Tell Me Where Is Prejudice Bred. In the Heart or In the Head? (Apologies to Shakespeare): A Review of Our Racist Heart? An Exploration of Unconscious Prejudice in Everyday Life

Abstract

THE TRAGIC DEATH OF TRAYVON MARTIN in 2012 and the subsequent trial and acquittal of George Zimmerman on charges stemming from Martin’s death has once again ignited discussion of race and racial prejudice in America. Among the issues raised is the pervasive presence of implicit biases that played out not only in the decisions of Zimmerman in confronting Martin, but in the public response to the incident and its aftermath. So a book titled Our Racist Heart? An Exploration of Unconscious Prejudice in Everyday Life published this year by Geoffrey Beattie appears very timely and potentially useful in examining current research and theory concerning racial prejudice. Beattie is Professor of Psychology at Edge Hill University and a Fellow of the British Psychological Society. In addition to his work on the role of unconscious bias as described in this book, he has published extensively in the area of nonverbal communication and in the study of unconscious factors underlying decisions affecting environmental sustainability. This book appears aimed toward an advanced student audience, perhaps as material for a seminar on prejudice. For instance, each chapter ends with a bulleted list of simple summary statements that might serve as discussion points. The book consists of 17 chapters organized in three parts, as well as two appendices. Part I includes five chapters that provide an overview of prejudice from a personal and professional point of view. With respect to the personal point of view, it should be noted that Beattie has