Challenging prejudice and racism is an important focus for psychology, and for all levels of Australian society. The APS position paper on racism and prejudice was first published in the Australian Psychologist (Sanson, Augoustinos, Gridley, Kyrios, Reser & Turner, 1998), at a time when ongoing public debates about ‘race’ and prejudice had gained new political salience in Australia. While the focus of those debates has shifted to new targets, many psychologists remain concerned at the levels of racism that underpin much of the media discussion and institutional responses to issues such as terrorism, ‘border protection’ and child sexual abuse. A changing landscape has also appeared with respect to theory and research within psychology and other social science disciplines around prejudice and racism. An update of the original position paper currently underway contains a summary of research and future directions for the community at large to tackle this problem.

Review Papers 

Tip Sheets 

Other resources

On June 1st and 2nd 2009, over 40 researchers from across Australia met at the University of Western Australia Boatshed in Perth for a Roundtable discussion focused on research concerning racism towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. The APS, together with the Australian Indigenous Psychologists Association (AIPA), co-hosted the Roundtable alongside several other key organisations - the Human Rights Commission, the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association, the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, WA, the School of Indigenous Studies UWA, and the University of Notre Dame Australia. The Roundtable was initiated by AIPA Chair and APS Fellow Dr Pat Dudgeon, who saw it as one way to renew the momentum for combating racism that was generated a decade ago by the APS Position Paper Racism and prejudice: Psychological perspectives (1997).