Racism and prejudice: An Australian Psychological Society position paper

In view of the rise of racist rhetoric in Australian public life in recent years, this paper reviews psychological research on racism and prejudice as they are expressed at every level of society from government policy to the intrapersonal sphere. It draws on evidence arising from social, developmen tal, clinical, and community psychology. The mental health system is used a s an exemplar to analyse the operation of institutionalised racism, and som e observations are made about the past, present, and potential future roles of psychological research and practice in relation to race and racism. The paper concludes with a series of recommendations about ways to reduce raci sm and prejudice at all levels of society.