ABSTRACT

The various definitions of hate crime discussed in chapter one show that this form of offending isn’t always about hate, but rather it is predominantly about prejudice, of which hate is just a small part. It follows then that if we want to understand hate crime then we must understand the nature of prejudice. Fortunately for us, as Stangor (2000) points out, there are few if any topics that have engaged the interests of social psychologists as much as those of prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination. This, he suggests, is a consequence of the immense practical importance that such studies hold for understanding the effects of these issues on both individuals and societies, particularly given the increasing diversity of the world we live in. However, Jacobs and Potter (1998) point out that whilst prejudice has long been an object for study, sociologists and psychologists have been unable to agree on a single definition for it, nor agree on where it comes from, or exactly what purpose it serves. Instead, a number of competing theories each seek to explain the phenomenon in different ways, but none of them it would seem are either definitive or conclusive. The aim of this chapter is therefore to present an overview of knowledge concerning the nature and origins of prejudice, and by doing so to highlight the inherent complexities surrounding the phenomenon, and the difficulties this presents for understanding hate crime.