Ethnocentrism

‘Boris Bizumic’s book about ethnocentrism is a very timely contribution when the present zeitgeist is bringing back the old winds of ethnocentrism engulfed within nationalism and racism. The author’s eloquent, well grounded, systematic and comprehensive analysis of the concept, with its historical and multidisciplinary view, re-invents the very important socio-political-psychological phenomenon first noticed by the Jewish Pole Ludwig Gumplowicz, one of the founders of modern sociology, in the 1870s.’ - Daniel Bar-Tal, Professor Emeritus of Political Psychology, Tel Aviv University, Israel.

'The collective narcissism of human groups is obvious for all to see, but in psychology ethnocentrism has been hidden in plain sight. This important book revitalises the concept and gives it the clarity and solid theoretical foundation that it has lacked. Boris Bizumic shows that ethnocentrism has often been muddled with nationalism, prejudice, intergroup bias and xenophobia, and proceeds to clear the conceptual fog. His work shows that ethnocentrism is distinct from these related ideas and has six fundamental facets. The theoretical work that arrives at this formulation is impressive for its historical depth, giving overdue credit to the neglected Polish writer Ludwig Gumplowicz, and also stands out for the serious attention it gives to scholarship from the sociological, anthropological and political science traditions. The book also backs up the formulation with some solid empirical work and a promising measurement tool. Its later chapters build on the newly integrated account of ethnocentrism to explore and critique ideas about its causes and consequences, ranging across theories invoking self-esteem, personality, values, socialization, social categorization, threats and evolution. Bizumic makes the bold claim that prejudice, racism, nationalism, xenophobia, dehumanization and genocide are all downstream consequences of ethnocentrism, and that studying these staples of social psychology therefore requires a serious reckoning with this previously neglected idea. His thought-provoking book closes by holding a mirror up to psychology and revealing its own ethnocentrism as a discipline. Ethnocentrism: Integrated Perspectives is an important contribution to social and behavioural science that will generate renewed interest in its guiding concept. It deserves a wide and multi-disciplinary readership.' - Nicholas Haslam, Professor of Psychology, University of Melbourne, Australia.

Boris Bizumic is a Senior Lecturer in psychology at the Research School of Psychology, the Australian National University. His research expertise is in social, personality, and political psychology. He has published widely in the areas of ethnocentrism, prejudice, personality, attitudes, cross-cultural research, and scale construction.