Lansdowne Lecture: October 15th
Title: "Beyond Belief: Racism and Social Critique"
Speaker: Dr. Sally Haslanger (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
Thursday, Oct 15th at 7:30pm in David Turpin Building A102
Abstract:
Racism, sexism, and other forms of injustice are more than just bad attitudes; after all, such injustice involves unfair distributions of goods and resources. But attitudes, especially beliefs, play a role: racist and sexist attitudes—often implicit—distort and obscure important facts about social groups and result in a failure to recognize their interests. Traditionally the strategy recommended for changing bad attitudes has been articulation and reasoned debate. I argue, however, that challenging beliefs is not always the most effective strategy for social change. But what other non-violent means is available?