The Elephant in the Room: The often Neglected Relevance of Speciesism in Dehumanization and Bias towards Ethnic Minorities/Immigrants

The area of intergroup bias, specifically attitudes towards ethnic minorities/immigrants, has received a great amount of investigation by Psychologists, spanning many theories and perspectives (Hewstone, Rubin & Willis, 2002). However, one perspective that has rarely been taken in mainstream Psychology is one that acknowledges the inter-linkage of bias towards ethnic minorities/immigrants and that towards non-human animals (NHAs), despite a relatively substantial literature outside of Psychology emphasizing it (Singer, 2002). Scholars from, e.g., critical animal studies, history, and philosophy (e.g. Kalof, 2007; Nibert, 2002) postulate that the sub-ordination of NHAs in Western culture (or speciesism; Singer, 2002) intersects with and reinforces other types of ‘isms’, such as ethnocentrism. Psychology, also, to some extent, has offered us some insight into this connectivity, e.g. per the domain of dehumanization addressing the likening of ethnic minorities/immigrants to de-valued NHAs (Haslam, 2006), by offering relevant psychological theories that speak to the ‘othering’ of out-groups (Social Dominance, Social Identity; Sidanius& Pratto,1999; Tajfel, 1979), and per a relatively recent model, the Interspecies Model of Prejudice, connecting these (Costello & Hodson, 2010). This poster will focus on these, as well as highlight research areas and sub-disciplines that could be of interest to Psychologists in Cross-Cultural research and related sub-areas who would like to contribute further to this type of trans-species research on bias and oppression.