PRELIMINARY SYLLABUS, PSYCHOLOGY OF ANTI-SEMITISM, 422:02, FALL, 2009
PROFESSOR LEE JUSSIM
LAST UPDATED 9-8-09
Subject to Revision at any point during the semester

INTRODUCTION
Anti-Semitism is a bizarre social phenomenon. Many of the stereotypes relating
to anti-Semitism are mutually contradictory, and shift radically from era to era and from location
to location. Jews have been condemned for being seditious Communists and for being avaricious
capitalists. Fascists in Nazi Germany and in 1980s Argentina accused their nations' Jews
of having hidden loyalties to socialist regimes, whereas the Soviet Union regularly
persecuted its Jews for harboring secret sympathies for the West. Jews have
been chastised as being corruptly cosmopolitan and as being insular traditionalists, as being
heretical free-thinkers and as being mystical obscurantists, as being weak, ineffectual, and effete
and as stealthily advancing toward worldwide domination .

This course will attempt to provide some insight and understanding into how individuals come
to adopt anti-Semitic beliefs and attitudes, and come to advocate taking actions harmful to Jews,
in the modern world. Although the focus is on the psychological underpinnings of anti-Semitism
today, anti-Semitism has deep historical roots.  Therefore, the readings and other resources for this
course will draw on sources from a broad array of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences,
including (but not necessarily restricted to) psychology, sociology, political science, history, Jewish Studies,
and philosophy.  Because there may sometimes be fundamental similarities among prejudices directed at
different groups, not all readings will focus on prejudice against Jews per se.

I do not plan to delve into The Holocaust for many reasons. One is that it has been studied and discussed
so extensively that there are ample resources outside this class for those interested in it.  The other, and,
to me, even more important reason, is that I have come to believe that the relentless emphasis on the
Holocaust has unintentionally provided political cover for modern anti-Semites. That is, one can be
deeply anti-Semitic without being a Nazi. However, because Nazis have become the prototype of an
anti-Semite, and because their actions were so extreme, any position, belief, or action hostile to Jews
that is short of advocating genocide may be camouflaged and, therefore, not readily recognizable as anti-Semitic.

PART I: BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL PROCESSES OF PREJUDICE
A.    Introduction to anti-Semitism and The Psychology of Normal Prejudice
  1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisemitism
  2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_libel_against_Jews
  3. Brewer, M. (2001).  Ingroup identification and intergroup conflict: When does ingroup love become outgroup hate?  In R.D. Ashmore, L. Jussim, & D. Wilder (eds). Social Identity, Intergroup Conflict, and Conflict Reduction.
  4. Allport, G. (1954). The nature of prejudice.  Chapters 4 (Rejection of Outgroups), 11 (Linguistic factors), 12 (Stereotypes in our Culture), 22 (Aggression and Hatred)
  5. Selections from Plous S. (2003). Understanding Prejudice and Discrimination.
  6. Prejudice: Disliking Others (2002).  Chapter from D. Myers introductory social psychology text, Social Psychology.
B.  Scapegoating
  1. Allport, G. (1954). Choice of scapegoats.  Chapter 15. 
  2. Glick, P. (In press). Choice of scapegoats.
C.    Propaganda
  1. Allport, G. (1954), The nature of prejudice.  Chapter 26 (Demagogy).
  2. Altemeyer, B. (1996). The authoritarian specter.  Chapter 10 (The Effects of Hate Literature).
D.  Terror Management Theory
  1. Greenberg et al. (2009).  How our dreams of death transcendence breed prejudice, stereotyping, and conflict: Terror management
    theory.  Pp 309-332 in T. Nelson (ed), Handbook of prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination.  Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum
  2. Greenberg et al (1990).  Evidence for Terror Management Theory II: The Effects of Mortality Salience on Reactions to Those Who
    3. Threaten or Bolster the Cultural Worldview.  Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58, 308-318.
  3. Cohen et al. (2009). Modern anti-Semitism and attitudes towards Israel.  Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 97, 290–306
PART II: HISTORICAL, POLITICAL, CULTURAL, AND RELIGOUS SOURCES OF ANTI-SEMITISM
A.    The Middle Eastern Conflicts
  1. Documentary: PBS, Anti-Semitism in the 21st Century: The Resurgence
  2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_and_antisemitism
  3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_antisemitism
  4. The Hamas Charter.
    5.    ·    http://www.acpr.org.il/resources/hamascharter.html
  1. The Jewish Refugees
    2. ·    http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/03/06/INGM2BJH7U1.DTL
    ·    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_exodus_from_Arab_lands 
B.    Christianity
  1. Harris, S. (2005). In the shadow of God. (Chapter 3 in The End of Faith).
  2. Goldhagen, D. (1997).  The evolution of eliminationist anti-Semitism in modern Germany. (Chapter 2 in Hitler’s Willing Executioners).
  3. Documentary: Constantine’s Sword
  4. Movie: Gibson's The Passion of the Christ
C.    Jewish Success
  1. Speech by a former prime minister of Malaysia:  http://www.adl.org/Anti_semitism/malaysian.asp
  2. Burstein, P. (2007).  Jewish educational and economic success in the United States: A search for explanations.  Sociological Perspectives, 50, 209-228.
  3. Walt & Mearsheimer (2006), The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy.
Requirements
This will be a writing intensive course and will fill a Rutgers writing requirement. 
Short summaries of each reading, video, etc., will be required. Although there will be no tests, two
major papers will be required (one about half way through the semester, and one at the end).
    Grading
    10% Short summaries (about ¼ page summary, single spaced, for each article).
    10% Discussion leading
    10% In class participation and discussion.
    30 % Midterm paper.
    40 % Final paper.