A new theory of prejudice reduction, supported by rigorous evidence, argues that public services and the people who work in them can improve interpersonal relations in conflict-affected societies. Many decades of research in the social sciences focus on reducing prejudice, which is considered an obstacle to cooperation between groups. Reducing prejudice is particularly difficult because it is resilient and motivates avoidance of experiences that would improve interpersonal relations. In the book "Delivering Tolerance," Chagai Weiss develops a theory of prejudice reduction through public institutions. Weiss argues that the meaningful, and often unwelcome, inclusion of minorities in public services that provide essential services—including schools, hospitals, and police forces—can facilitate various forms of exposure to service providers from other groups, which greatly reduce prejudice. By overcoming the challenges of both resilience and avoidance, this exposure is particularly compelling in changing attitudes toward minorities. To test his theory, Weiss examines perhaps the most extreme, prominent, and persistent example of group conflict—the relationship between Israelis and Palestinian citizens of Israel (PCI). He finds that brief but meaningful interactions of Israelis with PCI doctors reduce prejudice, and that information about the rate of PCI participation in healthcare institutions in Israel limits intergroup hostility. He also shows that patterns of prejudice reduction generalize beyond the case of healthcare institutions in Israel, examining other institutional fields and examples of dynamic participation in the United States and Germany. Reducing prejudice is frustratingly difficult, but Weiss’s narrative reveals how institutions and the people who work in them can improve interpersonal relations in conflict-affected societies.
Manufacturer
- Publisher
- Princeton University Press
- Subtitle
- -
- Number of Pages
- 346
- Release Date
- 14/07/2026
- Publication Date
- 2026
- Dimensions
- 15.6x23.4 cm
- Language
- English
- Cover
- Soft
- ISBN-13
- 9780691263083
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