Jim Sidanius facts for kids

James H. Sidanius, often called Jim Sidanius, was a very smart American psychologist and university professor. He was born on December 11, 1945, and passed away on June 29, 2021. He taught Psychology and African and African American Studies at Harvard University.

Jim Sidanius received many important awards for his work. In 2006, he won the Harold Lasswell Award for his great contributions to "Political Psychology." This field studies how people's minds and groups affect politics. He also won the Career Contribution Award in 2013 from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. In 2007, he became a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, which is a big honor. Later, in 2019, he received the Scientific Impact Award from the Society of Experimental Social Psychology.

About Jim Sidanius's Life

Jim Sidanius grew up in New York City. He was of African American heritage. He loved learning about the mind and how people think.

His Education and Studies

In 1968, he earned his first degree in psychology from the City College of New York. After that, he went to Sweden to study even more. He got his Ph.D. (a very advanced degree) in psychology from the University of Stockholm in 1977. His main research was about how our thoughts and beliefs connect to politics.

A New Name and Home

When Jim Sidanius moved to Sweden, he changed his last name from Brown to Sidanius. He also became a citizen of Sweden. However, in the 1980s, he moved back to the United States.

Important Books by Jim Sidanius

Jim Sidanius wrote several important books about his research. These books explored how groups of people interact and how society is organized.

• Social Dominance: An Intergroup Theory of Social Hierarchy and Oppression (1999) with Felicia Pratto: This book looked at how different groups in society create hierarchies and power differences.
• Racialized Politics: Values, Ideology, and Prejudice in American Public Opinion (2000): This book explored how race, beliefs, and opinions affect politics in America.
• Key Readings in Political Psychology (2004): This book was a collection of important writings in the field of political psychology.
• The Diversity Challenge: Social Identity and Intergroup Relations on the College Campus (2010): This book discussed how different groups get along on college campuses.

See also

• Social dominance theory