The classic psychological study of the roots of discrimination.


First published in 1954, The Nature of Prejudice remains the standard work on discrimination. With profound insight into the complexities of the human experience, Harvard psychologist Gordon Allport organized a mass of research to produce a landmark study on the roots and nature of prejudice. Allport's comprehensive and penetrating work examines all aspects of this age-old problem: its roots in individual and social psychology, its varieties of expression, its impact on the individuals and communities. He explores all kinds of prejudice — racial, religious, ethnic, economic and sexual — and offers suggestions for reducing the devastating effects of discrimination.


In this unabridged edition, a new introduction by Kenneth B. Clark of Columbia University and a new preface by Thomas Pettigrew of Harvard University update the social-psychological research in prejudice and attest to the enduring values of Allport's original theories and insights.