Dr. John Dovidio: Racism Among the Well-Intentioned
John Dovidio, who is currently Professor of Psychology at Yale University, previously taught at Colgate University and at the University of Connecticut. At Colgate, he served as Provost and Dean of the Faculty.
His research interests are in stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination; social power and nonverbal communication; and altruism and helping. Much of his scholarship has focused on “aversive racism,” a subtle form of contemporary racism. He is currently president of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, as well as past President of the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues and former chair of the Executive Committee for the Society for Experimental Social Psychology. He has published over 200 articles and chapters and is co-author of several books.
This presentation will discuss how one form of contemporary bias, aversive racism, can subtly shape Whites interactions with Blacks in ways that disadvantage Blacks. Aversive racism adversely affects the ways that Whites evaluate Blacks in making judgments about them, and it influences interracial interactions in ways that produce miscommunication and intergroup distrust. Thus, even bias that is subtle and unintentional can systematically contribute to racial disparities and tensions. Understanding the nature and consequences of subtle bias, however, can inform interventions that can combat its effects.