Conference to explore changing face of discrimination

The conference “Looking Toward the Future: Discrimination and Prejudice in the 21st Century” will be held at the Wisconsin Union on Sept. 15-18 and will feature more than 30 national researchers on the topic.

The conference will take place Thursday, Sept. 15, from 5:30-7:15 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 16, from 7:30 a.m. to 6:15 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 17, from 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, Sept. 18, from 8:30-11:45 a.m. Organizers are University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty members Patricia Devine, a psychology professor, and Robert Livingston, a professor of psychology and African American studies.

Questions about the conference may be addressed to Lindsay Sharp at lsharp@wisc.edu.

The goal is to bring together social psychologists from a variety of backgrounds to discuss progress in understanding the nature of prejudice and discrimination during the last century. The conference will also define some of the significant enduring and future challenges to be addressed in the new century.

The conference will create a unique forum in which various scholars and lay persons can offer experiences, expertise and points of view and discuss pressing issues stemming from biases found in our society. Conferees include senior eminent scholars whose distinguished careers have shaped the study of prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination in recent decades, as well as mid-career and relatively junior scholars who have become active and influential contributors to this literature.

The conference is free and open to the public. Academics, students and others from the community interested in the issues presented during the conference are welcomed. Time will be arranged at the end of each day for audience discussion.