“Social psychological perspectives on Islamophobia - Antecedents, consequences, and ways to reduce it”

Jonas Kunst

Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo

In this talk, I will offer social-psychological perspectives on Islamophobia. The main questions I attempt to address are: How can Islamophobia be understood and conceptualized from a psychological perspective? What psychological factors make people hold Islamophobic attitudes and conspiracy beliefs? What consequences has Islamophobia for Muslims’ social identities and well-being? How can we reduce religious prejudice and foster interreligious solidarity? To shed light on these questions, I will present results from various cross-cultural studies we have conducted among Muslim and non-Muslim populations in different parts of the world (e.g., the US, Europe, Middle East).