Education and Racism

A Cross National Inventory of Positive Effects of Education on Ethnic Tolerance

First published in 1999, this book gives an inventory of factors contributing to ethnic prejudice in seven countries and the role of formal education among them on the basis of national surveys. It appears that education is crucial in all the countries surveyed and contributes to more tolerant views of ethnic and national minorities in Western European countries, Poland and the United States. The positive effects of education, however, do not always counter the negative effects of personality characteristics and conservative values on ethnic prejudice. Moreover, the negative effects of less formal education may be reinforced by perceived economical competition of ethnic minorities and thereby further bolster prejudiced views of the less educated. This indicates that formal education alone is not sufficient to change prejudiced views. Other forms of socialization transmitting values leading to open-mindedness and the ability to secure one's economic position have to support the positive effects of formal education as well.