highly readable exploration of a challenging subject.’Jennifer Katz, Associate Professor of Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education, University of British Columbia, Canada

‘The brilliance of Benign Bigotry arises from the skilful use of state-of-the-art research and connections to real-world events while addressing six commonly held myths that perpetuate stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination. In addition, Anderson offers ways forward with actions that all people can implement in their daily lives.’Margo J. Monteith, Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Purdue University, USA

‘Anderson excellently unravels the origin, working, and consequences of subtle prejudices in our societies. Her outstanding analyses of culturally shared beliefs that cause systemic inequalities are substantiated by evidence-based suggestions on what can be done to reduce prejudices. This updated edition is now more important than ever!’Tobias H. Stark, Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Social Science, Utrecht University, Netherlands

‘In this timely book, Anderson helps us understand the causes of covert or subtle prejudice. Even more importantly, this book provides us with the necessary information to make changes to reduce prejudice in our everyday lives based on empirical evidence. Anderson is a skilled science communicator who makes the scientific literature accessible to all. This book should be required reading for anyone concerned with creating a more just and fair society.’Harriet Tenenbaum, Professor in Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Surrey, UK