What does it mean to be human? Why do people dehumanize others (and sometimes themselves)? These questions have only recently begun to be investigated in earnest within psychology. This volume presents the latest thinking about these and related questions from research leaders in the field of humanness and dehumanization in social psychology and related disciplines. Contributions provide new insights into the history of dehumanization, its different types, and new theories are proposed for when and why dehumanization occurs. While people's views about what humanness is, and who has it, have long been known as important in understanding ethnic conflict, contributors demonstrate its relevance in other domains, including medical practice, policing, gender relations, and our relationship with the natural environment. Cultural differences and similarities in beliefs about humanness are explored, along with strategies to overcome dehumanization.
In highlighting emerging ideas and theoretical perspectives, describing current theoretical issues and controversies and ways to resolve them, and in extending research to new areas, this volume will influence research on humanness and dehumanization for many years.
"This timely and thought-provoking volume introduces the reader to the brave new world of systematic psychological research on our implicit theories of what it means to be human and the subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways in which we dehumanize the Other. In addition to a state-of-the-art review of theory and research in this fascinating domain, the various chapters in the volume draw links to other areas of basic and applied significance. Highly recommended." --Marilynn B. Brewer, Ph.D., University of New South Wales, Australia
"This book sheds an original, comprehensive, and wide scope of light on the concepts of humanness and dehumanization. The editors assembled very knowledgeable experts who cover numerous aspects, and in the analysis of each context they offer a coherent illumination of how these concepts are used, their meaning, and their consequences. The book is a must-have for those who want to understand how individuals and groups interact with each other and how they explain their interaction." --Daniel Bar-Tal, Ph.D., Tel Aviv University
"In this important volume, the editors have assembled leading international scholars to consider the past, present, and the future of research in this area. The volume is unusually expansive: It includes an impressive range of theoretical perspectives to understand the causes and consequences of humanization and dehumanization, defining the topic in the present and setting the scholarly agenda into the future." --John Dovidio, Ph.D., Yale University
