My Favorite Things w/Dr. Bob #4

​Thank goodness lifelong learning is one of my treasured hobbies. The past two months have been quite busy, but I somehow managed to discover some great new learning gems. Here it goes…

My Favorite Books

Over the last two months, I chose to dive deep into issues relevant to racial prejudice and discrimination. It started with listening to Dr. Crystal Fleming’s provocative audiobook, How to Be Less Stupid About Race. However, once immersed in this topic, I was compelled to read and learn much more.
​
​In How to Be Less Stupid About Race: On Racism, White Supremacy, and the Racial Divide, Dr. Fleming argues convincingly that racism (and racial ignorance) is systemic in our society. As the publisher notes, “Searing, sobering, and urgently needed, How to Be Less Stupid About Race is a truth bomb for your racist relative, friend, or boss, and a call to action for everyone who wants to challenge white supremacy and intersectional oppression.”

Originally a biology major, Dr. Fleming is now an associate professor of sociology and Africana studies at Stony Brook University. She found her calling in sociology after learning about critical race theory in an introductory undergraduate course in sociology. In a recent interview, Dr. Fleming perfectly captures why I chose this book and this topic: “If we’re going to challenge systemic racism, white supremacy, patriarchy, ableism, class oppression, homophobia, and transphobia we need to reflect on our socialization and consider why it is that we have problematic views, and then understand what we can do about it.”

​While listening to How to Be Less Stupid About Race, I read Dr. Robin DiAngelo’s 2018 book, White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism. Dr. DiAngelo, a professor of multicultural education at Westfield State University, explores “the defensive moves that white people make when challenged racially… characterized by emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and by behaviors including argumentation and silence.” This book helped me recognize my own white fragility and the roadblocks it puts up to prevent meaningful discussions about race.
 
To get you thinking about this issue, take the White Fragility Quiz. I definitely have it. And as the results of my quiz pointed out, “Don’t worry, we all do to some degree.” I must admit, I still worry, but my journey of reflection continues. Thankfully, the author shares an excellent Reading Guide, Discussion Guide for Educators, and Discussion Guide for Unitarian Universalist Communities.

​​The time is ripe for exploring issues of prejudice and discrimination. I am now in the midst of reading Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt’s 2019 book, Biased; Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do. Dr. Eberhard, a professor of psychology at Stanford University, carefully outlines how bias develops, as well as evidence-based strategies to address and work to overcome it. Wondering whether this book might be for you? Watch Dr. Eberhardt’s recent RSA Lecture, How Bias Works. 

My Favorite Podcast

​What perfect timing for NPR to release a new podcast, White Lies! The podcast, which just released a third episode, explores the murder of Rev. James Reeb, a civil-rights activist, in Selma more than 50 years ago. To learn more, listen to the brief podcast overview, Introducing White Lies, and check out NPR’s visual narrative of the unsolved murder case.

My Favorite MOOC

​There are so many wonderful options available for lifelong learning. After reading Dr. Mitch Prinstein’s book, Popular: Finding Happiness and Success in a World That Cares Too Much About the Wrong Kinds of Relationships, I was delighted to complete Dr. Prinstein’s popular massive open online course on Coursera, The Psychology of Popularity. The four-week course explores how psychological scientists like Dr. Prinstein study popularity and outlines some of the major research findings on the topic. For a brief introduction to this topic, watch The Right Kind of Popularity and read the companion article.

---

My Favorite Learning Resources

Looking for a great way to get students to assess and reflect on their academic skills at the beginning of a course? Check out the Stanford Academic Skills Inventory. It’s an excellent tool for inspire students to consider their time management, reading, notetaking, test taking, writing, and other skills and factors relevant to college success. The inventory provides an outstanding narrative feedback report that is perfect for in-class and online discussions. I use this inventory during the orientation to my courses. Then, as part of every course, I complement the survey with a brief module on the science of learning.
 
For further self-assessments that help students reflect on their college success, consider asking students to take an assessment of grit, mindset, and self-control. Review prior entries of this blog for even more learning resources to help students effectively learn.

My Favorite Media

​The Netflix movie based on the serial killer Ted Bundy will certainly offer a glimpse into the mind of a psychopath. After watching this film, consider watching the Netflix documentary series, Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes.

Frontotemporal Dementia: Devastating, Prevalent and Little Understood (60 Minutes) is an excellent overview of frontotemporal dementia, the most common form of dementia among middle-age Americans.

​At the Heart of Gold: After listening and favoriting the NPR podcast, Believed, I couldn’t miss the HBO documentary on the USA gymnastics scandal involving Dr. Larry Nassar, an Olympics doctor who abused dozens of woman and girls. 

​I’m curious. What were your favorites this month?
 
~ Dr. Bob
 
For more learning resources, follow my Twitter feed, @psychoBOBlogy. You might also enjoy the Facebook pages for my courses:

• Get Psyched with Dr. Bob,
• Abnormal Psychology with Dr. Bob, and
• Developmental Psychology with Dr. Bob