Transforming Prejudice

A key aspect of the analysis is explaining why cisgender men are the least likely to support transgender individuals, asking how to nudge them to change. The answer: reassure their masculinity and make them feel happier in general. Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates. Graduate students, faculty and professionals. General readers. * J. J. Aguayo, York College of Pennsylvania, CHOICE *
Michelson and Harrison offer much-needed pragmatic guidance on how to challenge and ultimately change anti-transgender public opinion. The path forward won't be easy, but it is possible and this book can help us take the first steps. * Heath Fogg Davis, author of Beyond Trans: Does Gender Matter? *
Transforming Prejudice continues Michelson and Harrison's important work on attitude change and reducing prejudice against LGBTQ communities. Recognizing the distinctive challenges associated with increasing public acceptance of transgender individuals, they create, test, and prescribe a new theory — Identity Reassurance Theory — for changing individual attitudes. While this theory is a significant contribution to political science scholarship, more importantly it provides a tested strategy for facilitating positive change, reducing discrimination, and advancing transgender rights. This book is essential reading for everyone committed to eradicating discrimination against transgender individuals. * Courtenay W. Daum, author of The Politics of Right Sex: Transgressive Bodies, Governmentality and the Limits of Trans Rights *
This is a timely and insightful book that examines the difficult task of changing public attitudes about transgender rights. The small size of the transgender community and public discomfort with transgender people make attitudinal change hard. With their Identity Reassurance Theory, Michelson and Harrison offer a theoretically grounded and pragmatic approach to changing people's attitudes about transgender rights. It is recommended for anyone interested in changing attitudes about a marginalized community. * Jami Taylor, Professor of Political Science and Public Administration, University of Toledo *
What a refreshingly pragmatic, optimistic book. A Change is Gonna Comeis a humane text, grounded in useful data, and full of helpful practices that are at the core of good political science, and good political habits. I look forward to teaching this! * Renée Cramer, Drake University *
We can't change everyone (racist uncles, Twitter bullies, unhinged presidents who double as Twitter bullies), but Brian F. Harrison teaches us how to persuade the persuadable. This is a book for people who want to change minds using techniques that work, which means there's no chapter celebrating the effectiveness of shaming, trolling, and other emotionally satisfying but largely counterproductive weaponry if the goal is winning elections-or even finding common ground with the human being next door. This is a hopeful and humane book for people willing to have seemingly difficult conversations that might just change the world. * Benoit Denizet-Lewis, Emerson College *
LGBTQ people have made historic progress in record time thanks to the brave members of our community who not only came out, but engaged in honest, challenging conversations with those who were hostile toward our very existence. As Brian Harrison's book makes clear, it is those authentic, hard conversations that have changed people's minds and opened their hearts. The only way we will defend our progress and win true equity for all people is to take Brian's advice and keep the lines of communication open. * Brian Richardson, LGBTQ advocate and Director, Lambda Legal Midwest Region *