Applying Ecological Theory to Advance the Science and Practice of School-Based Prejudice Reduction Interventions

Abstract

Several school-based racial prejudice-reduction interventions have demonstrated some benefit. Ecological theory serves as a framework within which to understand the limits and to enhance the efficacy of prejudice-reduction interventions. Using ecological theory, this article examines three prejudice-reduction approaches, including social cognitive training, cooperative learning, and liberation psychology. I discuss each approach in terms of its conceptualization of the ecological structures and processes that cause prejudice. I also discuss each approach in terms of what ecological structures and processes it enlists to reduce prejudice. These examples illustrate that the theory of etiology on which an intervention is based strongly shapes and severely limits the scope of the intervention. Ecological theory suggests specific strategies to overcome this limitation and to enhance prejudice-reduction efforts in the schools.