Education and the Paradox of Perceived Discrimination

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abstract: The authors identify a paradox of perceived discrimination whereby perceptions of discrimination among disadvantaged groups are lower when dominant group attitudes are more discriminatory. This article forwards an explanation for this phenomenon based on the asymmetric effects of education on dominant and disadvantaged groups. Using individual- and school-level European data, the authors argue that education decreases discriminatory attitudes while increasing perceived discrimination through the interplay of cognitive sophistication, liberal instruction, and intergroup contact. At the country level, as education levels have increased over time, discriminatory attitudes have become less prevalent but perceptions of discrimination among disadvantaged groups have increased. The findings suggest that education increases awareness of discrimination among victims more than it decreases prejudice among perpetrators, challenging existing social hierarchies while simultaneously contributing to intergroup tensions.